Wing forward Pat Coady was an inspirational force for Carlow yesterday as he led his team to an eight-point win - 2-21 to 3-10 - over Wicklow at Arklow.

Coady was deadly accurate for Carlow from frees, scoring 2-9 of their total, with his first goal coming from a free from well beyond the 50-metre line.

While Carlow looked that bit sharper in their play and stick-work, Wicklow will have seen signs of recovery from their display.

They played with passion and spirit and their second-half goals by Emmet O'Sullivan, Denis Moran and John Keogh meant that were challenging all the way through.

Carlow were ahead by 1-9 to 0-6 at the break, but Wicklow managed to cut the winners' lead to a single point, 2-9 to 1-13, after 19 minutes of the second half when Emmet O'Sullivan and Denis Moran claimed goals.

However, Carlow always appeared to have enough in reserve to strike back whenever danger threatened.

In Division Two A, the free-taking of Geoffrey McGonigle guided Derry to hard-fought 2-15 to 1-14 win over a battling Kildare side at Lavey.

The burly Dungiven man notched up a personal tally of 2-8 - all from frees - as Seán McCloskey's side grabbed their second victory of the campaign.

Having had the advantage of the wind in the first half the visitors led by 1-9 to 0-6 at the break, their goal coming in the 32nd minute when Tom Carew drove a 20-metre free to the net.