OFFALY AND LIMERICK clinched promotion from Division 4 of the Allianz National Football League in the final round of group fixtures this afternoon.
Offaly beat Tipperary by 2-10 to 1-8 at O’Connor Park in Tullamore to make an immediate return to Division 3, following last year’s relegation.
Tipp sent Offaly down with victory in Clonmel when the sides met in 2012 but this was sweet revenge for the Faithful County as ace forward Niall McNamee bagged both goals – one in each half.
Meanwhile, Limerick beat Clare by 1-13 to 0-10 at Cusack Park in Ennis in the second big promotion shootout of the afternoon.
Ian Ryan’s 59th minute goal settled the tie as the St Senan’s clubman profited from good work by Ger Collins and Iain Corbett.
Limerick raced into an early 0-5 to 0-0 lead as Ryan pointed two frees while Eoghan O’Connor, Collins and Seanie Buckley were also on target.
Mark McCarthy opened Clare’s account in the 24th minute and by half-time, the hosts had reduced the deficit to just two points, trailing by 0-4 to 0-6.With less than twenty minutes remaining, there was still little or nothing to separate the sides as Limerick led by 0-8 to 0-7.
And Clare had a glorious opportunity to move ahead when they were awarded a 54th minute penalty.
But David Tubridy saw his effort saved by Donal O’Sullivan, who deflected the ball out for a ’45.
The visiting Shannonsiders opened up some breathing space when they moved 0-11 to 0-7 clear.
And the crucial goal from Ryan made the game safe as Clare were left cursing the woodwork on three occasions during the game.
In Tullamore, meanwhile, Tipp finished the game with 14 players when Robbie Costigan was sent off for a second bookable offence with five minutes remaining.
Tipp also lost Peter Acheson and Michael Quinlivan to injury in the second half, with Quinlivan now rated as extremely doubtful to feature against Cork in next Wednesday’s Cadbury Munster U21 football final.
Offaly led by a point at half-time – 1-3 to 0-5 – having played against a stiff breeze in the first half.
Tipp were 0-5 to 0-2 clear before Niall McNamee took Michael Brazil’s for the Faithful County’s first goal.
McNamee struck again early in the second half after Graham Guilfoyle’s long ball was touched down by Ken Casey.Tipp got back into contention when Alan Maloney’s speculative punt ended up over the line as Offaly goalkeeper Alan Mulhall struggled to deal with the flight of the ball.
But this was an afternoon when little or nothing went right for 14-man Tipperary, who also lost their influential pair Acheson and Quinlivan to hamstring and knee injuries respectively.
Elsewhere in Division 4, Leitrim beat London by 1-11 to 1-9 at Carrick-on-Shannon.
Lorcan Mulvey scored the early goal for London and Leitrim suffered a major injury blow when James Glancy was stretchered off in the first half. Glancy’s replacement Conor Beirne scored the goal for the Connacht outfit.
Meanwhile, Carlow slumped to a fifth successive defeat as a campaign that began so promisingly petered out with a 0-10 to 0-15 defeat against 14-man Waterford.
The Deise lost Shane Aherne to two yellow cards but still managed to come away from Dr. Cullen Park with a five-point win.
Let’s hope Scotland bottle it like they did in their independence referendum.
To be honest I’ll be disappointed enough if, atleast a handful of lads don’t moon em shouting freedom!
this is a proper game
okay deflection but I still think a decent keeper would have saved it
what’s he takin Wes off for?!!
I’m sorry but where was the f*cking urgency in those last 5 to 10 minutes
One word-drab
Not the team I would have picked but I am not the manager. Here’s hoping MO’N knows something the rest of us don’t! COYBIG!
No anya in Scotland team!!
not confident at all to be honest. n ire, Scotland and Wales all on the rise while we seem to be gettin worse, or at least not progressing much
we reap what we sow, total lack of support & investment in our league
Anyone else agree that Ronnie Whelan shouldn’t have the commentary gig for such an important match? I think every second thing he says makes me grind my teeth. Why couldn’t they have given the job to Giles?
Playing with a diamond midfield I think, 1-0 Ireland win. COYBIG
Rte player down. What the hell do I do???
watch porn instead
Is there a more unlikeable player around than Naismith?
Ronaldo. At least he’s a great player though
Looked like offside, 5 million to Scotland
You have stay positive #COYBIG
COYBIG
Scottish jersey looks like someone puked on it
That Naismith is an awful pr*ck. He’d also give Tom Daley a run for his money in the diving stakes.
This game is made for McClean & Long
And walters…. G’won
Nice start, keep it up! COYBIG
why is shane long still sitting on the bench?baffling.
C’mon Ireland! 1 more now!
And no dirty stuff!!!!
Get McCarthy off now. The lads head isn’t in the game at all. looks like he’s trying to get himself sent off
Mon now Ireland ta f**k! doesn’t even have to be pretty. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr just feckin do it lads
Great atmosphere. The fans are really noisy. The team are playing with great attitude. And it’s 1-0… This game reminds me of Irl v Holland in 2001 when we won 1 nil courtesy of McAteer and we went on to qualify for the World Cup. It was a Saturday too if I remember correctly.. More of the same please!!!!!!!!
Really hoping for an Ireland and a Laois win!!
Scotland have this won from the National Anthem. We are a disgrace.
it’s the euros Ryan, not the eurovision
Given, whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
Deflected in fairness to him. O.G.
Deflected
Yes I know this,but as a keeper myself he really should have gotten something on that playing at international level
Also, does Given know he’s allowed throw the ball to one of his defenders?
given should have readjustd simple as
Cant believe Shane Long not starting, he’s a proven scorer at premier level. Murphy ok, but scoring in lower league,
Proven scorer? Once every 4 games or so?
Really hope Ireland wins.( support Celtic after all) green`s my favorite colour ) Dunno what colour scotland’s strip supposed to stand for? Great goal from Ireland.
I’ve been prepared for the thumping we’re going get since the Poland game and this lineup offers no hope.
That’s the spirit!
O’Neill and Keane will get plenty of criticism after this but it’s time for the likes of McCarthy, Wilson, and Whelan to stand up in games like this. They are all playing for top half premier league clubs and their influence on the game today was negligible. It was poor, but I don’t think any other manager could have conjured up a performance from that group of players. Just a complete lack of leaders on the pitch when they were needed.
Is O Neill waiting for us to go 2-1 down before making a change.Murphy hasn’t done a thing
And bizarre decision to take Hoolahan off for Keane. Agree, should have been Murphy off
thought Murphy played well actually
Sorry, Murphy did play well, but faded later
Anyone else think we should have kept Trappatoni?
no.
Route 1 football on show,hoof it up and hope for the best,pure dogged effort,it’s like watching a mix between afl and tennis.Whelan and Walters thriving on it
Robbie Brady’s left foot should be made a patron saint #COYBIG
In my drunken state I have appointed him Fed Ex Brady because of his great delivery.
his delivery was brutal, don’t get that
It’s great to see Ireland winning, another home nation at the euros next year !
Home nation?
Ireland are a home nation like Wales
‘There were estimates that around 20,000 fans would travel over for the weekend — let’s hope that they don’t all have tickets’ – what a dreadful unsporting comment to make.
Well shut up about it
Murphy was terrible, look disinterested in the game, no urgency to get across defenders to try and get a header in, don’t know how o’neill and co could leave him on for 80mins and take-off Holohan. actually at half time o’neill must have told them relax Folks we have won because as a team they had no desire in that second half.
So are we out or what??