SATURDAY RESULTS
Division 1
Division 2
Division 3
Division 4
SUNDAY FIXTURES
Allianz FL Division 1
Donegal v Galway, Letterkenny, 12.30pm - TG4
Monaghan v Roscommon, Clones, 2.30pm
Allianz FL Division 2
Kildare v Derry, St Conleth's Psrk, 2pm
Meath v Louth, Páirc Tailteann, 2pm
Cork v Limerick, Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 3.45pm
Allianz FL Division 3
Offaly v Cavan, Glenisk O'Connor Park, 2pm
Longford v Tipperary, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, 2pm
Allianz FL Division 4
London v Sligo, Ruislip, 1pm
Leitrim v Carlow, Avant Money Páirc Seán MacDiarmada, 2pm
ONLINE
Live blogs each day on RTÉ Sport Online and the RTÉ News app.
RADIO
Live commentaries and updates on RTÉ Radio 1's Sunday Sport from 2pm; RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta's Spórt an Lae from 12.25pm.
TV
TG4 broadcasts live coverage of Donegal v Galway (12.30pm throw-in). The clash of Kildare v Derry can be viewed on the BBC iPlayer. Highlights and reaction to all the weekend's action on Allianz League Sunday, RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player, from 9.30pm.
WEATHER
Sunday: Early frost will clear quickly on Sunday morning to leave a dry day with varying amounts of cloud. The best chance for prolonged spells of sunshine will be across the west and northwest of the country. Top temperatures on Sunday of between 5 and 8 degrees in moderate east or southeast winds. For more, visit met.ie.
West well awake in top tier
Unbeaten so far and standing on six points, Roscommon are well on their way to safety in Division 1.
It's 20 years since a team on six suffered relegation. There is much to like about what the Rossies have done so far - that is, digging in in the final quarter of games to secure victory that in previous seasons may have been beyond them.
Last Sunday at the Hyde, they again upped the ante in the second period, edging out Armagh by a goal, an outcome that left my colleague and Armagh native Niall McCoy, somewhat frustrated when speaking on the RTÉ Podcast, as he bemoaned the fact the pickings were there for the Orchard with the wind at the back for the second half.
Ben O'Carroll continues to shine for the Rossies: in three league games wearing the primrose and blue he's been to the fore, kicking vital scores in that period when the game has to be won. "Class" was the word manager Davy Burke used in the aftermath of O'Carroll's contribution in the win over Armagh.
A player with a big future in the game. Another impressive young gun is Keith Doyle, who exerted a huge influence in the middle of the field last Sunday, even though he did take a black card when dragging down Rian O'Neill late on.
Neighbours Mayo are also unbeaten. Opening draws against Galway and Armagh were followed by an emphatic win over Kerry and last night's demolition of Tyrone. Against Kerry Eight points separated the sides at the end but in truth a double-digit margin would not have flattered Kevin McStay's side. Most of the damage was done in the first half where goals from Ryan O'Donoghue and James Carr set them on their way. Jordan Flynn was the standout performer at MacHale Park, with the half-forward working tirelessly throughout and using possession wisely. He kicked four points, all quality scores.
Writing in his column on these pages, Lee Keegan, says there is even more to come from the 25-year-old.
"I know the work he puts in away from the bright lights. He came on as a sub in the 2021 final, last year in the league he was one of our more effective players, picked up a bad injury in the league final and that hampered him in the championship.
"In the past, there was plenty of handwringing about his discipline and where his head was at. But he's still a young kid and has a lot of room for development.
"Having played alongside him, I know exactly what he can bring to the Mayo squad. You get four scores from your wing-forward, that's a good day's work. And people are crying out for scoring forwards in Mayo."
Flynn alongside Enda Hession, James Carr and Ryan O'Donoghue have led the Mayo charge well so far. Securing those two points at home to Tyrone all but ticked the 'not getting relegated box'.
With Roscommon and Mayo leading the way, there is the prospect that both counties could be seeing a bit of each other in the coming weeks. They meet in the Hyde on 5 March. Then there's the prospect of a league final collision on 2 April, just a week out from their Connacht quarter-final clash.
"It would just be a dummy game really. A complete dead rubber of a league final," says Keegan.
"I think Colm Boyle nailed it when he said it's a league that nobody wants to win. That's the sad reality of it."
Not words that sponsors Allianz want to hear. Cast your mind back to last year's Division 1 final when Mayo's minds were clearly on their Connacht opener against Galway. And that game wasn't for three weeks.
'Everybody was expecting a bit of a bounce from Tyrone…they are lacking that bit of consistency' - @whelo35 on The Red Hands, who are one win from three in the league pic.twitter.com/97EYkX2lje
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) February 19, 2023
Galway, after letting Roscommon reel them in in round two, got back on track against Tyrone in Tuam. Another example of a side digging in when playing against the wind and getting their reward. A bravura 10-minute period in the second half when they rattled off six points on the trot against the elements was key for Pádraic Joyce's side against opponents who were wasteful when the game was there to be won.
While the narrative surrounding Galway in recent weeks has been dominated by talk of their absentees - Damien Comer and Shane Walsh principally - Joyce stresses that the panel he has to work with does contain experienced Division 1 calibre players.
