10 YEARS AGO

DUBLIN and Donegal said beforehand that their league meeting wouldn’t be a grudge match from the previous year’s All-Ireland semi-final – when the Tir Chonaill side beat the seemingly unbeatable Dubs – but they failed to live up to their promise.

Cards, hits and tetchiness were all on show as Dublin won out 2-11 to 0-10 at Croke Park.

Kevin McManamon was sent off in the second half and Michael Murphy picked up a black card, but Joe McQuillan’s leniency kept more players on the field than other referees would have allowed.

Jack McCaffrey and Cormac Costello were the goal scorers for the victors with Murphy and McBrearty both hitting four points apiece.

Paul Geaney scoring a goal for Kerry against Derry, haven’t we heard that script before?

The Dingle man came off the bench for a brace of three-pointers in Sunday’s epic at Celtic Park, and he was doing the same 10 years ago in less dramatic circumstances.

His 1-5 tally was enough to give Kerry a 1-17 to 0-13 win over the Oakleafers at the Derry City venue as they eased to both league points on offer.

In Division Three, Armagh went four points behind early on against Wexford on home soil, but they responded well to earn a 2-13 to 1-8 win.

It took 17 minutes for Armagh to score but they soon had a goal registered and it came from Ethan Rafferty, still an outfielder at that stage.

That ensured a lead they wouldn’t lose with substitute Ciaron O’Hanlon crashing home a late second goal.

20 YEARS AGO

THE National Football League threw in and the opening weekend was dominated by one issue – the yellow card sin-bin rule.

Over the 15 games played, 40 players were sent to the line after yellow cards with six suffering that fate in the Division 1A clash between Offaly and Westmeath with five being hit with the sanction in Derry’s clash with Meath.

The novelty – or maybe a different description would be appropriate – of the yellow card rule was evident in Dublin’s league win over Mayo as Stephen Cluxton was sent to the line and Paddy Christie had to jump in goals to face a penalty.

He did well too, parrying Ciaran McDonald’s penalty over the bar – a crucial moment in the 2-13 to 1-15 win. An important win too for Paul McCaffrey’s side as the year before they had scored just 0-3 in a league loss to the same opposition.

Kevin Madden was the match-winner as a new-look Antrim claimed a one-point win over Louth at Casement Park.

Brendan Herron and Kieran Close impressed for the home side with current Crossmaglen manager Shane Lennon – who would finish with 1-2 – keeping Louth in it, but the Saffrons prevailed.

In that aforementioned Derry-Meath clash, the Oakleafers pulled off an unlikely comeback to earn a draw having trailed by eight points 10 minutes from time.

What’s more, they did it via white flags, kicking seven without reply at one stage with Gavin Donaghy grabbing the last of those to ensure Sean Boylan’s 23-year for a league win over Derry would go on.

30 YEARS AGO

ULSTER’S hurlers caused a shock with a 2-10 to 0-14 Railway Cup semi-final win over Connacht in Ballinasloe.

Without the Dunloy contingent, who had an All-Ireland semi-final with Athenry to look forward to, Ulster looked set for a tough day as they managed just one first-half point – a long-range free from Kevin Coulter.

They showed tremendous fight after the break though with Noel Sands giving them hope though with a goal and the same player setting up Hugh Gilmore for a second with an audacious backheel.

Meanwhile, a crowd of 1,500 turned up to Clones to watch Ulster book their spot in the football final after a 0-16 to 0-8 win over Connacht.

Peter Canavan, Mickey Linden and James McCartan provided a force of nature inside with Tony Boyle’s hard running supplementing that quality as Connacht failed to pin them down.

Canavan hit five from play while Ray Carolan matched that, four of those coming from play.