GALWAY ARE BACK on top of the Lidl National Football League Division One table after Roisín Leonard led them past Tipperary in Tuam Stadium, shortly after Cork stumbled against Donegal in Ballyshannon.
Elsewhere, Dublin eased their relegation concerns with a come-from-behind win away to Waterford, while Mayo kept pace with the leaders following their convincing home win over Westmeath.
Galway raced into a 0-03 to 0-00 lead early on with Fabienne Cooney, Ailbhe Davoren and Andrea Trill on target. They were four clear at half time, while a penalty from Roisín Leonard in the 37th minute made sure of the 1-12 to 0-04 win for Tim Rabbitt’s side.
In the North West, goals from Amy Boyle Carr and Geraldine McLaughlin saw Donegal recover from last week’s loss against Westmeath as they inflicted a first loss of the season on Cork, who slip into second place on scoring difference.
Orla Finn kicked six points for Ephie Fitzgerald’s side, but they were edged throughout by a hungrier Donegal side, who climbed out of the relegation slot with this 2-6 to 0-8 win.
In Dungarvan TG4 All-Ireland champions Dublin stormed back from seven points down to deny Waterford with goals from Siobhan Woods, Noelle Healy, Carla Rowe and Sinead Aherne key to this 4-5 to 0-13 win.
Five Kellyann Hogan frees and three Roisin Tobin points left the hosts 0-12 to 2-2 ahead after 40 minutes before Bohan’s side struck 2-3 without reply to pick up their second win of the competition.
Elsewhere, an outstanding performance from Rachel Kearns propelled Mayo to a 0-10 to 2-00 victory over Westmeath in Swinford.
Lucy McCartan and Leona Archibold hit the net for Sean Finengan’s side, but Mayo were always in control against the Leinster outfit and are firmly in contention for a spot in the decider now.
Meanwhile in Division Two, Kerry are one point away from reaching the second-tier final after they claimed a fifth straight win against Monaghan.
A penalty from Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh had Kerry in control at the interval, but Monaghan turned the game in their favour thanks to goals from Rosemary Courtney and Ellen McCarron. Niamh Carmody reclaimed the lead for Kerry, while Andrea Murphy made sure of the 3-10 to 2-9 win with a third for the Kingdom.
Meath climbed into second place in the table after Monaghan’s defeat, and the Royal’s were delighted to edge past Armagh on a 1-21 to 3-5 scoreline at the Athletic Grounds.
Aisling Maguire’s six points and a 1-3 haul from Roisin O’Keeffe helped Cavan to a 1-13 to 1-9 win against Clare in Doonbeg, while Tyrone are still in the hunt too after their comprehensive 4-17 to 0-3 win over Wexford.
In Division Three, Kildare guaranteed themselves a spot in the final after their 0-13 to 0-8 win over Roscommon at Dr Hyde Park. The win gives Kildare a six-point lead over Roscommon in the standings, and with a three-way tie impossible, Kildare’s head-to-head record will see them through in the event of a two-way tie.
Down are favourites to join them but they dropped their first points of the competition in an 0-11 to 0-11 draw with Wicklow. A win next week against Laois will see them reach the final.
Sligo needs wins badly if they are to stay in the third tier after their slumped to a fifth straight loss, with Longford taking a 0-12 to 0-10 win from Collooney, while Laois claimed a second win from three games in their 0-15 to 2-7 win against Fermanagh.
And in Division Four there were wins for Carlow, Leitrim and Louth against Antrim, Limerick and Derry respectively.