"All I can do as manager, and same with the coaches, is train the guys who are on the pitch in front of us," he told RTÉ Sport. "In fairness, the lads put in a huge shift.
"Cathal Sweeney came on and got three great scores. Sean Kelly got forward to score. When you're missing your main inside forwards, you need your other players on the pitch to get scores. That's what the lads did today.
"Ian Burke was really good inside, Paddy Kelly in his first game back, Mattie (Tierney) was outstanding for us at 10, kicked some great scores. Paul Conroy was outstanding at midfield. Just lads that carry the ball, that can play Division 1 football, who know what it takes. It was great to have that bit of experience that carried us through in the end."
Rob Finnerty's introduction late on in Tuam was welcomed, with an away trip to Donegal to come.
A Donegal side now without Patrick McBrearty for the rest of the league, with the player having to undergo surgery on a hamstring tear as a consequence of the injury picked up against Tyrone.
It's a blow for Paddy Carr and Aidan O'Rourke, with Donegal looking at a relegation scrap if they don't beat Galway.
Monaghan picked up their first points when accounting for their Ulster rivals in Clones. The Farney men were able to recall Jack McCarron from his hamstring injury, while Darren Hughes and sub Conor McManus made their first appearances of the year. Seven by McCarron and 1-02 off the bench from Seán Jones led Monaghan to a convincing win in the end. A morale-boosting win ahead of the Rossies coming to town.
Favoured duo leading the way
In tier 2, Dublin and Derry remain on track for promotion. The latter underlined their intentions with regard to dining at the top table next year with a ruthless dismissal of Meath in Owenbeg. Ethan Doherty's goal only 45 seconds into the contest proved the prelude to the most emphatic of displays. Meath never looked capable of laying a glove on the Ulster champions, who looked back to something like last season's best after indifferent performances in victory against Limerick and Louth.
The Dubs didn't have it all their own way in seeing off Cork on Leeside, and got a proper scare from Clare last night.
Cork's Ian Maguire was aghast at seeing the line early in the second half, as a result of three relatively innocuous fouls. Lee Gannon of Dublin was dispatched subsequently by referee Seamus Mulhare for shouldering Sean Powter off the ball after feeding a handpass.
Speaking on Allianz League Sunday, Peter Canavan said he hoped the card-happy officiating was not a portent of things to come in the summer.
"I hope it's not a sign of things to come, otherwise there'll be a lot of men making the walk to the sideline.
"The first (Maguire) card, he had already been noted and the ref came in with two fingers up to say this is the second time. But it was harsh.
"The ref can go by the letter of the law and he can say I'm right to give him a second note and that means a second yellow card.
"You just look at the reaction of Ian Maguire (before the second yellow), he's convinced himself that he's never getting sent off for that."
Also on the programme, Ciarán Whelan went further, branding the Maguire call "appalling" and said Gannon's dismissal was partly influenced by the need to even things up.
In round four, Derry travel to Newbridge to take on Kildare, who snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Clare. That was the Lilywhites' first points of the campaign, crucial it was, too. Glen Ryan and co do not want any truck with the Tailteann Cup.
Meath, after their loss to Derry, were given a dose of reality. Much work for Colm O'Rourke to do to get his charges to where he thinks they should be. He said as much afterwards to RTÉ Sport.
"We're trying to build a team and it's going to be a rocky road," he said.
"It'd be much easier to be commenting on the game tonight than to be actively participating in it!
"We know where we are, we got a reality check. We won our first two games, we knew it wasn't all going to be smooth. So, we have to go away and re-evaluate it.
"We were very poor tonight, we were very disappointed with our performance. But we'll be better the next day."
The Royals now welcome Louth to Navan. Mickey Harte's side got on the board with a home win against Limerick. Keeping the Wee County in Division 2 would be a huge achievement for Harte.
'Cork are trying to find their way' - @whelo35 says John Cleary’s side will take many positives in the two-point defeat to Dublin pic.twitter.com/3SVNCOul2m
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) February 19, 2023
As for Limerick they are pointless and won't get anything easy against a Cork side that are starting to show promise.
Breffni on track for move in the right direction
As a tweet from Cavan journalist Paul Fitzpatrick during the week noted, if Cavan get promoted to Division 2, it will be the the eight consecutive season that they would have switched divisions. So much for the Rossies being the yo-yo team!
After three wins, the Breffni are on course to make the jump, though an away trip to Offaly will be a test.
Westmeath, after an opening-day loss to Cavan, recorded another defeat to Ulster opposition last night as Down's renaissance continues.
Tipp now are on their travels for a bottom of the table clash against Longford. The losers here, more than likely, heading for the drop.
Tightening up at the top of the bottom
The expectation beforehand was that Laois were the team to lead this section and that is still the case despite last night's home defeat to Wicklow.
All and all it's a key weekend of action, with the clash of Leitrim and Carlow also one where the loser could say goodbye to making the jump.
London and Waterford prop up the table, so Sligo will be expected to follow Wexford's lead against the Déise and maintain their promotion quest in Ruislip.
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