ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 3 RESULTS

NORTH DIVISION

FERMANAGH 0-15 CAVAN 0-14

DERRY 0-21 LONGFORD 0-5

SOUTH DIVISION

LIMERICK 1-13 TIPPERARY 0-14

OFFALY 1-14 WICKLOW 1-10

Two provincial champions made short trips across their county boundaries to take on fierce local rivals in Division Three of the Allianz Football League yesterday, and both returned home empty handed after Fermanagh and Limerick secured momentous wins on the first day of football action in 2021.

Sean Quigley was the main man for Fermanagh as they edged out Cavan by 0-15 to 0-14 at Brewster Park. The big Roslea attacker scored 0-9, including six frees (three from long range) in a tense encounter that saw both sides lose a key player to a red card.

There was no shortage of intensity or physicality to the action in Enniskillen, with Patrick Lynch and Quigley leading the way for their respective sides in the first half, each chipping in with four points. A youthful Fermanagh side were very competitive in the middle third but still trailed at the break by the minimum, 0-6 to 0-5, following an injury time free from Raymond Galligan.

Cavan were hit with the loss of midfielder James Smith to a straight red card, though that was levelled up shortly after half time when James McMahon received a second yellow for the home side. As the game progressed, the intensity and the consequent level of enjoyment kept rising, with Ciarán Corrigan firing over some great points for Fermanagh, only to be met with some excellent replies from Caomhán McGovern and Conor Madden.

Fermanagh missed a glorious chance to put distance between the sides when Eoin Donnelly hit a low shot off the foot of the post, but Corrigan was on hand to punch the ball over the bar from the resultant play, putting them two up - and while a series of late frees from Gearóid McKiernan kept the tension in the game throughout, a couple of crucial wides from Cavan meant Fermanagh always kept their noses in front.

Tipperary also moved into an early lead in their contest with Limerick at the LIT Gaelic Grounds, and they led by 0-3 to no score early on before Limerick finally broke their duck shortly before the water break through wing back Darragh Treacy. Limerick kept things tight however, and were well in touch at just 0-6 to 0-4 in arrears at half-time, before turning the game decisively in their favour immediately after the break. A point and a goal from Danny Neville pushed Limerick in front and they dominated the third quarter, Hugh Bourke and Neville again on the mark as they moved 1-10 to 0-8 clear.

Tipperary rallied and scored points from Sean O'Connor, Conal Kennedy and Stephen O'Brien to get back to within one, but while they threatened to break Limerick hearts at the death, just as they had done in last year's Munster championship, Limerick were able to hold on.

In perhaps the most surprising result of the day, Derry crushed Longford at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, 0-21 to 0-5. Three points each from Shane McGuigan and Niall Loughlin alongside a brace from midfielder Conor Glass made it 0-8 to 0-2 at half time and by the second half water break, the Oak Leaf County had added another nine points without reply in a contest that quickly descended into a pedestrian, one-sided affair.

The only gave in the Division this afternoon was at Aughrim, where Offaly continued their excellent record at Joule Park. Their 1-14 to 1-10 victory is their seventh in their last eight games at the venue, the other a draw in the 1994 Leinster championship. The home side's chances of a first win over Offaly at the venue since 1956 got out to a great start when Eoin Darcy fired in an early goal, but points from Jordan Hayes, Anton Sullivan, Joe Maher and Bernard Allen shifted the balance of power back Offaly's way, and a fine team goal, finished by Colm Doyle, meant they led by 1-9 to 1-3 at the interval.

Wicklow were improved in the second half and they edged out that period, but they failed to capitalise fully when Cian Farrell was black carded for the Faithful men, however he kicked a late score, as did fellow substitute Shane Horan, to confirm a four-point win.