GAA: Coin tosses aplenty as weather impacts schedule
The first weekend of the restored pre-season provincial competitions was heavily impacted by the weather as only two of the five scheduled Dioralyte Walsh Cup fixtures went ahead, while the Donegal-Derry Dr McKenna Cup clash was also cancelled.
In Leinster, Offaly-Antrim, Kildare-Galway and Westmeath-Kilkenny were all cancelled and with no room in the schedule, all three games were decided via coin toss, in line with competition regulations.
Leinster GAA tweeted this evening that Offaly, Galway and Westmeath would all advance to the next round - the Westmeath hurlers following their footballers in progressing via coin toss - while Antrim, Kildare and Kilkenny would enter the Walsh Shield.
Micheál Donoghue and Brian Dowling shake hands after their game at Newbridge was cancelled
Two games did proceed, with Laois hosting Wexford in Rathdowney, while Dublin were the visitors to the SETU Carlow Campus to face Carlow.
Trailing 0-09 to 0-07 at half-time, Keith Rossiter's side dug out a six-point win over Laois, Ciaran Regan's goal seven minutes into the second half changed the course of the contest.
An Aaron Dunphy free with 10 minutes remaining nudged Laois in front once again but Wexford finished strongly, outscoring their hosts 0-08 to 0-01 in the closing stages, Simon Roche hitting five points in the spell, all bar one from frees as they won 1-20 to 0-17.
Seán Gallagher tries to get away from Fiachra Fitzpatrick
Dublin also had six points to spare in Carlow, Diarmaid Ó Dúlaing landing 0-10 as they ran out 0-23 to 0-17 winners.
In the Kehoe Cup, Wicklow edged out Down 2-13 to 0-17 in Aughrim, Seanie Germaine and Brandon Ryan with the first half goals.
The Dr McKenna Cup meeting between Donegal and Derry was cancelled due to concerns over travelling conditions to Letterkenny.
The pitch at O'Donnell Park was deemed playable after an inspection however Ulster GAA took the decision to cancel the game "based on current road conditions."
Ulster GAA subsequently confirmed on X that it would "not be practical to re-fix the game", saying that both sides would be awarded one point while ticket holders and stream purchasers would be refunded.
In Connacht, two games did go ahead, as the FBD completed its programme for the weekend.
Mark Dowd's Roscommon reign got off to a winning start with a 5-17 to 0-14 win over Leitrim, in a game which was switched from Elphin to the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence in Bekan due to an unplayable surface at the former.
Jack Tumelty fires a shot in Roscommon's one-sided victory over Leitrim
Roscommon, winners of the last FBD League in 2024, killed the game in a ten-minute spell in the first half, rattling home four goals between the ninth and the 18th minute.
Cian McKeon was the first to find the net, after which Diarmuid Murtagh scored two goals, either side of a Jack Tumelty strike.
Leitrim were more competitive from there on, the game proceeding on tit-for-tat lines until Oisín Cregg added a fifth goal five minutes from time.
In the second game in successive days, London played out a 1-11 to 0-14 draw with Sligo at the Connacht GAA COE.
Having lost 3-19 to 0-04 to Galway on Saturday, London looked set to bounce back for a win after Shay Rafter's fisted point attempt wound up in the net after it deflected off a Sligo defender.
London's Kristian Healy reacts during their drawn game with Sligo
The Exiles held a one-point lead entering injury-time however Niall Murphy's late free levelled it at the death for Eamonn O'Hara and Dessie Sloyan's side.
Roscommon will face Mayo next weekend, while Galway will play Leitrim. After that, the top two teams will contest the final in a fortnight's time, with third and fifth place play-offs also to be played.
