Alive alive o in Div 2..
- Nov 23,2010
In twelve weeks’ time the 2011 Bord Gáis Energy ladies NFL will commence and current All Ireland champions Dublin will be playing away in division two alongside All Ireland semi-finalists Kerry and Intermediate All Ireland runners up Waterford.
Whoever takes over the reigns as Dubs manager will have their work cut out in getting the metropolitans out of division two and back to top flight football.The NFL under took a transformation last year with the introduction of a new format comprising of four divisions of eight teams.
The league was the most competitive it had been in years and such was the success of the new format it created some unlikely scenarios. In the last game versus Laois Dublin faced two scenarios, 1. Win and you’re in the semi-final 2. Lose and you’re relegated!
Thanks to a Mary Kirwan goal late into injury time the second of the two scenarios became reality.
Dublin for some strange reason doesn’t seem to traditionally embrace the NFL and don’t have a good record in the competition. Since the competitions inception back in 1979 Dublin have never won or even contested a division one final. The sky blues won the division three crown back in 1998 and followed this up with a division two title back in 2007.
Dublin will without question strive to over turn the histroy books and start 2011 the way the 2010 ended and bring further silverware to the capital!
Dublin’s campaign commences with a home fixture against Armagh on the 6th of February followed up by a trip to Tipp on the 13th. Intermediate runners up Waterford travel to Dublin on the 20th with Dublin travelling north up to Cavan on the 6th of March.
The next two fixtures are home ties for the blues with a local derby versus Meath on the 13th and a tie against Sligo on the 27th.
The last game in the round stage will see the Dub’s making a trip down south to the Kingdom as they take on the green and gold of Kerry on the 3rd of April.
Semi-finals are pencilled in for the 16/17th of April with the final down for 7/8th of May.
Summary of Bord Gáis Energy Ladies NFL Div 2 Fixtures:
Round 1: 6th February 2011
Dublin (h) v Armagh
Round 2: 13th February 2011
Tipperary (h) v Dublin
Round 3: 20th February 2011
Dublin (h) v Waterford
Round 4: 6th March 2011
Cavan (h) v Dublin
Round 5: 13th March 2011
Dublin (h) v Meath
Round 6: 27th March 2011
Dublin (h) v Sligo
Round 7: 3rd April 2011
Kerry (h) v Dublin