Derry picked up their first points of the campaign with a comfortable win at home to Kilkenny. Emma Doherty scored 1-08 for the Oak Leaf County. Dara McKeever and Erin Doherty scored the other goals.
Wicklow have given themselves a chance of making the semi-finals with a two point win away to Longford. Sinead McGettigan scored two late points for the Garden County. It’s all to play for next weekend.
Carlow 1-09 Leitrim 2-15
Leitrim inflicted a first defeat of the campaign on Carlow as they came away from the SETU Carlow Campus with an eight point win.
The home side started the game well and opened up a five point lead. Leitrim replied with a point from Laura O’Dowd and a Leah Fox goal, while Carlow were reduced to 14 when Niamh Murphy was sin binned. Both sides tagged on points as Carlow took a one point lead in at the break.
Leitrim started the second half brightly with Ailbhe Clancy kicking over points. O’Dowd got their second goal to open up a five point lead. Carlow grabbed a goal through Rachel Sawyer to cut the gap to two but Leitrim finished the game strong.
Derry 3-16 Kilkenny 1-04
Derry picked up their first points of the campaign with a fine win at home to Kilkenny. Kilkenny remain bottom of the table with registering a point.
Emma Doherty kicked over six points in the opening half as the Oak Leaf County held a three point lead at half-time – 0-07 to 0-04.
Doherty grabbed a goal in the second half with Dara McKeever and Erin Doherty also finding the back of the net for the home side. Kilkenny’s only score in the second half was a goal.
Limerick 0-04 Fermanagh 0-09
Leaders Fermanagh remain unbeaten in Division 4 as they recorded a five point win away to Limerick.
Four frees and a point from play from the boot of the talismanic Eimear Smyth gave the Erne County an early five point lead. Limerick got their first point in the 18th minute. They tagged on another before Smyth fired over her sixth point to give her side a two point lead at the interval as Limerick rallied late on in the half.
Danielle Maguire was sin binned just before half-time as Fermanagh started the second half with 14 players. Limerick failed to add points in the second half while Fermanagh hit over a further three.
Longford 2-08 Wicklow 1-13
Two late points from the boot of Sinead McGettigan gave Wicklow a win over Longford at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, and leave them still in with a chance of claiming a semi-final position with just one game remaining.
Despite playing against a stiff wind, Wicklow held a slender one point lead going in at the break. Longford had found the back of the net through Grace Shannon. Aoife Gorman raised the green flag for the Garden County as they went in 1-06 to 1-05 in front at the interval.
Longford got a goal in the early stages of the second half through Clodagh Lohan to give them the lead. The sides were level a number of times in that half. As full-time approached it looked like it was going to end in stalemate but McGettigan had other ideas.
Deniese O'Flaherty
Deniese is a freelance sports journalist/broadcaster. She has worked for several local and national media outlets. GAA and soccer are her great loves and she also follows rugby league and snooker. She's a big supporter of her local clubs St. Mary's GAA Granard and Longford Town. She also follows Celtic, Liverpool and Leeds Rhinos. She presented and produced a popular sports podcast last year where she interviewed Ray Houghton, Chris Kamara and John Hartson. Deniese is currently Head of Communications for Boccia Ireland