Donegal defeat Mayo as Armagh fall to Roscommon

Donegal maintained their perfect record in Division One, making it three wins from three with a comfortable 1-19 to 0-14 win over Mayo at a sold-out O’Donnell Park.

A second half Armagh rally was not enough as they slipped to a second straight defeat in Division One, going down 3-18 to 0-24 to Roscommon in Dr Hyde Park.

Tyrone banked their first win in Division Two as Malachy O’Rourke’s side impressed in a 2-23 to 1-14 win over Cavan, who are joint bottom of the table with Offaly.

In Division Three, Fermanagh are adrift at the bottom as their 2-18 to 0-18 defeat by Clare at Brewster Park leaves Declan Bonner’s side without anything to show after three games.

It took nine minutes for the first score of the game to arrive in Letterkenny.

After a cagey start, two efforts apiece from Conor McCahill and Oisin Gallen saw Donegal race into an early lead.

Ryan O’Donoghue finally got Mayo off the mark on 16 minutes with a two-point free, but it would take 27 minutes for the Connacht men to register a score from play.

Gallen landed five points of his own throughout the half as Donegal went in leading 0-11 to 0-5 at the break.

Mayo had chances to reduce the arrears early in the second half but Darragh Beirne, Conor Loftus and Ryan O’Donoghue all had goal chances well saved by Gavin Mulreaney.

Ryan McHugh floated over a superb two pointer to re-establish Donegal’s six-point advantage before Paedar Mogan set up Conor O’Donnell to punch to the back of the net.

McCahill and Finbarr Roarty added scores to give Donegal a 1-16 to 0-8 lead midway through the second half.

Andy Moran’s side replied with three scores in a row before Beirne was once again denied a sure goal as Mulreaney made a brave save from close range.

A disallowed goal in the second half from Armagh’s Ross McQuillan ultimately proved fatal, but Roscommon’s platform for victory was built in the first half.

A two-pointer from Diarmuid Murtagh in the opening minute set the tone as after Oisin O’Neill opened Armagh’s account at the other end, the Roscommon captain was put through for a third-minute goal.

It would get better for the hosts as Blaine Hughes’ subsequent kick-out went awry and Enda Smith was put in to thump home.

The sides traded a pair of scores before Murtagh kicked another two-pointer, while the crossbar denied Dylan Ruane a third goal for the hosts.

Still, they pushed further clear with a Daire Cregg free and a third Murtagh two-pointer – this time from a free – before Armagh briefly rallied with points from Cian McConville and Ross McQuillan.

However, a two-pointer from Cregg and a further two scores extended the gap to 14 before Armagh enjoyed a decent spell with three points, but a Cregg free on the stroke of half-time left Roscommon with a commanding 2-14 to 0-8 advantage.

Smith extended the gap straight after the break, but Armagh roared back with the next six points, including back-to-back two-pointers from Oisin O’Neill.

The Orchardmen thought they were right back in it in the 47th minute when McQuillan crashed home, but the goal was ruled out as his side had left less than four players in their own half and instead of a four-point gap, it was eight with Murtagh tapping over a free in front of the posts.

This four-point swing was ultimately crucial but so too was Roscommon’s third goal in the 61st minute.

With just six between them, substitutes combined as Jack Duggan sent a ball inside for Paul Carey to palm home, but Armagh were not done and two-pointers from O’Neill and McConville either side of a Tomas McCormack point brought them to within four.

They had a big goal chance with minutes to play when Jason Duffy fed inside to McConville, but he could only divert into the arms of Aaron Brady.

Darragh Canavan struck nine points a man of the match display as Tyrone secured their first win of the campaign with a commanding victory over Cavan.

The Red Hands recovered from a shaky start to take over in the second period and with 12 different scorers, they will be happy with their day’s work against Dermot McCabe’s men, who are still without a point on the board.

Cavan enjoyed a good start as, after Eoin McElholm kicked the first of his four points for Tyrone, Oisin Brady nailed a two-point free for the Breffni men, who then had a goal as Tiernan Madden finished from close range.

However, Tyrone responded well with the nest three scores and although Peter Corrigan and Gerard Smith hit back, the game was level in the 17th minute as Brian Kennedy took a pass from Seanie O’Donnell and lashed home.

It remained even heading to the break but Tyrone finished strong with Kennedy turning provider for Mattie Donnelly to hit Tyrone’s second goal and a Canavan point straight after opened a 2-8 to 1-7 lead at the break.

Cavan introduced Paddy Lynch at the break and he carried most of the fight in the second period with five points, but his side could not gain any real momentum as Tyrone began to pull away.

A two-pointer from Canavan seemed to kick the Red Hands’ surge with Cavan goalkeeper Liam Brady called into action on a couple of occasions, tipping a McElholm shot over and then saving from O’Donnell with Ben Cullen fisting over the rebound.

Goals from Aaron Griffin and Daniel Walsh were the difference in Clare’s victory in Enniskillen as Fermanagh prop up Division Three.

It was an even start to the game with a Ciaran O’Hanlon two-pointer helping Fermangh into a narrow lead before they were hit for the first of the Clare goals as they coughed up possession and Eoin Cleary found Griffin to fire home after 12 minutes.

A two-point free from Garvan Jones following a point by Clare’s Mark McInerney, as Fermanagh pushed on with a two-pointer by Darragh McGurn helping them into the lead, but Cleary found a two-pointer of his own as Clare led 1-10 to 0-10 at the break.

Fermanagh made a flying start to the second period with the first five scores, but Clare rallied and led by three with McInerney and Cleary to the fore.

It was another day to forget for Antrim, who were soundly beaten by Longford in Portglenone.

The Saffrons opened well with Adam Loughran on target, but the visitors took command with Oran Kenny and Matthew Carey proving a thorn in the side of Mark Doran’s men.

Longford were six to the good when Loughran found the net for Antrim in the 21st minute, but it failed to ignite their challenge as the long-range ability of Kenny, Carey and Dessie Reynolds helped the Leinster side into a 0-19 to 1-4 lead at the break.

Antrim did make a fight of it in the second half with Loughran, Niall Burns, Ryan McQuillan, Dominic McEnhill and Ryan Murray on target, but they were unable to assert real pressure on their visitors with Reynolds and Joseph Hagan keeping the board ticking before the issue was put beyond doubt with Carey striking home a 61st-minute penalty.