Down went three points clear at the top of NFL Division 2 on Saturday as Donegal and Meath also won.
NFL Division 2
Down 1-13 Armagh 1-6
Meath 0-13 Laois 1-9
Tipperary 2-5 Donegal 1-9
Down earned a 1-13 to 1-6 win over second-placed Armagh at Pairc Esler after benefitting from the best of starts. Taking on a side managed by their former captain and manager Paddy O’Rourke, the Mourne men began the game with a goal almost immediately as Benny Coulter sent the ball past Philip McEvoy.
The first half saw James McCartan’s side hit 1-5, thanks to the prowess of Coulter and Martin Clarke, before O’Rourke’s men got off the mark when Steven McDonnell rammed home a penalty. Several Orchard points followed but they went in at the break 1-7 to 1-4 behind and a man down after Finian Moriarty was sent off.
Armagh could manage only two more points in the second half as a Coulter-inspired Down tagged on six with Ambrose Rogers also proving prolific. They stay unbeaten and on course for promotion.
Meanwhile, Donegal earned the narrowest of wins over Tipperary in Thurles, the Ulster side heading back up the country with a 1-9 to 2-5 win as they stay in third place.
Tipp went into the game on the back of a shock win over Meath last week and, though they trailed by 0-5 to 0-1 at one stage, a goal from Stephen Hahessy had them trailing by just a point at the break as Donegal tagged on one more point.
Stephen Griffin’s goal early in the second half put Donegal back in control though and last year’s Young Footballer of the Year Michael Murphy showed his class to put the Tir Chonaill men six points clear.
The game remained up in the air though when Robbie Costigan scored a second Tipp goal and the always-involved Barry Grogan scored a late point. But they did just not have time for the equaliser.
Finally, Meath had a good night in an up-and-down season as they beat Laois by 0-13 to 1-9 in Navan to go fourth, level on points with Armagh and Donegal.
Two early MJ Tierney points had Laois in front but the hosts then went on a run of scores with Stephen Bray, Shane O’Rourke and Ollie Lewis all registering.
Laois young gun Donie Kingston then rose above Niall McKeigue to collect the ball and ram the game’s only goal past Paddy O’Rourke and that score helped the O’Moore men to a 1-5 to -7 lead at the break, the same player adding another point before Meath efforts from Joe Sheridan and Lewis.
Cian Ward hit a couple of nice placed balls early in the second half as Meath got level at 0-10 to 1-7, though they really should have been ahead by then as they hit an unhealthily heavy supply of wides.
In the end they scored just enough though as the last quarter saw a fine Joe Sheridan free, a pouncing score from the excellent Micky Burke and another effort from sub Peadar Byrne.