Offaly win relegates Tipperary, Cavan's unbeaten run ends against Antrim

A view of the minutes silence in memory of Liam Kearns.

Division 3

Antrim 1-17 Cavan 2-12

Tipperary 0-13 Offaly 2-14

Fermanagh v Westmeath, Ederney, 3pm

Down v Longford, Newry, 7pm

Division 4

Waterford v London, Lemybrien, 5pm

Carlow v Sligo, Netwatch Cullen Park, 5pm

Wexford v Wicklow, Wexford Park, 7pm

*****

AFTER A HUGELY difficult week off the pitch for the Offaly footballers after the sudden passing of their manager Liam Kearns, they returned to action on the pitch with a win in their Division 3 tie in Thurles today against Tipperary.

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Offaly players before the match.

A sombre occasion brought together two counties that Kearns had managed with a minutes silence taking place before the match in Semple Stadium.

The game saw Offaly win out 2-14 to 0-13 with the result, coupled with Antrim’s win over Cavan, meaning Tipperary are relegated to Division 4 ahead of the final round. Offaly still have a shot at promotion entering that phase.

Offaly were in front 0-9 to 0-7 at the interval but Tipperary hung in contention and the gap was down to one, 0-14 to 0-13, by the 66th minute. However Offaly pounced for injury-time goals from Ruairi McNamee and Anton Sullivan to run out seven-point winners.

Tipperary’s Jimmy Feehan is tackled by Offaly’s Lee Pearson and Conor McNamee.

In Corrigan Park in Belfast, Cavan suffered their first defeat of the Division 3 campaign, losing 1-17 to 2-12 against Antrim.

Andy McEntee’s team received a real boost with this victory after their 31-point loss last  time out to Westmeath and it helps ease their relegation fears. Cavan’s promotion hopes have been knocked back but they are still in control of their destiny, avoiding defeat to Fermanagh next time out and they will go up to the second tier.

Antrim made all the early running with Ruairí McCann’s goal setting the tone as they went ahead 1-7 to 0-4  at half-time, Odhran Eastwood impressing with his point-scoring. That six-point interval advantage had swelled to ten points by the 58th minute, Antrim leading 1-14 to 0-7.

Then Cavan mounted a major revival. A few points chipped away at the deficit before goals from Conor Madden in the 64th minute and Paddy Lynch in the 74th minute, cut the gap to a single point, 1-16 to 2-12. Antrim held on though, Paddy McBride’s point clinching their success by two.

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