Allianz Hurling League Division 2 and 3 results

Division 2A

Offaly 1-32 Wicklow 0-10

Down 4-32 Meath 0-14

Carlow 3-25 Kerry 0-14

Division 2B

Derry 1-26 Roscommon 0-14

Kildare 2-24 Mayo 1-19

Division 3A

Sligo 1-18 Tyrone 1-13

Monaghan 1-20 Longford 3-13

With all the important matters in Division 2A already completed before this weekend’s round of games, the serious business was in Divisions 2B and 3A, where Kildare and Sligo secured promotion that was expected, but still not guaranteed.

Kildare travelled to Elverys MacHale Park in Castlebar on Saturday to take on Mayo in a game where all the form suggested they’d win with plenty to spare, but the home side had other ideas. Seán Regan’s early goal helped them into a 1-14 to 1-9 half-time lead, but the Lily Whites were able to change gears at the break, inspired by David Slattery’s goal just before the short whistle.

Seven points on the spin after the restart changed the game’s momentum completely and Conor Dowling struck late for a second goal to make it 2-24 to 1-19 at the finish.

Likewise in Owenbeg, Derry were overwhelming favourites against Roscommon but still needed to do the business to avoid relegation, and they did that in style, recording a 1-26 to 0-14 win in which Gerald Bradley raised the green flag.

Sligo will replace Roscommon in Division 2B after Gerard O’Kelly Lynch scored 1-11 in their 1-18 to 1-13 victory over Tyrone at Healy Park, while the game of the day was in Longford where Monaghan got out to a nine-point lead early on but were holding on at the end in their relegation showdown, eventually prevailing by 1-20 to 3-13 over the hosts.

In Division 2A, Offaly’s promotion and Wicklow’s relegation was already guaranteed before the two sides met at Baltinglass, and it was essentially a second team that lined out for the Faithful County. That didn’t trouble them as they score over 30 points in a league game for the first time, Shane Dooley scoring 18 of them in a 1-32 to 0-10 win.

In the other games in the Division, Carlow hammered a depleted Kerry side by 3-25 to 0-14 in a one-sided encounter at Netwatch Cullen Park, while Daithí Sands, Oisín McManus, Eoghan Sands and Chris Egan were the goalscorers in a landslide 4-32 to 0-14 victory for Down over Meath at Ballycran.