Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Long way back to second tier
LONGFORD can reach Division Two for the first time since 2013 by avoiding defeat at home to fellow promotion hopefuls Fermanagh.
With unbeaten Armagh already up,
and are tucked in behind them on nine points each though Denis Connerton’s side boast a better scoring difference.
Having enjoyed the maximum return at home, including the crucial win over Westmeath last week, the midlanders look the more likely to join Armagh in Division Two, with Kieran Mcgeeney’s men set to round out the campaign with victory away to already relegated Wexford.
In theory, could still be promoted though they require a mathematical miracle. The main consequence of their game with
is whether their neighbours will be relegated or not.
Offaly could have gone a long way towards staying up by beating Sligo in Tullamore last Monday but were typically pegged back to a draw. A win would likely be enough to see Offaly safe but even with little at stake for Westmeath, they look set to maintain their recent dominance of this fixture.
entertain with both sides needing a win to sure of safety. Derry should leave Sligo sweating on events in Mullingar. MUCH of Liam Kearns’ Tipperary rhymes with Liam Kearns’ Limerick, reckons Stephen Kelly, who hopes for Tipp’s sake that they don’t chime for too long either.
The similarities are obvious given that both counties are tucked squarely behind
Kerry and Cork in Munster football’s pecking order.
Kearns (right) built a
Limerick side in the last decade that threatened the old order in a big way and only fell narrowly short of conquering the province.
When he moved on, the momentum he generated was maintained by Mickey
Ned O’sullivan, who oversaw another couple of agonising near misses in Munster finals.
But now Limerick are once again firmly established in Division Four.
Kelly (inset) was one of Kearns’s most reliable performers in Limerick’s best years and knows Tipp must make the most of the window of opportunity that is opening now.