Gaelic Games

Hurling wrap: Tipperary, Clare and Kilkenny wins see them move into semi-final stages

Clare took the points off Offaly in dramatic fashion, while Kilkenny edged out Waterford with a strong finish in awful conditions

Tipperary's Sean Hayes is closed down by Antrim's Eoghan Campbell during their Allianz Hurling League clash at Corrigan Park, Belfast. Photograph: John McVitty/Inpho

Sat Mar 16 2024 - 21:24
Allianz Hurling League Division 1B: Antrim 0-12 Tipperary 2-21

Tipperary did what they needed to do at a sodden Corrigan Park on Saturday as their victory over Antrim was enough to see them into a Division One semi-final next week.

The draw between Galway and Limerick ensured any type of victory for Tipp would suffice for a place in the semi-finals and there was no danger of anything but that outcome as they held the upper hand across the board.

It was not a vintage performance by Liam Cahill’s side, but nonetheless they did what was required with Jason Forde landing a dozen points between frees and play, while Jake Morris rattled the home net in each half.

Antrim just didn’t have enough going forward to keep pace with the visitors despite being full of endeavour and their campaign ends in a whitewash with five defeats, but will look to build into the Championship where they will hope to have their lengthy list of injuries begin to clear.

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Aodhán O’Brien actually gave Antrim the initial lead, but Seán Kenneally would reply instantly.

An O’Brien free cancelled out Jason Forde’s first of the day, but this would be as good as it got for the Saffrons with Tipp rattling off the next five scores with Forde dead-eyed from placed balls, while Kenneally grabbed his second and Jake Morris found his range.

O’Brien was Antrim’s sole scorer in the opening period, adding another pair of frees as Eoghan Connolly got in on the act for the visitors who were not exactly setting the world alight either.

The hosts had a let-off when carved open for the first time after 29 minutes when a goal seemed certain but play brought back for a throw. There would be no such reprieve minutes later as Conor Stakelum made the burst forward and popped into Morris to finish, while Forde’s sixth of the first half put the Premier into a 1-10 to 0-4 lead.

Forde and O’Brien traded pointed frees straight after the restart and the pair would continue to lead the way in the scoring stakes, both doubling their half-time tally,

Niall McKenna landed for the hosts to ease the burden with the first of his three second half scores and he was denied a goal from the boot of Rhys Shelly.

But Tipperary began to extend the gap with substitutes Dan McCormack and Darragh Stakelum adding to scores from Bryan O’Mara and Danny Slattery.

There was no doubt about the destination of the points, but Tipp would finish with something of a flourish as Morris banged home a second goal to seal a win and a League semi-final berth.

Antrim: C McFadden; P Duffin, R McCloskey, P Burke; S Walsh, R McGarry, E Og McGarry; E Campbell, N O’Connor; N McKenna (0-3), A O’Brien (0-8, seven frees), C Boyd; E McFerran, C McCann, F McCurry. Subs: R McAteer (0-1) for F McCurry (53), C McGarry for E Og McGarry (53), E Trainor for S Walsh (62), A Bradley for C McCann (68), R McCormick for N O’Connor (68).

Tipperary: R Shelly; D Slattery (0-1), R Maher, C Morgan; M Breen, R Byrne, B O’Mara (0-1); P Cadell, E Connolly (0-1); C Stakelum, S Kenneally (0-2), N McGrath; J Moris (2-2), J Forde (0-12, eight frees, one 65), D Ryan. Subs: S Hayes for S Ryan (HT), D Stakelum (0-1) for E Connolly (40), C Quinn for P Cadell (49), D McCormack (0-1) for N McGrath (56), B Seymour for S Kenneally (65).

Referee: C Mooney (Dublin).

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David Nally of Offaly in action against John Conneally and Ross Hayes of Clare. Photograph: Natasha Barton/Inpho

National Hurling League 1A: Offaly 1-19 Clare 0-23

A point from a free five minutes into injury time saw Clare come from behind to snatch a dramatic one-point victory over Offaly after an entertaining Allianz Hurling League Division 1A encounter at Grant Heating St Brendan’s Park, Birr on Saturday.

Victory ensured that Clare maintained their unbeaten run in the league and finished on top of the table and they will meet Tipperary in the league semi-finals next weekend.

It was a heartbreaking way for Offaly to lose as they had led for most of the game but they tired in the latter stages of the game and Clare gradually picked off the points to claim the victory.

