Division 4 of the Allianz National Football League concluded in a dramatic fashion this afternoon, with Laois and Leitrim securing promotion to the third tier.
Laois entered the weekend as big favourites for promotion, knowing that a draw against bottom side Waterford would be enough to secure a top-two finish. Things were less clear after that, with Leitrim, Wexford, and Longford all level on points coming into the final round of fixtures.
With Wexford and Longford playing each other, the loser of that game would be out of contention. The Yellowbellies would ultimately emerge victorious on a 2-18 to 2-9 scoreline.
That meant it came down to Leitrim, who were facing Tipperary. As the Connacht county had beaten Wexford earlier in the campaign and held the head-to-head advantage, a win would be enough to earn promotion. They would go on to secure a 0-15 to 0-9 victory, finishing second in the table as a result.
#AllianzLeagues Football Division 4 Table after Round 7
Carlow 1-17 v 1-10 London
Waterford 0-09 v 5-19 Laois
Wexford 2-18 v 2-09 Longford
Leitrim 0-15 v 0-09 Tipperary
⬆️ Laois and Leitrim have been promoted.
In partnership with @TheLeftWingBack Podcast your go to Digital… pic.twitter.com/zd6BJdW1iJ— GAA League Tables (@GAALeagueTables) March 24, 2024
This was a fantastic afternoon for Leitrim, although it would not have been possible were it not for a very questionable refereeing decision earlier in the campaign.
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GAA: Wexford miss out on promotion due to awful refereeing decision
Wexford and Leitrim faced off in the league back in mid February, a fixture that was always likely to play a major part in the promotion race.
Leitrim would win that one on a scoreline of 3-7 to 2-9 in Carrick-on-Shannon, securing the victory in dramatic fashion after scoring an injury time penalty. However, the decision to award that spot kick caused a huge amount of controversy at the time.
With Wexford leading by two points in injury time, the referee would hand Leitrim a penalty after both sets of players competed for a high ball into the Wexford box. As the footage below will show, there was absolutely nothing in it.
Absolutely shocking decision that cost Wexford today and potentially a shot at promotion. pic.twitter.com/IjkocI6c2y
— Adrian Flynn (@Panthero84) February 18, 2024
This decision has ultimately cost Wexford promotion. Had the penalty not been given, they would have won that game and Leitrim would not have had a head-to-head advantage over them heading into the final round of fixtures.
The Leinster side will now be forced to wait another year to get a shot at making their way into Division 3.
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