Divisions beginning to take shape after third round

 

The four games postponed in Round 3 of the Allianz Football League last weekend will be played next Sunday.  They are Monaghan v Kerry in Division 1; Cavan v Meath in Division 2; Derry v Offaly and Sligo v Fermanagh in Division 3.

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 1:  KERRY BIDDING TO JOIN DUBLIN AND GALWAY AT THE TOP

Sunday (14:30):  Monaghan v Kerry, Inniskeen

Following the postponement of last Sunday’s clash following a pitch inspection, Monaghan and Kerry will complete the Allianz Football League Division 1 Round 3 programme when they meet in Inniskeen this Sunday.  With Dublin and Galway both winning last weekend and both maintaining a 100% record after three rounds, Kerry need a victory over their hosts to stay in step with the top two. The Kingdom will need to win by a tally of seven points or more to overtake Galway in second place on scoring average while they need to win by 14 points to knock Dublin off top spot.

Kerry and Monaghan have met five teams in the Allianz Football League in the last eight years, with the Kingdom winning three to Monaghan’s two. Monaghan’s two wins came last year (2-8 to 1-10) and 2015 (1-11 to 0-10) while Kerry were successful in 2016-2011-2010.

Last Sunday’s results leave Donegal and Kildare as the only teams in the group without a point after three rounds. They meet in the next round in Ballyshannon on Sunday week.

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 2: CAVAN OR MEATH CAN GO TOP

Sunday (14:30):  Cavan v Meath, Kingspan Breffni Park

Cork and Down overtook Cavan and Meath in the promotion race last weekend but the winners of the re-fixed game will leap to the top of the table should Sunday’s game end in a draw. Cork, Down, Cavan and Meath will all be on four points, with Roscommon and Tipperary on three each.

Cavan and Meath last met in the Allianz Football League (Div 2) in 2016 when Cavan came from behind to win by seven points in what was a major success in their successful drive towards Allianz Football League Division 1.  Meath won the 2015 clash by two points. Cavan dropped down from Division 1 in the same year, while Meath are attempting to return to Division 1 for the first time since 2006.

Louth’s defeat to Cork last Sunday leaves them at the bottom of the table with no points after three rounds.

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 3:  FERMANAGH’S CHANCE TO MOVE INTO PROMOTION PLACES

Sunday (14:00): Derry v Offaly, Celtic Park, Sligo v Fermanagh, Markievicz Park

A win for Fermanagh would see them join Armagh on six points at the top of the table while a win for Sligo would take them alongside Fermanagh, Longford and Westmeath on four points each.

Fermanagh and Sligo last met in the Allianz League in 2015 (Division 3) when Fermanagh won by two points.

Meanwhile Derry and Offaly are looking for their first points of the campaign. Derry, who dropped down from Allianz Football Division 2 this year, were expected to be among the promotion favourites but have made a bad start, losing their first two games to Westmeath and Longford by a combined total of ten points.

They host Offaly, who have also lost their opening two games. Battling against relegation to Allianz Football Division 4 is a far cry from the lofty status this pair enjoyed 20 years ago when they met in the Allianz Football Division 1 final which Offaly won. Derry went on to win the Division 1 title in 2000 and 2007 but are now in danger of dropping to Division 4.

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 4: PRE-SEASON FAVOURITES LEAD THE WAY

Laois, Carlow and Antrim were regarded as promotion favourites at the start of the seasons and, so far at least, the form has held up. Carlow and Laois are both on six points after three rounds, with Antrim on five points.

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE 2018: RESULTS AND FIXTURES