ROUND 5 RESULTS
Lidl National Football League Division 1
Donegal 2-06 Cork 0-08
Galway 1-12 Tipperary 0-04
Mayo 0-10 Westmeath 2-00
Waterford 0-13 Dublin 4-05
Lidl National Football League Division 2
Kerry 3-10 Monaghan 2-09
Clare 1-09 Cavan 1-13
Tyrone 4-17 Wexford 0-03
Armagh 3-05 Meath 1-21
Lidl National Football League Division 3
Down 0-11 Wicklow 0-11
Roscommon 0-08 Kildare 0-13
Sligo 0-10 Longford 0-12
Laois 0-15 Fermanagh 2-07
Lidl National Football League Division 4
Carlow 5-09 Antrim 1-08
Leitrim 4-13 Limerick 1-06
Derry 0-03 Louth 1-18
Dundalk is everything i love about football. A team who runs on the dedication of volunteers, a team who gets f all support from the fai can go off and more then hold their own in europe. If everbody who goes to England to watch the prem could go down to their local loi team even just once a season it would make such a difference. But then when i see that dundalk won the equivalent of 3 loi titles or john Delaneys wages it make me so angry. That man is a clown and needs to go
I still haven’t seen one fact that supports this mob against Delaney. As a policy they invest in grassroots football to hopefully raise the game as a while. Not put money into LOI clubs that can’t reach the heights will give a return on investment. Well done Dundalk but the CEO of the national football association should be on 6 figures.
@James Darcy: Wait a minute – James Darcy, John Delaney… JD…. John is that you!?
@James Darcy: the CEO of a minor footballing nation should not be on the same as the combined salaries of the Italian and French FA’s, as much as the President of America and double what an Taoiseach is paid. Get real lad.
JD, so improve the grass roots so we can send better players to England?
@Hoofedup Bravo:
The grass roots in FAI parlance are a few very strong mainly Dublin underage league teams like Home Farm, St Kevin’s, to them the LOI is an obstruction, these clubs should be feeder clubs as happens in every other properly run league.
This causes another issue Dundalk earned 3 times last night in one match than they would do over a series of games in a hole season, this makes no sense. Dundalk are financially better drawing one of there last group games than trying to win there remaining matches in LOI. With such a setup up how can in Delany’s words “the problem child” expand and improve what Dundalk have achieved is incredible and against all odds.
Well spotted Billy!
few tickets for the replay there John . oh James :)
Hopefully Dundalk with all this money can set up a new football association called the AFI (Association Football Ireland) and we can see the end of that toxic money grabbing crowd once and for all.
@Padraig: now that’s a good idea.
Stick that up your hole John Delaney!
Equal to how much John Delaney earns a year
He’s 100% going to use this success to justify a hefty bonus this year.
I grew up supporting (and still do) my local club Tranmere Rovers. We live in the shadow of the Liverpool and Everton giants and even our ground is enclosed by houses proudly displaying red or blue colours despite their proximity to Prenton Park. Our average attendance is less than 5,000, peanuts in comparison to the volume of local football fans. It means I have a real sense of pride when my club achieves something against all these odds, even if they are few and far between. A loss is greeted with a shrug, a victory with joy. Bigger clubs shrug after a win because 3 points is expected, no less. I’m sure I get more pleasure following a perennial underdog than fans of the superclubs. I hope the real Dundalk fans are basking in every minute of their success and, more importantly, I hope football fans in the local area switch their sights from the English giants to their local club doing their town proud.
Who cares about the money? An Irish team is competing in Europe toe to toe with their opponents.
@Stephen Mcevoy, your are right, I walked round the town this morning and the place is buzzing.
Up dundalk from waterford
Quarter final at the very least
An incredible achievement for a team from this small Republic. It puts LOI football on the map. They deserve to be bursting with pride.
@Leo Lowe:as long as your sectarian club Linfield gets favourable treatment by the IFA,including Linfield supporting referees appointed to referee Linfield matches soccer in the colony will remain in the backwaters,the domain of bigots from loyalist housing estates.
@Juan Franc: LOI and IL fans put all that sectarian nonsense long behind them as demonstrated during the Setanta cup. Only the bar-stoolers think such hatred still exists. LOI fans leave that nonsense to the 2 ugly sisters of Scottish football.
@Juan Franc: It is very sad to read such comments, particularly when clubs have been striving to eliminate sectarianism and racism.
@Padraic Reid: He obviously doesn’t attend any games either. When LOI travelled up to Belfast for the games with Linfield they were welcomed with open arms and both enjoyed pints together, same when the Linfield lads came down south.
So basically John Delaney would need one win a year in Europe to pay his salary. That’s good to know
So much to admire about Dundalk. Just hope Cork can pip them
Oops cut off… But they are a shining example to LOI clubs.
Zenit will leather them unfortunately
@Minom Pnom: Zenit were 3-0 down to Maccabi until the 82 minute and only got a 95th minute winner by chance