Championship revenge with Wexford league opener

Armagh will commence their 2009 NFL Division Two campaign with an away game against All-Ireland quarter-final conquerors, Wexford, on Sunday 1st February.  The Fools Day Sunday opener is the first of four away fixtures all to be played on a Sunday. The rest of the travels take Armagh to tackle defeated Ulster finalists, Fermanagh (Sunday 15th March) followed by a very interesting away trip to renew acquaintances with Armagh’s All –Ireland winning captain Kieran McGeeney who manages Kildare (Sunday 22nd March) before completing the league programme by making the long journey to the banks of the Lee to play Cork in their final group game on Sunday 12th April.

It is a case of Saturday night fever at Floodlit Athletic Grounds as Armagh have opted to play their 3 home league fixtures Laois (Saturday 14th February), Monaghan (Saturday 7th March) and Meath (Saturday 28th March.) at the newly refurbished County Grounds. It will be very interesting to see what kind of crowds these 7-30 Saturday night matches attract. Fermanagh and Wexford are up from division three while Kildare and Laois drop down from division one to make up the newcomers in Division two. Armagh lost to Monaghan 1-11 to 1-10 and Meath 3-7 to 1-6, both away ties, and drew at home to Cork 0-13 to 1-10 in last year’s league campaign.

Peter McDonnell will need a good start from his charges with two home matches in the first three fixtures and only one at home in the last four matches, especially given how poor Armagh performed away from home in the league this year.

DOWN DETERMINED IN DIV THREE

Ross Carr will be determined to get Down out of Division Three this time round having failed last year, trailing in behind Wexford and Fermanagh. It was the shock loss at Leitrim 2-7 to 1-9 that cost Down dear last year but there will be no repeat this year as both Leitrim and Sligo exit the division along with promoted Wexford and Fermanagh. In come Cavan and Roscommon as the relegated teams with Offaly and Tipperary there as the promoted sides.

 Amazingly Down has a carbon copy fixture list like Armagh’s with both teams home and away on the exact same dates, giving Down two home matches in a row Louth (Sat14 Feb) and Cavan (Sat March 7) after a long long way to Tipperary on opening day Sunday Feb 1. After that Down have only one home match, Sat March 28 with Offaly having been to Longford (March 15) and Limerick (March 22) before winding up on the last day April 12 in Roscommon.

Down did defeat Louth 1-14 to 2-10 away and recorded home wins against Limerick 4-13 to 1-15 and Longford 0-19 to 0-16.

All-Ireland champions Tyrone will take on Dublin at Croke Park on Saturday Jan 31 to kickstart the 2009 National Football League programme.

COMPLETE DIVISION TWO & THREE LEAGUE FIXTURES FOR 2009

Sunday 1 February 

Division Two (2.30) 

Wexford v Armagh 

Fermanagh v Monaghan 

Cork v Meath 

Laois v Kildare 

Division Three (2.30) 

Roscommon v Offaly 

Longford v Cavan 

Louth v Limerick 

Tipperary v Down 

Saturday 14 February 

Division Two (7.30) 

Armagh v Laois 

Meath v Fermanagh 

Division Three (7.30) 

Cavan v Tipperary 

Down v Louth 

Sunday 15 February 

Division Two (2.30) 

Kildare v Cork 

Monaghan v Wexford 

Division Three (2.30) 

Limerick v Roscommon 

Offaly v Longford 

Saturday 7 March 

Division Two (7.30) 

Meath v Laois 

Cork v Fermanagh 

Armagh v Monaghan 

Division Three (7.30) 

Down v Cavan 

Sunday 8 March 

Division Three (2.30) 

Offaly v Louth 

Limerick v Tipperary 

Roscommon v Longford

Sunday 15 March 

Division Two (2.30) 

Fermanagh v Armagh 

Monaghan v Kildare 

Wexford v Meath 

Division Three (2.30) 

Tipperary v Offaly 

Louth v Roscommon 

Longford v Down 

Saturday 21 March 

Division Two (7.30) 

Meath v Monaghan 

Laois v Fermanagh 

Cork v Wexford 

Division Three (7.30) 

Antrim v London 

Sunday 22 March 

Division Two (2.30) 

Kildare v Armagh 

Division Three (2.30) 

Offaly v Cavan 

Louth v Longford 

Roscommon v Tipperary 

Limerick v Down

Saturday 28 March 

Division Two (7.30) 

Armagh v Meath 

Division Three 

Tipperary v Louth (2.30) 

Down v Offaly (7.30) 

Sunday 29 March 

Division Two (2.30) 

Wexford v Laois 

Fermanagh v Kildare 

Monaghan v Cork 

Division Three (2.30) 

Longford v Limerick 

Cavan v Roscommon 

Sunday 12 April 

Division Two (2.30) 

Wexford v Fermanagh 

Laois v Monaghan 

Meath v Kildare 

Cork v Armagh 

Division Three (2.30) 

Roscommon v Down 

Louth v Cavan 

Tipperary v Longford 

Offaly v Limerick