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Saturday's Allianz FL D4 round-up

Christopher Bradley scored six points for Derry in their Allianz Football League victory over Limerick. 

Christopher Bradley scored six points for Derry in their Allianz Football League victory over Limerick. 

Derry 0-13 1-5 Limerick

Wexford 0-12 Wicklow 0-9

Waterford 1-9 1-8 Antrim

By Daragh Small

Derry clinched promotion from Division 4 of the National Football League on when they defeated Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds.

Christopher Bradley scored 0-6 as Damian McErlain’s side moved two points clear of Leitrim at the top of the standings with their fifth win from five outings.

Limerick had been edged out by Leitrim in a thriller at Kilmallock last weekend, and back at the Gaelic Grounds they fell to their third defeat of the campaign.

Colm McSweeney’s goal helped Limerick lead 1-4 to 0-5 half-time lead. But they only registered one score in the closing 35 minutes into the wind and rain.

Substitute Padraig de Brun was sent-off ten minutes into the second half and the hosts had no response as Derry powered their way into Division 3.

Limerick had the dream start with the breeze at their backs, and they were 1-1 to 0-0 ahead after just seven minutes.

Seamus O’Carroll landed a point in the second minute and five minutes later McSweeney swung in a speculative shot from distance that evaded Derry goalkeeper Thomas Mallon and finished in the net.

However, Derry rallied and they only trailed by two by half-time. Bradley scored four points in that opening half and his injury-time score meant it was 1-4 to 0-5 at the break.

Derry scored four points in the first eight minutes of the second half and when de Brun was sent-off Limerick capitulated.

Meanwhile, Wexford chalked up their second win of the campaign when they held off a spirited Wicklow challenge in Aughrim to win by 0-12 to 0-9.

Wicklow almost completed a good comeback but a late goal effort from James Stafford hit the woodwork but Wexford held on.

Jonathan Bealin, son of former Dublin player Paul, kicked four frees in the opening half as Wexford built up a 0-11 to 0-4 interval lead.

Conor Devitt and Ben Brosnan kicked two apiece and the lead was just about enough to secure victory for a Wexford side who only managed one score after the restart when Niall Hughes got his second point of the game after 51 minutes.

Wicklow’s revival after half-time started with a point from Jody Merrrigan and further efforts from Mark Kenny, Chris O’Brien and Stephen Duffy got them right back in contention.

Another free from Duffy cut the gap to a goal in the closing stages but Wexford hung on when Stafford’s effort came back off the post.

Meanwhile, Waterford claimed a gutsy 1-9 to 1-8 victory over Antrim, their second win in a row.

Dylan Guiry scored the crucial goal late on for Benji Whelan’s team who out-scored their opponents by 1-3 to 0-0 in the closing minutes.

Waterford were 0-6 to 0-5 ahead at half-time after substitute JJ Hutchinson’s point. Antrim were in front on the resumption and Stephen Beatty’s fisted goal looked to have given them enough for victory.

But Waterford fought hard, and buoyed by their 5-4 to 0-12 win over Wexford in Round 4, Guiry scored a 54th minute goal before full-back James McGrath provided the winner in the third minute of added time.