Clare took the opportunity to rest a number of their first choice players for this game and manager Brian Lohan will be happy that a number of the fringe players stood up and helped them fight back to secure this win.

After their big defeat to Cork the previous weekend, Offaly will be happy that they gave a good response in this game and their attentions will now turn to their Joe McDonagh Cup campaign which begins away to Laois in April.

Clare got the first point of this game but that was the only time they led until David Reidy pointed the injury time free that gave them victory.

Three Eoghan Cahill frees got Offaly going and when Eimhin Kelly set up Jack Clancy to score the only goal of the game after 14 minutes, Offaly led by 1-4 to 0-2. They maintained that advantage for the remainder of the half and a couple of late points helped Offaly to a six point advantage at half time, 1-12 to 0-9.

It was point-for-point throughout the third quarter, five Clare points answered each in turn by five from Offaly as they led by 1-17 to 0-14 approaching the end of the third quarter.

Clare then hit a purple spell with four points in a three-minute spell to cut the gap to two with 15 minutes left and the momentum was with Clare.

Offaly managed to steady things and two Eoghan Cahill frees pushed them four clear again with 10 minutes to go but that turned out to be their last score.

Further points from David Reidy, Rory Hayes and Paddy Donnellan cut the gap to a single point with five minutes left and Offaly were hanging on. They managed to withstand the pressure until the game was in injury time when David Reidy levelled from a free and then when Offaly lost possession after a short puck out, Clare won another free and David Reidy made no mistake to secure the win for the Banner.

Clare: E Quilligan; Rory Hayes (0-1), J Conneally, C Leen; Ross Hayes, C Smyth, C Galvin; S Morey (0-2), D Lohan; G Sheedy, D Conroy (0-5, three frees), P Crotty (0-3); K Smyth (0-2, one free), I Galvin (0-4), S Meehan (0-2). Subs. D Reidy (0-3, two frees) for Sheedy, half time, C Cleary for Leen, half time, A Shanagher for Conroy, (51), Colm O’Meara for K Smyth (55), Paddy Donnellan (0-1) for Lohan (62).

Offaly: M Troy; P Cantwell, B Conneely, S Bourke (0-2); L Watkins (0-2), D Maher (0-1), K Sampson; J Sampson, D King (0-1); J Clancy (1-0), L Fox (0-1), D Nally (0-1); E Kelly (0-1), O Kelly, E Cahill (0-10, eight frees, one 65). Subs. R Ravenhill for Maher (55), P Cleary for Fox (68), J Nally for O Kelly (71).

Referee: Caymon Flynn (Westmeath).

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Action from the game between Dublin and Westmeath in the Allianz Hurling League Division 1B at Parnell Park, Dublin. Photograph: Nick Elliott/Inpho

National Hurling League Division 1B: Dublin 2-22 Westmeath 0-15

A strong last quarter enabled Dublin to eventually shake off 14-man Westmeath in a game which never reached any great heights in Parnell Park.

The teams were tied at 0-2 apiece after six minutes. Aided by a goal line save by Kevin Regan from Paul Crummey in the 10th minute, and a fine stop by Noel Conaty from Diarmaid Ó Dulaing some four minutes later, Westmeath continued to stay very much in touch with their hosts in a somewhat ragged first half. They were still on level terms after 21 minutes, 0-4 each.

Joe Fortune’s men were trailing by just three points (0-9 to 0-6) when wing back Aaron Craig was red-carded for a high challenge on Donal Burke in the 33rd minute. Burke had scored three points before his departure, two of them from frees. Dublin went on to lead at the break by 0-11 to 0-6.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, the midlanders started the second half quite brightly with points from half-time subs Aonghus Clarke and Davy Glennon. Dublin were six points to the good (0-16 to 0-10) when sub Fergal Whiteley cut in goalwards and scored the game’s first goal in the 53rd minute. They quickly added four unanswered points – two of them from corner back James Madden – to more or less put the game beyond the underdogs.

The division’s top scorer, David Williams had a mixed day from frees for Westmeath, but a hat-trick of placed balls without reply had the deficit down to single figures (1-21 to 0-15) at the end of normal time. However, Madden completed his own hat-trick from play in added-time before Cian O’Sullivan – who had taken over free-taking duties from Burke – sealed the metropolitans’ comfortable win with a well-taken goal with the second last puck of a forgettable match, after he had been teed up by Whiteley.

