Carlow claim hard earned draw against Down

Down 1-11 Carlow 0-14, Ballycran

A late Karl English pointed free saw Carlow claim a hard earned draw with 14-man Down at Ballycran this afternoon.

The second half dismissal of Stephen Clarke seemed to inspire Down who responded well after an 0-8 to 0-4 interval deficit.

Carlow took an early 0-5 to 0-0 lead, but good work by Paul Braniff ensured four points separated the sides at half-time.

Clarke's dismissal failed to make a difference, with Paddy Coulter grabbing a goal, and although Down held a late lead, the sides shared the points.

Meath 1-25 Derry 0-8, Pairc Tailteann

The absence of a number of dual players hit Derry badly as Meath romped to a 20-point win at Pairc Tailteann, Navan.

Although two points separated the sides at the end of the opening quarter, Meath blitzed into a 1-12 to 0-5 interval lead, with Stephen Clynch scoring their goal.

The hosts failed to let up in the second half, with Clynch (1-4) and Niall Hackett (0-7) continuing to perform strongly, as Derry had no answer - although Ruairi Convery tried hard with five points.

Armagh 1-14 London 0-8, Killeavy

The Exiles were beaten by Armagh's strong second half display at Killeavy, with Ger Enright nabbing an excellent goal in the final quarter to pave the way for the hosts.

Armagh held a 0-5 to 0-3 advantage at the end of the opening quarter, but the visitors responded well to level the contest at 0-6 apiece by half-time.

However Mattie Lennon's side opened the game up on the restart to hold the visitors to just two points and finish with nine points to spare at the end.