gaa football qualifiers 24-6-19
GAA FOOTBALL
QUALIFERS
DERRY 0-12 1-13 LAIOS
LOVELY LOWRY
The visitors started with Donie Kingston occupying the
centre half-forward role but it was the home side who looked more impressively
in the early exchanges.
Deploying Shane McGuigan and Benny Heron as a two-man
full-forward line, Derry were two points up inside three minutes thanks to
scores from Ryan Bell and McGuigan from a free.
Laois were settling though and in full-forward Colm Murphy,
they had a man causing Derry all sorts of problems. Murphy opened the Laois
account in the fifth minute before Evan O'Carroll somehow missed his shot when
the ensuing Derry kick-out went straight to him seconds later.
He made amends though inside three minutes with a ninth minute
equaliser and the dye was cast for a half in which there would be nothing
between the teams.
McGuigan somehow miscued an easy 20m free into Laois keepers
hand before a flowing Derry moved ended with McGuigan teeing up Heron to edge
Derry back in front.
As the half wore on, Laois withdrew in a more defensive
formation but their ability to break at pace was causing Derry, who were
bossing possession, plenty of trouble.
Two points from the excellent Murphy had the visitors in the
lead for the first time at 0-04 to 0-03 before Derry tied the game again
after Laois full-back Denis Booth was yellow carded but a cynical foul on
McGuigan who tapped the free over.
Collins and Bell swapped scores before O'Carroll and
McGuigan did likewise to maintain the status quo at 0-06 apiece.
Derry Ciaran McFaul scored the goal of the half when he won
a Laois kick-out and meandered through three tackles before kicking a beauty
against the breeze and when Niall Keenan won loose ball to set-up Heron,Derry
had a two point lead going into first half injury time.
The last say of the half however went to Laois and Daniel
O'Reilly who split the posts after a great run to leave only the minimum
between the teams at 0-8 to 0-7.
Derry introduced Eoghan Concannon for McGoldrick at half-time
and the substitute was handed the job of stopping Murphy but despite enjoying
the breeze second half, Laois could have hit the net three times with Derry
indebted to some superb goalkeeping from Thomas Mallon.
Chrissy McKaigue had started the half with a lovely run and
point but Laois took over for 10 minutes. Two Donie Kingston frees levelled
matters before Paul Kingston's long ball in saw Murphy hold off Concannon, turn
and flash a shot inches wide of the far post.
Derry were unable to win their kick-out, John O'Loughlin
setting off toward the posts before O'Carroll's centre perfectly picked out
Murphy only yards from the goal line. The full forward met it full on with the
fists but Mallon somehow blocked the effort before getting down to block
Murphy's second effort and the ball squirmed only inches from the
line.
That save looked even more valuable when Bell squeezed over
a free from south of 40m to edge Derry 0-10 to 0-09 in front second
before an excellent Mallon save denied O'Carroll.
Donie Kingston and Robert Piggott were both black carded for
Laois, Kingston for a trip of McFaul and Piggott for a cynical foul of the
breaking Heron but Laois were in the ascendancy.
Point were traded until McGuigan edged Derry in front at
0-12 to 0-11 with a close range free before Lowry struck the critical blow with
five to play.
Even with six minutes of injury-time, the goal left Derry
too much to do, especially with McFaul's loose pass out of defence gave Kieran
Lillis an opportunity to score which he didn't pass up.
A late red card for McFaul for an off the ball incident
didn't help Oak Leaf hopes. Lowry's late free sealed the deal but his goal won
the game.
MY
OPINION
Both of these sides were outside
bets for the super 8s and I think that that was shown in this match but Derry
have to show improvement for next year as they were seen by a lot of the fans
but this is a big win for Laois and they are still learning
MONAGHAN 1-12 2-17
ARMAGH
ON FIRE O NEILL
O'Neill got his first goal in the 48th minute from a
breakaway attack and added his second 10 minutes later.
Jack McCarron scored a consolation goal for the hosts five
minutes from time.
O'Neill's first strike came immediately after Monaghan
claimed they should have had a penalty, with the visitors going up the other
end to grab a vital three points.
His second stretched Armagh's lead to 10 points with 12
minutes remaining and when McCarron pulled one back for Monaghan in injury time
it was too late to help mount a comeback.
MY
OPINION
This was a disaster for Monahan
on all levels as they were seen by many as All Ireland contenders but loosing
this early is a real problem. For the manager to quit in my opinion was a big decision
but there was not really much to learn from this game
DOWN 1-11 1-16 MAYO
KILLER KEEGAN
Despite conceding a goal after only eight minutes, and
losing full-forward Darren Coen to a black card soon after, Mayo were in front
at the end of a breathless first half by 0-10 to 1-03.
