Waterford and Limerick remain unbeaten in National Football League

Waterford Senior Footballers sit top of this years Allianz National football league after two rounds of games.

Niall Carew’s followed their win in the opening round of games over Clare with a five point win over Tipperary at Fraher Field on Saturday evening.

Waterford got off to a great start inside five minutes of this game when they hit 1-1. The opening point came from a Paul Whyte free on two minutes and the Kilrossanty club man followed it up with a goal from a penalty three minutes later for a foul on Darren Guiry after some good work by Robert Ahearne.

On thirty one minutes Waterford held a 1-4 to 0-3 lead but Tipperary finished the half the stronger as points from Barry Grogan, George Hannigan and Peter Acheson brought Tipperary to within a point of Waterford at the end of the first half.

Tipperary drew level within seconds of the restart when Conor Sweeney pointed from a free having come in at the interval. Tipperary goal keeper Paul Fitzgerald made an excellent save from Liam Ó Lionáin on thirty nine minutes, but four minutes later Waterford did manage to rattle the Tipperary net for the second time when a Robert Ahearne effort from forty metres out caught out Fitzgerald who saw the ball bounce over his head as he came off his line and the ball hopped into an empty net to give Waterford a 2-4 to 0-7 lead.

Barry Grogan and Whyte swapped scores before Grogan hit Tipperary’s last scores of the game with a quarter of an hour to play.

Waterford finished the half the stronger as Tony Grey, Darren Guiry and Paul Whyte landed points to help Waterford to a deserved 2-8 to 0-9 victory.

Limerick too recorded a second win in this years league over the weekend when they beat Offaly at O’Connor Park.

An early Brian Connor goal gave the home side a 1-1 to 0-2 lead early in the game, a lead that they retained till the break at which time they lead 1-6 to 0-7.

With a quarter of an hour of the second half played the home side had increased their lead to three and it was in the final twenty minutes that Maurice Horan’s men won the game.

Points from Stephen Lavin, Eoghan O’Connor and Ian Ryan were all registered to bring the sides level with fifteen minutes to go.

That was how it looked the game out end, but a Eoghan O’Connor point in the closing stages of the game helped Limerick to a 0-12 to 1-8 victory.

Meanwhile Clare recorded a first win in this year’s league with a three point win over Leitrim at Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada.

Leitrim bossed much of the game and lead 1-5 to 0-1 after 25 minutes, the goal coming courtesy of a fisted effort from a Conor Beirne effort.

Clare however into the game in the closing minutes and by the break trailed 1-5 to 1-4, the goal coming from David Tubridy.

Mick O’Dwyer’s words at the break had a telling impact as Clare came out for the second half a much different side.

Points from Podge McMahon, Gary Brennan and Shane McGrath gave Clare a three point. Leitrim hit back and ate slightly into Clare’s lead but five points without reply helped Clare into a 1-14 to 1-7 lead with the game heading into stoppage time.

Emlyn Mulligan in stoppage time hit 1-1 without a response from Clare, but it still left Leitrim short of getting something from the game.

 

League Table.

 

Waterford       2          2          0          0          +6        4

Limerick          2          2          0          0          +3        4

Offaly              2          1          0          1          +7        2

Clare               2          1          0          1          +2        2

Carlow             1          1          0          0          +1        2

Leitrim             2          0          0          2          -5         0

Tipperary        2          0          0          2          -6         0

London            1          0          0          1          -8         0