DIVISION 1
Round 1: Dublin 2-17 Kildare 2-10; Galway 1-9 Tyrone 0-8; Kerry 2-18 Donegal 3-14; Mayo 0-13 Monaghan 0-12.
Round 2: Kerry 1-15 Mayo 2-9; Dublin 2-13 Tyrone 1-11; Monaghan 1-10 Kildare 0-12; Galway 1-12 Donegal 0-14.
Round 3: Dublin 0-20 Donegal 0-15; Galway 1-13 Mayo 0-11 Tyrone 1-16 Kildare 0-18; Next Sunday: Monaghan v Kerry.
Round 4: Feb 24: Mayo v Dublin; Monaghan v Tyrone; Feb 25: Donegal v Kildare; Kerry v Galway.
Round 5: Mar 3: Dublin v Kerry; Tyrone v Donegal; Mar 4: Galway v Monaghan; Kildare v Mayo.
Round 6: Mar 17:  Kerry v Kildare; Mar 18: Galway v Dublin; Mayo v Tyrone; Monaghan v Donegal.
Round 7: Mar 25: Donegal v Mayo; Dublin v Monaghan; Kildare v Galway; Tyrone v Kerry.
Final: Apr 1

DIVISION 2
Round 1: Clare 1-12 Cavan 2-9; Tipperary 3-16 Cork 1-16; Down 1-14 Louth 0-11; Roscommon 2-12 Meath 2-12.
Round 2: Cavan 3-17 Louth 0-14; Cork 1-13 Down 0-10; Meath 0-21 Clare 0-7; Roscommon 1-17 Tipperary 3-9.
Round 3: Clare 0-11 Tipperary 0-11; Cork 2-11 Louth 0-10; Down 0-12 Roscommon 0-7; Next Sunday: Cavan v Meath; 
Round 4: Feb 24: Tipperary v Meath; Feb 25: Cork v Cavan; Down v Clare; Louth v Roscommon.
Round 5: Mar 3: Cavan v Down; Mar 4: Clare v Roscommon; Meath v Cork; Tipperary v Louth.
Round 6: Mar 17: Cork v Clare; Mar 18: Down v Tipperary; Louth v Meath; Roscommon v Cavan.
Round 7: Mar 25: Cavan v Tipperary; Clare v Louth; Meath v Down; Roscommon v Cork.
Final: Apr 1

DIVISION 3
Round 1: Armagh 2-17 Sligo 0-9; Westmeath 2-17 Derry 2-14; Fermanagh 3-7 Wexford 2-5;  Longford 3-18 Offaly 1-13.
Round 2: Fermanagh 2-11 Offaly 1-6; Longford 1-13 Derry 1-6; Sligo 1-16 Wexford 1-13; Armagh 2-17 Westmeath 1-11.
Round 3: Armagh 1-11 Longford 1-10; Westmeath 0-16 Wexford 1-10; Next Sunday: Derry v Offaly; Sligo v Fermanagh.
Round 4: Feb 24: Fermanagh v Derry; Feb 25: Longford v Wexford; Offaly v Armagh; Westmeath v Sligo.
Round 5: Mar 3: Armagh v Derry; Mar 4: Sligo v Longford; Westmeath v Fermanagh; Wexford v Offaly.
Round 6: Mar 11: Derry v Wexford; Mar 18: Fermanagh v Armagh: Longford v Westmeath; Offaly v Sligo.
Round 7: Mar 25: Longford v Fermanagh; Sligo v Derry; Westmeath v Offaly; Wexford v Armagh.
Final: Mar 31

DIVISION 4
Round 1: Carlow 2-14 London 2-9; Laois 2-12 Limerick 0-9; Antrim 0-15 Leitrim 0-5; Wicklow 0-12 Waterford 0-12.
Round 2: Laois 3-16 Leitrim 3-10; Carlow 2-11 Limerick 0-14; London 1-16 Wicklow 0-10; Antrim 2-12 Waterford 0-10.
Round 3: Laois 0-18 Waterford 1-11; Carlow 2-11 Leitrim 0-5; Antrim 0-12 Wicklow 0-12; London 2-8 Limerick 2-8.
Round 4: Feb 24: Waterford v Carlow; Feb 25: Leitrim v Limerick; Wicklow v Laois; London v Antrim.
Round 5: Mar 3: Carlow v Wicklow; London v Leitrim; Mar 4: Laois v Antrim; Limerick v Waterford.
Round 6: Mar 11: London v Laois; Mar 18: Antrim v Carlow; Waterford v Antrim; Wicklow v Limerick.
Round 7: Mar 25: Carlow v Laois; Leitrim v Wicklow; Limerick v Antrim; London v Waterford.
Final : March 31