Down rout Clare in All-Ireland SFC opener; Sligo and Westmeath win Tailteann Cup clashes
Group 3
Clare 1-16 Down 3-27
Tailteann Cup – Round 2Group 1
Leitrim 1-18 Sligo 2-19
Group 3
London 1-10 Westmeath 0-26
Group 4
Carlow 2-16 Wexford 1-19
Longford 0-7 Fermanagh 2-19
Joe McDonagh Cup – Round 4Laois 4-20 Kildare 1-18
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DOWN ARE OFF the mark in the All-Ireland senior football championship, after an impressive 3-27 to 1-16 win over Clare in Ennis.
Conor Laverty’s side ran out 17-point winners in the Group 3 opener at Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chíosóg.
John McGeough, Daniel Guiness and Caolan Mooney bagged the goals, while Pat Havern was among the two-point kickers.
Down led by 14 points at half time — 2-17 to 1-6 — with McGeough and Guiness raising green flags in the sixth and 33rd minutes.
Aaron Griffin had goaled for Clare just before the break, but they couldn’t mount a fightback as the Ulster men pushed on from there, Mooney adding their third major.
Leinster champions Louth and Monaghan are the other sides in Group 3.
Meanwhile in the Tailteann Cup, there were wins for Sligo, Westmeath and Fermanagh, while Carlow and Wexford drew.
In Group 1, Sligo finished strongly to beat Leitrim 2-19 to 1-18 at Avant Money Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada, Carrick-on-Shannon.
The hosts were 0-11 to 0-8 ahead at half time and a goal from Barry McNulty extended their lead on the restart, but the Yeats county reeled them in to make it two wins from two.
Goals from Darragh Cummins and Jack Lavin, and three David Quinn two-pointers helped them to a hard-fought four-point victory.
Westmeath also continued their winning start in the second-tier with a 0-26 to 1-10 victory away to London in Group 3.
Ciarán Diver’s early goal helped the Exiles into a 1-2 to 0-0 lead before Westmeath shook off a sluggish opening and got off the mark in the 13th minute.
They moved through the gears from there, with in-form forward Luke Loughlin instrumental as they hit the front and led 0-8 to 1-3 at the break.
Loughlin signed off with 0-9 (1 2pt score, 1 2pt free, 2 frees), with flying half-back Sam McCartan and the returning Ray Connellan also on target in the second half.
In Group 4, Carlow struck late to secure a 2-16 to 1-19 draw with Wexford, and Fermanagh eased to a 2-19 to 0-7 win in Longford.
Conor Doyle’s late penalty secured a share of the spoils for Carlow at Netwatch Cullen Park, with Ross Dunphy bagging their other goal in a tight encounter. Martin O’Connor raised Wexford’s green flag.
Longford are facing the exit door at the group stage for the third consecutive season, after an 18-point defeat to Fermanagh at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park. Conor Love and Aogan Kelm scored second-half goals for the Erne county, who led 0-12 to 0-4 at the midpoint.
And Kildare produced a big shock in the Joe McDonagh Cup, stunning Laois at Laois Hire O’Moore Park.
The 4-20 to 1-18 win was another huge result for the Lilywhites, with Jack Sheridan (two), David Qualter and Cathal McCabe bagging the goals.
Three of those came in the second half as they built on a 1-10 to 0-8 half-time ascendency. Cha Dwyer scored Laois’ goal on a disappointing afternoon.
In-form Kildare are closing in on a first Joe McDonagh decider, hosting Down in Newbridge next weekend, while Laois and Carlow go head-to-head.
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