February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Mark Jones
DUBLIN — Traditionally perceived as the boys of summer, Tyrone are already cutting a swath through the National Football League mud. Following last weekend’s third series of games, the Ulster county is the only side in Div. 1A with a 100 percent record.
On this occasion, Roscommon simply couldn’t live with Tyrone’s fast-moving play at Omagh, where it finished 3-20 to 0-14. And if there was a collective emphasis on another success, Peter Canavan yet again made his mark with a virtuoso performance that yielded six points, including three frees.
Canavan had a central role in two of the three goals by Brian McGuckin, Stephen O’Neill and Cormac McAnallen, and although Nigel Dineen and John Hanley fashioned a Roscommon revival of sorts during the second half, there was no doubting Tyrone’s superiority.
Hit by injuries and withdrawals, Cork slumped to a second defeat when they were outclassed by Westmeath at Mullingar. A 1-14 to 1-6 scoreline was a fair reflection as Westmeath made the most of the appalling conditions. Rory O’Connell was the inspiration at midfield and he was involved in a passing movement that created an early goal for Joe Fallon as Cork struggled during the first half.
A goal just after the interval by Philip Clifford gave Cork some hope, but soon Westmeath’s dominance was apparent again as they outscored Larry Tompkins’ side by 0-6 to 0-2 in the last half hour.
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Offaly and Dublin were both resigned to a share of the points at Tullamore, where a 1-7 to 0-10 result just about summed up a bloodless contest played in bitterly cold conditions. Backed by an Arctic wind, Dublin led by 0-6 to 0-2 at the changeover, but Offaly soon responded with a Donie Claffey goal and they secured the draw 5 minutes from the end with a superb sideline kick by Pascal Kelleghan.
Galway, meanwhile. secured a second victory in three games with a hard fought 0-9 to 0-7 victory over Donegal at Ballyshannon, but the result was marred by the sending off of Derek Savage, who was shown a straight red card for a late charge on Eamonn Doherty 5 minutes from the end.
It was tight for much of the game. However, the All-Ireland champions were able to make the decisive burst of scoring near the end with three points in quick succession from Kieron Comer, Savage and Paul Clancy.
In Div. 1B, Mayo’s outstanding first-half performance was enough to see them though to a narrow 0-11 to 0-10 triumph over Sligo at Markievicz Park. With James Horan and Conor Mortimer in excellent form, Mayo were 0-8 to 0-4 clear at the interval, and despite Sligo’s subsequent improvement, the reigning league champions held on to make it three wins out of three in this season’s campaign.
Cavan’s run of success was ended by Kildare, who ran out 1-12 to 1-9 victors at Breffni Park. An early Jason Reilly goal appeared to set the Ulster county on the right track, but Declan McCormack replied in kind just before halftime, and then some good scores by Tadhg Fennin and Karl O’Dwyer paved the way for Kildare, who are now in second place behind Mayo.
It was bottom-of-the-table fare at Ennis, where the Russell brothers, Denis and David, both contributed goals as Clare defeated Derry by 2-5 to 0-7. Clare’s success was all the more impressive as they played the second half with 14 men after Paul Hehir was sent off for a second yellow-card offense. Derry now have nothing to show from their three games.
Limerick moved to the top of Div. 2A on points difference with a 2-16 to 2-10 triumph over Leitrim, while in Div. 2B, Longford defeated Carlow by 1-14 to 0-8 and Monaghan and Meath played out a 3-7 to 2-10 draw.
Hurling
The National Hurling League got under way last weekend with Kilkenny and Waterford at loggerheads in the top match in Div. 1A at Nowlan Park. John Hoyne’s goal proved crucial in a 1-12 to 0-12 success for Kilkenny, but Waterford could easily have snatched a draw, but Seamus Prendergast’s shot was brilliantly saved by James McGarry in the dying seconds.
Trailing by 0-4 to 1-7 at the break, new Waterford manager Justin McCarthy was well aware of what he was up against.
“We knew we weren’t going to get anything easy, but in the end I though we were unlucky not to get the draw,” he said. “In the second half I thought we were the better team.”
Paul Flynn had 0-8 for the losers all from frees, while Henry Shefflin was the main Kilkenny threat with a tidy four points including two frees.
Michael Duignan’s tenure as Meath manager began under a black cloud at Navan, where his side was crushed 4-24 to 1-8 by a rampant Clare. Tony Carmody, David Forde and subs Andrew Quinn and Brian Culbert all had goals for the winners, while Tony Griffin chipped in with seven points.
It was certainly icy enough for Ben and Jerry at the Gaelic Grounds, where the O’Connor twins hit the winning points to give Cork an important 0-11 to 0-9 victory over Munster rivals Limerick in Div. 1B. Ben O’Connor had given Cork the lead with time running out only for Owen Foley to equalize, but then Jerry O’Connor struck twice in quick succession to settle the issue.
A hat trick of goals by John O’Dwyer was not enough to save Derry who were beaten 2-20 to 3-4 by Wexford at Enniscorthy. O’Dwyer’s goals all came in the first half. However, during that period the winners managed 14 points and goals after the interval by Larry O’Gorman and Darren Stamp killed off Derry’s hopes.
In Div. 2A, Antrim got the better of Down by 1-10 to 1-8 at Casement Park, while Wicklow defeated Carlow by 4-14 to 2-13, and Kerry were comfortable 4-15 to 0-9 winners over London in Div. 2B.