James Horan's charges had settled quickly thanks to early
points from Loftus (free) and Andy Moran, but Down’s Mooney then pounced
for an inspirational goal.
There seemed to be very little danger when the former
Australian Rules star picked the ball up, but he used his pace to beat two
defenders before knocking the ball nonchalantly past David Clarke.
That score lifted the Down supporters out of their seats,
and propelled the underdogs into the lead.
But Mayo’s experience showed from there to the interval
as Horan’s side rolled up their sleeves and outscored their hosts by 0-08
to 0-03 over the next 32 minutes.
With Aidan O’Shea at his dominant best around the middle,
and line-breakers like Lee Keegan, Colm Boyle and Paddy Durcan getting forward
at every opportunity, a plethora of chances were created.
Loftus kicked three points (two frees) with Fionn McDonagh
(2), Kevin McLoughlin, O’Shea and Chris Barrett also hitting the target.
Down were finding it harder to create openings at the other
end, and they also squandered a few scoreable chances, but Pat Havern, Owen
McCabe and Donal O’Hare (free) did tag on crucial points to keep the home side
in the hunt.
The marauding Keegan and the pacy Mooney then traded
scores to maintain the status quo before quick-thinking by Moran set up Loftus
for the fourth goal of his Mayo career.
That left the visitors ahead by 1-11 to 1-05 and Down were
facing an uphill battle to stay in contention.
There were still six points between the sides swinging into
the last quarter but the home side then found their second wind to rattle off
scores from Connaire Harrison and substitutes Cory Quinn and Jerome Johnston to
cut the deficit in half.
The last ten minutes were a blur as Down attacked in waves
and tried to engineer the goal they needed to draw level.
To their credit, Mayo defended excellently with veterans
Chris Barrett, Keith Higgins and Boyle all making crucial tackles and
interventions.
Down at the other end, a few quick counter-attacks ended
with points from Diarmuid O’Connor, the tireless Keegan and Ciaran Treacy to
seal a deserved win for the visitors.
MY
OPINION
This result to me says that Mayo
and says that they have got the potential to win the whole competition. It does
show that when given a battle they can face it and overcome unlike what
happened with Roscommon as for Down they are improving
LONGFORD 1-14 2-15
TYRONE
MIGHTY MC SHANE
The opening goal on nine minutes came from a Cathal McShane
shot which went in off home keeper Paddy Collum.
McShane fisted the second six minutes later from a Michael
Cassidy pass.
Iarla O'Sullivan grabbed the home side's goal in injury time
but it was too late to deny Tyrone a comfortable passage to the next round.
The Red Hands led by 2-7 to 0-5 at the break, with David
McGivney converting three Longford frees and Tyrone's Peter Harte finishing the
game with nine points.
Daniel Mimnagh's effort in the opening minute was Longford's
only score in the opening half,
Tyrone dropped 15 men deep into their own half to stifle the
home side's early threat and soon settled in to establish a foothold in the
game.
Cassidy and Harte had shot points by the time McShane
grabbed his first goal in the ninth minute.
Collum's poor kick-out was picked up by Niall Sludden, who
slipped the ball to the full forward. His initial shot was blocked by Barry
O'Farrell, but he latched on to the rebound to bundle the ball to the net off
the keeper.
David McGivney steered over three frees, but McShane struck
again in the 17th minute, punching to the net from Cassidy's long ball.
Longford's offensive threat was comfortably dealt with by
Ronan McNamee and Hugh Pat McGeary, and they worked the ball comfortably from
deep for McShane to pick off a couple of scores for a 2-7 to 0-5 interval lead.
Longford narrowed the gap through Colm P Smyth and McGivney,
but Harte rediscovered his range to pick off four more scores at the other end.
With 10 points separating the sides at the end of the 70
minutes, the home side hit 1-3 in stoppage time, including a goal from
substitute O'Sullivan.
MY
OPINION
This was the type of win Tyrone needed
moving forward and Tyrone now have the chance to show how good they really are
as a team. It seems to be a thing of learning a new system but can they tweak
it enough to go further Im not sure
OFFALLY 3-15 0-17 SLIGO
WMEATH 2-13 1-10 LIMRICK
LETRIM 0-17 3-17 CLARE
ROUND 3 DRAW
MAYO V ARMAGH
KILDARE V TYRONE
WESTMEATH V CLARE
LAOIS V OFFALLY
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