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Allianz FL round-up: Wins for Offaly in D3 and Wicklow in D4

Wicklow manager, Davy Burke, talks to his players after victory over Sligo in Division Four of the Allianz Football League today. 

Wicklow manager, Davy Burke, talks to his players after victory over Sligo in Division Four of the Allianz Football League today. 

Allianz Football League Division Three

LOUTH 2-10 OFFALY 2-13

Allianz Football League Division Four

WICKLOW 1-15 SLIGO 1-10

By Daragh Small

Offaly staved off a second half comeback by Louth to seal their first win in Division 3 of the Allianz League in Drogheda.

There were just a couple of rescheduled fixtures in the two lower tiers on Sunday, and although both were played in testing conditions, Offaly and Wicklow claimed important wins.

Offaly had shown plenty of promise in their opening rounds but fell to defeat against Cork and drew against Longford.
They made the trip to Louth looking to keep their promotion hopes alive and early goals from Anton Sullivan and Ruairi McNamee were the crucial scores.

Those two goals helped Offaly into a 2-4 to 0-0 lead after just 16 minutes of the first half. The visitors would eventually take a 2-7 to 0-3 advantage into the break after playing with the breeze at their backs.

There was always likely to be an onslaught from Louth in the second half, and the expected surge happened with Sam Mulroy and Conor Grimes finding the back of the Offaly net.

It set up a grandstand finish but Offaly had enough in the locker to see the win out, and turn their attentions to moving up the table.

Sligo had made the perfect start to life in Division 4 after their relegation last season, and following wins over London and Antrim they were poised for another away to Wicklow.

But things didn’t go according to plan for Paul Taylor’s men, who fell to their first defeat of the campaign with a 1-15 to 1-10 loss in Aughrim.
Wicklow made a strong start and after Seanie Furlong scored their goal they took a five-point lead into the half-time interval.

Sligo looked in real trouble but they were given a massive shot in the arm when Sean Carrabine blasted home a goal. The Connacht outfit looked set to excel in the closing stages but they couldn’t build on the momentum they had created.

Instead, points from Mark Kenny and Eoin Darcy helped see out the win for Wicklow who have now won two from three.