News in Sport Blog
Championship Overview
Gaelic Football
Munster Championship
Cork powered into the Munster final with an emphatic win over Tipperary, despite a fast start from Tipperary who led 1-01 to 0-00 early on. Cork battled back through Chris Og Jones who found the net twice on way to their semi-final win.
Kerry booked their place in the Munster final after seeing off Clare in a controlled and clinical performance. While Clare stayed in touch for long spells, Kerry’s composure and efficiency in front of goal proved decisive. David and Paudie Clifford stood out for the winners, contributing 2-10 between the brothers.
Cork 4-18 | Tipperary 1-12
Kerry 2-19 | Clare 1-14
Connacht Championship
Galway had to withstand a spirited Leitrim performance before securing their place in the Connacht final, with the heavy favourites being pushed all the way in their win. Leitrim rallied in the second half but Shane Walsh’s contribution of 0-3 from the bench was enough to close the door on a comeback.
Roscommon produced one of the standout results of the weekend with a superb win over Mayo. Their attacking efficiency was the difference, mainly from key man Diarmuid Murtagh with a shooting exhibition scoring 1-10.
Galway 1-20 | Leitrim 2-12
Roscommon 2-25 | Mayo 1-18
Ulster Championship
Armagh came through a high-scoring battle with Fermanagh, edging a thrilling contest packed with attacking quality. Conor Turbitt and Oisin Conaty were among the top performers for Armagh but it was Fermanagh’s Darragh McGurn who gained attention with his tally of 1-12 from play.
Down caused a major upset by knocking out Donegal in a dramatic quarter-final encounter. The Mournemen were the hungrier side, alongside the outstanding performances from Daniel Guinness, Pat Havern and Odhran Murdock throughout
Armagh 2-32 | Fermanagh 1-24
Down 3-21| Donegal 1-21
Hurling
Leinster Championship
Kilkenny delivered a statement performance in Round 2 with a commanding win over Wexford. The Cats’ firepower was on full display, racking up five goals in a ruthless attacking showing, with Mossy Keoghan and the all time championship top scorer TJ Reid among the goalscorers.
Dublin continued their strong start with an impressive victory over Kildare, Fergal Whitely was in top form as he scored a brace of goals to put away the Lilywhites.
Galway also impressed with a dominant display against Offaly. The Tribesmen backed up their rapid start to the Leinster championship by putting away another top contender in Offaly.
Kilkenny 5-21 | 1-16 Wexford
Dublin 3-24 | 1-19 Kildare
Galway 2-26 | 1-18 Offaly
Munster Championship
Cork edged a thrilling encounter with Limerick in one of the games of the weekend. Limerick rallied late to salvage a result after captain Cian Lynch was sent off but late points from Alan Connolly and Darragh Fitzgibbon sealed the win for the Rebels.
Waterford and Tipperary played out a high-scoring draw in a game full of drama and attacking quality. Tipperary controlled the game in the early stages until Waterford battled in the second half, finding a Kevin Mahony goal in the 74th minute to claim a point.
Cork 2-22 | 1-23 Limerick
Waterford 3-24 | 1-30 Tipperary
Joe McDonagh Cup
Laois shocked Antrim in Portlaoise, leaving the Saffrons without a win in the Joe McDonagh cup despite being heavy favourites. Laois were well deserving of their win, particularly due to individual performances such as Stephen Maher who scored 0-13
Carlow edged a dramatic, high-scoring clash with Westmeath, with goals proving the difference in a game that swung throughout. Westmeath’s point-taking kept them in contention, but Carlow’s devasted attacking unit broke the Westmeath defence.
Down secured a hard-fought win over London, holding their nerve in a tight finish. Donal Hughes stood out as the man in form as he landed 0-5 from play.
Laois 2-23 | 0-22 Antrim
Carlow 4-20 | Westmeath 1-23
Down 2-23 | 2-20 London
Christy Ring Cup
Derry bounced back from their defeat to Wicklow with a comfortable win over Donegal at Celtic Park. Deaghlan Foley and Rian Collins goals after half time put the contest out of sight for the visitors.
Kerry proved too strong for Roscommon with a dominant display, racking up four goals in an impressive attacking performance. Padraig Boyle was the standout for the away side, scoring 3-09 over the contest.
Meath added themselves to the fight for a final place with a strong win over Wicklow. Tom Shine was the star again for the Royals, scoring 0-12 for his side.
Derry 2-23 | 1-16 Donegal
Kerry 4-22 | Roscommon 1-18
Meath 2-24 | 1-19 Wicklow
Nickey Rackard Cup
Tyrone came out on top in a tight encounter with Louth, showing great resilience to edge the contest. While Louth led the game early, Tyrones scoring volume overwhelmed the home side.
Sligo produced a huge scoring display to see off Armagh, with their attacking unit firing on all cylinders. Goals at key stages helped them build a commanding lead and maintain control throughout.
Mayo were equally impressive in their win over Fermanagh, delivering one of the most dominant performances of the round. Their relentless attacking and sharp finishing saw them rack up an impressive scoreline.
Tyrone 1-22 | 2-14 Louth
Sligo 3-28 | 2-15 Armagh
Mayo 2-34 | 1-13 Fermanagh
Lory Meagher Cup
Cavan had too much for Lancashire, prevailing as 4-point winners in Birmingham. Mark Moffett proved the difference, finishing as the visitor’s top scorer with 1-05.
Leitrim secured a hard-earned win over Longford in a closely fought contest. With little between the sides throughout, Leitrim’s composure in the closing stages helped them see it out.
Warwickshire impressed with a strong performance against Monaghan, controlling the game with disciplined play and consistent scoring to claim a deserved victory.
Cavan 3-16 | 2-15 Lancashire
Leitrim 1-19 | 1-16 Longford
Warwickshire 2-18 | 0-16 Monaghan
League of Ireland Soccer
Derry City picked up a huge result with a narrow win over Shamrock Rovers, showing their resilience in a tightly contested game. The Candystripes defended well throughout and made their moment count, with James Clarke’s goal proving the difference against the reigning champions.
Drogheda United came out on top in a seven-goal thriller against Shelbourne in one of the games of the season so far. Both sides went toe-to-toe in an end-to-end contest, but Drogheda stunned the home side with a spectacular winner from Conor Keeley.
St Patrick’s Athletic secured an impressive win over Bohemians, controlling the game with a strong attacking display despite trailing after 10 seconds.
Waterford and Galway United shared the spoils in a closely fought encounter, with both sides showing plenty of attacking intent. Neither team could find a late winner, as the points were split after a competitive battle.
Derry City 1-0 Shamrock Rovers
Shelbourne 3-4 Drogheda United
St Patrick’s Athletic 3-1 Bohemians
Waterford 1-1 Galway United