(all games Saturday, 2pm)
Division 1B, round three
Antrim v Westmeath (Ballycastle)
Down v Clare (Clonduff)
Wexford v Limerick (Enniscorthy)
WINS for both Antrim and Down last weekend has certainly livened up the challenge of both teams. While Down will feel they can now avoid relegation and focus on producing good performances in each of their three remaining games, Antrim will have genuine aspirations of reaching the league final.
A fortnight ago the Saffrons might have had felt a little trepidation with difficult games against Wexford and Limerick. Defeat in one or both of them may have left them with little to gain from the remaining games. The absence of the injured Róisín McCormick and Maeve Kelly only added to the worry, while Caitrín Dobbin was set to miss the visit of Wexford.
However, Dervla Cosgrove stepped up to the plate in that opening game to get them over the line. The Ruairí Óg free-taker was sick and didn’t play against Limerick, but Dobbin returned to snatch both goals and bag the win they couldn’t get last summer in their All-Ireland senior clash with Limerick.
Neither Kelly nor McCormick are due to return for another couple of weeks, but there should now be enough confidence and fire-power in this relatively young Antrim side to see them over this weekend’s hurdle – a Westmeath side that has lost both their opening games.
Down have home venue for their game, but Clare will present them with a more difficult hurdle than they faced last week.
New manager, and former Antrim hurler, Domhnall Nugent has emphasised the same message after both opening games – that the performance of the team is more important than the result. He was pleased with both performances to date, but more pleased to get the win last week as it will have instilled confidence in his team.
The return of Paula O’Hagan, who played the full game against Westmeath, and Sara Louise Graffin, who came in as a second-half substitute, is also a huge boost to the team, particularly with the absence of Saoirse Sands and Ciara Fitzsimons, who picked up injuries in the Limerick encounter.
Defensively Down have done pretty well over the past couple of years, but the Clonduff pair present a real scoring threat that has been absent since the transfer of Niamh Mallon to Galway.
Wexford played well against Clare, but for the second week in a row lost by a point. They will feel that they will need to win their tie with Limerick to have any chance at all of reaching the league final.
Verdict Wins for Antrim, Clare and Wexford
Division 1A, round two
Dublin v Cork (St Preregrine’s)
Waterford v Galway (Carriganore)
Tipperary v Kilkenny (The Ragg)
THE big result in the top division last weekend was Dublin’s draw with league champions Tipperary in the Ragg. They are at home to Cork tomorrow, but will still have the scars from that All-Ireland semi-final last July when the Leesiders were convincing winners.
Waterford had to chase the Cork game after dropping well behind in the wind-assisted first half. Although Galway beat Kilkenny last weekend, it was far from a great performance. That all means that this game should go to the wire.
The last of the games in this group is a derby fixture between two teams wounded last weekend. Tipperary will feel they should have beaten Dublin, while Kilkenny’s young emerging team might have gotten something from the Galway match. Again a tie that could go either way.
Verdict Cork and Galway should win. Tipperary probably need to win.
Division 2A, round two
Kerry v Meath (Lixnaw)
Armagh v Carlow (Belleek)
Derry v Offaly (Owenbeg)
OFFALY will present a new-look Derry with their first big challenge of the season. Carlow put it up to them last week by scoring the first five points. It took the Ulster side the whole game to claw back that lead, but they made it through and that will have given them a lift coming into this game against a much more experienced Offaly side that scored a goal and 17 points in beating Kerry last week.
While the present Derry team is inexperienced at this level, it contains plenty of talent. But it will take the new management a little time to get them playing as a team and performing at their best on a consistent basis. With all the league games being played over six weeks, the time is just not there to develop the team play to the level that they need to get back into a league final.
Offaly are further along that line of development after dropping down from the senior championship in 2023.
Armagh are finding their feet after winning Division Three last year. They had an encouraging outing against Meath last week and they will learn from a few mistakes that, at this level, will be punished with goals.
They have faced Carlow in competitive games in recent years and will be familiar enough with their players. This is a game that they maybe have targeted as one they can get the victory that will give them a second year to further build a strong team at this level.
Kerry will have disappointed with how they performed against Offaly. Two years ago they beat Meath in Croke Park in the league final to move up a grade. They probably need to beat them in this game to have a chance of making the league final again.
Verdict Offaly should win in Derry, but the other two games could go either way.
Division 3A, round two
Wicklow v Tyrone (Aughrim)
Louth v Laois (TBC)
Kildare v Roscommon (Hawkfield)
TYRONE came up just short against Roscommon in Garvaghey. While conditions were not exactly favourable, they will have been disappointed in not accumulating more than seven points.
Wicklow are another team very much on a par with Tyrone and Roscommon. So they could win this game, but they will need a much better total than 0-7.
Laois and Kildare should be comfortable winners against Louth and Kildare.