NFL Div 2 focus - Meath v Cavan this Sunday
Ulster has the top two teams in Derry and Tyrone and the bottom two with Cavan and Armagh in the NFL Div 2 as Meath prepare to face their third successive Ulster team this weekend in the third round of the NFL Div 2 at Pairc Tailteann on Sunday.
Meath will tackle neighbours Cavan and a third defeat for the Breffni men would leave them in serious trouble.
Cavan travel to Navan to take on Meath, who beat Armagh and lost to Fermanagh in the first two rounds.
Meath beat Cavan by 0-14 to 0-12 in last year’s League.
Armagh host Fermanagh, who came up from Div 3 this year. The counties met twice in Div 3 last year, with the group game finishing level (1-10 each) while Armagh won the final (0-16 to 0-11).
Derry have made an excellent start under new manager, Damien Barton and will be hoping to continue their run with a home win over Galway, who won one and lost one so far.
Galway beat Derry by six points in last year’s All-Ireland qualifiers while the last League clash was in 2013, which Galway won by three points.
Tyrone, who beat Cavan and Galway in the first two rounds, travel to Portlaoise to take on Laois, who lost to Galway and beat Armagh.
Tyrone and Laois last met in the League in 2011 (Div 1) with Mickey Harte’s men winning by 1-12 to 0-11.
FIXTURES
Saturday (7pm): Armagh v Fermanagh, Athletic Grounds (live on Setanta)
Sunday (2pm): Derry v Galway, Celtic Park; Meath v Cavan, Pairc Tailteann; Laois v Tyrone, O’Moore Park.
DIVISION 2 RESULTS / FIXTURES
Round 1
Meath 1-10 Armagh 0-8; Tyrone 0-10 Cavan 0-8; Galway 3-12 Laois 1-10; Derry 3-13 Fermanagh 1-9.
Round 2
Laois 1-13 Armagh 0-15; Derry 1-12 Cavan 1-11; Tyrone 1-11 Galway 1-9; Fermanagh 0-10 Meath 0-6.
Round 3
Feb 27: Armagh v Fermanagh;
Feb 28: Derry v Galway; Meath v Cavan; Laois v Tyrone.
Round 4
Mar 5: Cavan v Armagh; Tyrone v Derry
Mar 6: Galway v Meath; Fermanagh v Laois.
Round 5
March 12: Fermanagh v Cavan;
March 13: Laois v Derry; Armagh v Galway; Meath v Tyrone.
Round 6
March 26: Tyrone v Armagh
March 27: Cavan v Laois; Galway v Fermanagh; Derry v Meath.
Round 7
April 3 - Armagh v Derry; Cavan v Galway; Fermanagh v Tyrone; Laois v Meath.
REFEREES
Top Meath referees David Gough and Cormac Reilly will be on duty for the two televised games by Setanta in the NFL on Saturday night.
Gough will be at Croke Park for the NFL Div 1 game between Dublin and Monaghan while Reilly will be at the Athletic Grounds for Armagh's NFL Div 2 home tie against Fermanagh in a game that will be of huge interest to Meath supporters.
David Coldrick faces the long trip to Cork on Sunday for the NFL Div 1 game between the Munster side and Roscommon.