Round-up: Allianz FL D3 action
Wexford senior football team manager John Hegarty. Photo by Tom Beary/Sportsfile
Allianz Football League Division Three
Laois 2-22 Down 0-24
Limerick 2-15 Fermanagh 0-20
Sligo 2-23 Clare 0-28
Wexford 2-16 Westmeath 1-18
Wexford staged a dramatic fightback to win promotion and break Westmeath hearts at Chadwicks Wexford Park with two-goal Sean Ryan the last gasp hero.
Mark McHugh’s Westmeath only needed a draw to secure promotion to Division Two and a place in the Division Three Final against Down - and they looked well on their way with 10 minutes plus stoppage time to go.
Sam McCartan’s fifth point from play in a fine outing put them six points clear at 1-17 to 1-11.
But in the closing stages they were outscored by to 1-5 to 0-1 with a pair of two point frees from Wexford goalkeeper Darragh Brooks reviving his sides chances, before Sean Ryan hit the net in the dying seconds.
Ryan also hit the net on 58 minutes, three minutes after a Jonathan Lynam goal - set up by Matthew Whittaker - had given Westmeath a commanding 1-16 to 0-11 lead with just 15 minutes left to play. Whittaker hit five points, while Sean Nolan shot 0-5 (3fs) for Wexford.
Elsewhere, with Fermanagh already relegated, Limerick and Sligo were attempting to beat the drop and it was Sligo who just about got the job done with Cian Lally’s late point securing a one point win.
If Sligo had lost they would have been relegated as Limerick pipped Fermanagh in a dramatic finish with an Eliah O’Riordan two pointer at the end handing them the win.
Limerick were in all sorts of trouble at half-time, trailing by 0-14 to 1-2, but a goal from Tony McCarthy, a two pointer from Peter Nash and two further two pointers from O’Riordan helped them turn the game around.
Sligo showed plenty of character to get their victory after defender Darragh Cummins was red carded on 43 minutes with Sligo four points behind.
But a Lee Deignan two pointer from play and goals from Kyle Cawley and Cian Lally saw them go three clear by the 56th minute.
From there to the end it was nip and tuck as Sligo just about did enough to book another season in Division Three.
The final game of the day saw already promoted Down take on Laois at Pairc Esler with the visitors going in four points up at the break.
A Paul Kingston goal on the hour mark and a two pointer from play on 63 minutes from the same player put Laois four clear with Paddy O’Sullivan, Evan O’Carroll and Rioghan Murphy all hitting late points as Justin McNulty’s side finished strongly to secure a mid table spot.
