Louth and Cavan claim National League titles with final wins over Limerick and Tipperary
Louth staged a second-half comeback to defeat Limerick, 1-14 to 0-12 in the Allianz Football League Division 3 final at Croke Park, while Cavan edged Tipperary in a tight Division 4 decider
Saturday 2 April 2022 18:59, UK
The Wee County and Breffni County claimed national honours at Croke Park.
Louth 1-14 Limerick 0-12
Louth timed their run to perfection to see off a spirited Limerick side in the Division 3 final by five points.
The first half was a cagey affair, with the sides trading points. Sam Mulroy kicked four frees for the Wee County, but it was the Treaty who led at the break, 0-7 to 0-6.
The Munster side continued to lead as the second half progressed, but the game was turned on its head in the 53rd minute.
Louth forced for a turnover and broke forward. The Treaty had committed numbers forward, and Liam Jackson was able to capitalise, with the composure to find the net and give his side a 1-9 to 0-10 lead.
Buoyed by the green flag, Louth added three more scores to stretch the lead to five before Limerick could reply.
By that stage, the damage was done, and Mickey Harte's charges were able to manage the contest and see out a deserved victory.
Both sides will compete in Division 2 in 2023, and compete for the Sam Maguire Cup this summer as a result of their promotion.
Cavan 2-10 Tipperary 0-15
Cavan held off a late Tipperary surge to seal the Division 4 title earlier on Saturday afternoon.
The meeting of the two 2020 provincial champions was ultimately decided by two goals from Patrick Lynch, either side of half-time.
Mickey Graham's side held a slender 1-5 to 0-7 lead at the half-way mark, thanks to Lynch's green flag in the 23rd minute.
The Premier County battled back, with Conor Sweeney hitting 0-6 in total to lead the Tipp challenge.
But Lynch struck once more in the 62nd minute. Deep into injury-time, Sweeney declined a shot on goal from a short-range free, instead opting for a point. But David Power's charges were unable to work another score, and Cavan held out for a hard-fought victory.
