Antrim 1-8 Wexford 0-7
A 68th minute goal by under-21 player Matthew Fitzpatrick decided this uninspiring Allianz NFL Division Four game, at cold and wet Corrigan Park in Belfast.
Ryan Murray, on the field for only a few minutes, sent Fitzpatrick through and from just outside the penalty area, he fired the ball to the Wexford net for a deserved win. It was a poor game by any standard, with cross-field passing a feature of the play.
Both sides missed golden goal opportunities and both were guilty of giving the ball away on a slippery surface.
Antrim were well on top during the first half and led by 0-7 to 0-4 at the interval with Tomás McCann hitting four of the Antrim scores.
The second half was the complete opposite as Wexford dominated but, like Antrim, failed to cash in. They relied on Donal Shanley scores from frees and had narrowed the gap to 0-8 to 0-7, before Fitzpatrick netted, for only Antrim’s second score of the half.
Antrim: C Kerr; K O'Boyle, C Burke, J Laverty (0-1); J Carron, J Crozier, P McAleer; S McVeigh, C Murray; M Fitzpatrick (1-0), M McCann, D McAleese; K Niblock (0-1), N McKeever (0-2), T McCann (0-4, 0-2 frees). Subs: N Delargy for Crozier, inj (11 mins); M Sweeney for McAleese (33); M Johnston for T McCann (51); R Murray for C Murray (64).
Wexford: A Masterson; R Tierney, N Rosaiter, R Vallejo; B Malone, S Donohoe, K Butler; C Kehoe, N Hughes (0-1); P Curtis, A Flynn (0-1, o-1 free), K O'Grady; B Brosnan, D Shanley (0-4, 0-4 frees), K Rowe. Subs: PJ Banville (0-1) for Roe (24); D Waters for Curtis (half-time); T Rosaiter for Hughes (51); J Rosaiter form Butler (59); M O'Regan for O'Grady (60); J Turbritt for Brosnan (64).
Referee: J Gilmartin (Sligo).
Waterford 1-09 Louth 1-10
An injury time free from substitute Ryan Burns earned 14-man Louth a second win from two Division Four outings, after the hosts’ sterling second half comeback was snuffed out in the dying moments at Carriganore.
Louth led by 1-3 to 0-1 after just 10 minutes; with wing back Derek Maguire charging forward to steer the ball beneath Waterford goalkeeper Stephen Enright.
Paul Whyte did what he could to keep Waterford in touch, grabbing both of the hosts’ opening points, but when Maguire charged impressively forward to point again come the 22nd minute, Louth led by 1-5 to 0-2.
Both sides traded two further points before the break before Waterford re-organised and rallied well during the second half, edging ahead thanks to a Gavin Crotty penalty as the clock wore down.
Despite losing Conor Grimes to a straight red card, Louth hung in gamely and the returning Burns levelled matters three minutes from regulation time, before kicking the winner in the second of four additional minutes.
Waterford: S Enright, T Ó hUallacháin, T O'Gorman, J McGrath, B Looby, S Prendergast, R O'Ceallaigh, C Prunty, T Prendergast, G Crotty (1-1, 1-0 pen, 1 free), D Breathnach (0-1), M O'Gorman, S Corcoran, J Veale (0-1), P Whyte (0-5, 1 free). Subs: P Hurney (0-1) for M O'Gorman (HT), D Guiry for Looby (48 mins), JJ Hutchinson for S Corcoran (45 mins), L Lawlor for JJ Hutchinson (Black Card, 62 mins), D Power for D Breathnach (59 mins) K Murphy for D Guiry (Black Card, 70 mins).
Louth: C Lynch, P Rath, P Reilly, K Toner, D Maguire (1-1), D McMahon, E Lafferty, J Stewart (0-1), J Califf (0-1), D Byrne (0-1), R Holcroft (0-2, 1 free), A Reid, C McKeever, J McEneaney (0-1, 1 free), C Grimes (0-1). Subs: R Moore for McKeever (47 mins), R Burns (0-2, 2 frees) for J Califf (), B Donnelly for Holcroft (52 mins), D Quigley for McMahon (Black Card, 58 mins).
Referee: Michael Collins (Cork).
Wicklow 0-10 Leitrim 1-6
Leitrim suffered their second League defeat in a row when they went down to Wicklow by the narrowest of margins at a bitterly cold and windy Pairc Sean MhicDiarmada,Carrick-on-Shannon on Sunday.
Wicklow playing with the aid of the strong wind raced into what looked like an unassailable first half lead as Leitrim floundered and fumbled their way through what proved to be a miserable first half for them.
Points by Rory Finn,Darren Haydon, John McGrath and the excellent Mark Kenny gave the Garden County a deserved 0-9 to 0-1 at half time, the only Leitrim score coming from a Nevin O’Donnell pointed free in the 30th minute.
A rejuvenated Leitrim kick started their fight back scoring five points without reply between the 31st and 58th minute leaving just a goal between the sides as the Wicklow challenge faded. However, the Garden County regrouped and repulsed a wave of Leitrim attacks in the closing minutes with substitute Niall Gaffney getting what proved to be the decisive point in the 64th minute.
Despite Emlyn Mulligan’s penalty goal in the 6th minute of extra time Leitrim just fell short of a share of the spoils.
Wicklow: R Lambert, A Murphy, R O'Brien, C Hyland, D Healy, P McLoughlin, C Murphy, R Finn (0-2 1f), A McLoughlin, D Haydon(0-2), J McGrath(0-2f), M Kenny(0-2), E Doyle(0-1), P Cunningham, G Allen. Subs: N Gaffney(0-1) for E Doyle(49m), J Crowe for D Healy(55m), D Woods for R Finn(61m), P O'Connor for P Cunningham(69m), C Hyland for N Gaffney BC (71m).
Leitrim: B Flynn, M Murphy, N Woods(0-1), M McWeeney, P Maguire, G Reynolds, S Quinn, D Wrynn, D Sweeney, N O'Donnell(0-2f), E Mulligan (1-1), K Conlan, C Gilheaney, A Croal, J McGrail(0-1). Subs: J Rooney(0-1) for S Quinn(20m), B Prior for P Maguire(35m), C Gaffney for J McGrail(47m), R Gallagher for D Wrynn(56m), R Flynn for K Conlan(64m), S Moran for D Sweeney(64m).
Referee: S Laverty(Antrim).
