Allianz NFL Division 3
Antrim v Longford Corrigan Park 2-30 Saturday
This year’s NFL division 3 looks set to go right to the wire with Limerick leading the table with 3 win from four starts sitting on 6 points but the race behind them sees three teams, including Antrim on five points, Westmeath on 4, Laois and Longford on three and Wicklow propping up the table on 1.
Realistically 7 of the 8 teams in the league will still harbour promotion hopes and with three rounds of games remaining the margin for error becomes increasingly smaller.
Antrim’s fate, like the others is very much in their own hands and if Enda McGinley and his management team had been told they would be sitting in second place after four rounds of game and just a point behind leaders Limerick I’m sure they would have taken it.
In a dog-eat-dog division, it is difficult to predict just who is going to get there in the end with Westmeath fancied early on for a promotion place. They still could get one but after winning their opening two games they have lost two in a row to Louth and to Antrim’s opponents on Saturday, Longford.
Longford had lost their opening game away to Limerick, drawn with Louth before beating Westmeath in a Round 3 game on the 5th March that had been rescheduled from mid-February following inclement weather that weekend.
Joseph Hagan 0-4, Alex Gardner 0-3, Farrell, Matthews, Fox, Dougan and McGann were all on the score-sheet against Westmeath
Prior to that they lost to a Sean Quigley inspired Fermanagh who appear to be gaining momentum after losing to Antrim at Brewster Park in Round 1.
Longford were put to the sword as Quigley hit 2-3 over the hour as Fermanagh joined Antrim on 5 points. Longford were forced to play the whole second half after the dismissal of captain, Mickey Quinn however so just how much that affected the final result remains to be seen.
What we know from this year’s results to date is that nearly every team in the division are capable of beating the others on their day but Antrim will be focusing on their own performance and have the determination resilience and skill to keep themselves firmly in the promotion race.
That resilience and never say die attitude was never more apparent than last day out at O’Moore Park when the Saffrons overcame the elements and some questionable decisions to hit an injury time equaliser from Ryan Murray into the face of a gale.
Murray with Michael McCann, James Laverty, Paddy McAleer, Peter Healey, Marc Jordan and Odhran Eastwood were the driving forces in an Antrim team who will feel they did enough to win that one but will never the less be satisfied with the point they gained in the end.
Antrim’s starting line-up for Saturday is unlikely to see many changes from the one who started last day out but the Saffron management have used their bench to good effect in all their games and fresh legs and the added pace that comes with them as the opposition starts to tire has been a feature of their success to date.
Its two weeks since that visit to O’Moore Park. Jamie Gribbin and Paddy McBride were injured in that game but hopefully any knocks that they picked up in Laois will have cleared up and they will go into Saturday’s game with a clean bill of health.
A win would certainly keep Antrim in the promotion race and very much set them up nicely for their final two games away to Louth and at home to Westmeath. Longford will set Antrim a serious challenge but and I expect the home side them to gain a win in front of what should be a big home crowd.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Limerick | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 67 | 54 | +13 | 6 | Advance to NFL Division 3 Final and promotion to 2023 NFL Division 2 |
| 2 | Antrim | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 55 | 44 | +11 | 5 | |
| 3 | Fermanagh | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 65 | 61 | +4 | 5 | |
| 4 | Louth | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 57 | 58 | −1 | 5 | |
| 5 | Westmeath | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 62 | 57 | +5 | 4 | |
| 6 | Laois | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 58 | 65 | −7 | 3 | |
| 7 | Longford | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 50 | 60 | −10 | 3 | Relegation to 2023 NFL Division 4 |
| 8 | Wicklow | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 49 | 64 | −15 | 1 |
