Review: Allianz NFL Div 4 Week 5

Comfortable wins for both Laois and Sligo saw them take control of Division 4 this weekend as Leitrim’s loss to Wicklow damaged their own hopes of promotion. Carlow restored some pride with a solid victory in London.

Billy Sheehan and Tony McEntee will be happy with the league tables at the end of the weekend as both sides know that two wins in their final two games will see them qualify for the final. 

Andy Moran’s Leitrim who feature in both top side’s runin’s will be disappointed not to be level at the top but a seven point swing late in their clash with Wicklow may have damaged their own ambitions.

Sligo 1-18 Wexford 2-7 in Markievicz Park on Sunday, 5th March

A dominant home display from Sligo despite a late scoring flurry from their visitors to defeat Wexford 1-20 to 3-8 as they took their promotion ambitions into their own control ahead of two big games to come.

Both sides came into the game with major hopes and the visitors appeared to have the best of it when John Tubritt goaled in the opening exchanges but eight Sligo scores, half from the boot of Sean Carrabine, to a single Wexford white flag, left the home side with a 0-9 to 1-2 lead at the break. 

By the time Pat Spillane found the net to put Sligo ahead with only fifteen minutes left on the clock the game was effectively over as the home side led by eleven points.

Two late Wexford goals from Cian Hughes and Mark Rossiter against the run of play gave a deceptive look to the scoreline with five minutes remaining. 

Hughes hitting the post deep into injury time could have reduced the deficit even further but Tony McEntee will be happy to have secured the two points on offer.

Wicklow 0-15 Leitrim 1-9 in Aughrim on Sunday, 5th March

Oisin McConville’s Wicklow side continued their fine form by defeating Andy Moran’s Leitrim side to take a massive step towards progression to Division 3. 

A outstanding performance from Garden County defender Malachy Stone managed to reduce the influence of Leitrim’s talisman Keith Beirne as Eoin Darcy contributed 0-6 alongside Dean Healy’s 0-3 from midfield to come from four points behind to secure a comfortable enough three point win in the end. 

Moran will rue a missed Jack Heslin opportunity mid way through the second half which could have killed the game. Both sides are still in the promotion hunt but they both will be requiring other results to go their way in the coming weeks.

London 0-9 Carlow 0-13 in McGovern Park, Ruislip on Sunday, 5th March

The early throw in saw two sides looking to restore an element of pride in their league campaign. Both effectively out of contention for promotion prior to today’s game both sides will have had an eye on their championship preparations.

London got the ball rolling with a few early scores but Carlow raced back with a couple of their own before both sides started swapping points, a late batch from Darragh Foley and Colm Hulton saw Carlow take a three point lead into the half time team talk.

Two quick fire scores for the visitors threatened the floodgates opening but Shane Clarke’s black card as James Gallagher pulled one back for London gave the home side some hope.

Gallagher added on two further scores to pull it back to just a single score game at 0-7 to 0-10 but Carlow getting back to full strength made the difference as Ross Dunphy, Foley and Jordan Morrissey stretched their lead as two late London scores made no difference to the result.

Laois 2-13 Waterford 1-5 in O’Moore Park on Saturday, 4th March

A fine scoring display from Eoin Lowry was more than enough to defeat a disappointing Waterford singlehanded. The encounter started slowly with only two Laois points in the opening quarter of the game before a goal from Lowry would give his side a 1-3 to 0-1 lead that they never looked like surrendering. 

A scoring flurry from Waterford including a major from Jason Curry just before the interval looked like they might push on but Lowry goaled in the first minute of the second half to end the contest. 

Lowry was ably assisted by Mark Barry and Paul Kingston in opening the floodgates and the game was all but dead and buried before Waterford got their first and only scores of the half with two scores at the death. Paul Kingston would hammer the final nail with an injury time point to leave Laois on the top of the table and looking up towards Division 3.