After a hectic league schedule, both teams now have a decent break ahead of their respective championship campaigns. Micheál Donoghue’s men start the race for the Bob O’Keeffe Cup with a trip to Wexford on April 21st, while Westmeath host Kerry in the first round of what looks like a very competitive Joe McDonagh Cup.

Dublin: S Brennan; J Madden (0-3), P Smyth, J Bellew; C Crummey, C Donohoe, D Leavy (0-1); M Grogan (0-2), B Hayes (0-2); D Sutcliffe (0-3), D Burke (0-3, two frees), J Malone (0-1); D Ó Dúlaing, C O’Sullivan (1-4, two frees, one ‘65′), P Crummey (0-3). Subs: F Whitely (1-0) for Burke (blood, 33 mins), R Hayes for Ó Dúlaing (46 mins), D Power for Leavy (46 mins), S Currie for Sutcliffe (58 mins), L Murphy for P Crummey (65 mins), S Gallagher for Hayes (67 mins).

Westmeath: N Conaty; D Egerton, J Bermingham, C Gaffney; A Craig, T Doyle (0-1), K Regan; P Clarke (0-2), S McGovern (0-1); K Doyle (0-2), D Williams (0-7, seven frees), D O’Reilly; D Clinton, N Mitchell, O McCabe. Subs: D Glennon (0-1) for Clinton (half-time), A Clarke (0-1) for McCabe (half-time), E Keyes for Mitchell (42 mins), C Doyle for O’Reilly (46 mins), A Ennis for Bermingham (blood, 58 mins), S Clavin for McGovern (63 mins).

Referee: Michael Kennedy (Tipperary).

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Kilkenny's Paddy Deegan moves in to block Paddy Leavey of Waterford. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho

National Hurling League Division 1A: Waterford 2-9 Kilkenny 0-18

The wizened TJ Reid was instrumental in helping Kilkenny to a three-point win over their near neighbours Waterford in Division One of the National Hurling League.

Reid landed eight points in all in a game where the conditions at times were just about playable. Only 2,907-paying customers braved the monsoon like weather at Walsh Park.

From the throw-in the conditions were testing with constant rain making underfoot conditions treacherous. Kilkenny had three early points from Luke Hogan (two) and TJ Reid (one) before a Shane Bennett free opened the scoring for Waterford. There was just seven minutes on the clock when a mis-hit 65 from Paddy Leavey was flicked to the net by Patrick Curran on the edge of the square. Jamie Barron split the posts soon after putting Davy Fitz’s men 1-2 to 0-3 to the good after just 10 minutes.

Conditions continued to deteriorate with players just about managing to hold their feet and strike the ball. Shane Bennett at full forward managed to outmuscle Huw Lawlor before releasing Dessie Hutchinson to shoot low past Eoin Murphy for a second home green flag, 2-2 to 0-4 with 13 minutes played.

Waterford were finding their rhythm and were worthy of their 2-5 to 0-6 advantage approaching the break. However late points from John Donnelly (two) and substitute Kevin Blanchfield reduced the margin to just two, 2-5 to 0-9 at the interval.

Eoin Cody pointed on change of ends. On 38 minutes TJ Reid had the ball in the net. However referee Johnny Murphy adjudged Reid as to having played the hurl in the build-up and disallowed the goal.

Conditions continued to worsen with surface water visible all over the pitch. Jack Prendergast pointed on the run for Waterford before Reid and Bennett exchanged points reducing the margin to the minimum 2-7 to 0-12 on 48 minutes. Eoin Cody’s third of the day brought the teams level soon after. Substitute Neil Montgomery then flashed a ball across the face of Murphy’s goal when well placed but Shane Bennett pointed a free on 54 minutes to nudge Waterford back into the lead, 2-8 to 0-13.

With the game there to be won it was Kilkenny and Reid in particular who showed intent. Paddy Deegan, Cian Kenny and Adrian Mullen also began to dominate. Five points on the bounce, four from Reid and another from substitute Billy Ryan was enough to win the tie. Waterford managed just a single injury-time Patrick Fitzgerald point in reply.

Kilkenny move on to the League semi-finals while the already relegated Waterford can look forward to better weather at their training camp in Portugal next week.

Waterford: S O’Brien, M Power, M Fitzgerald (0-1), K Bennett, J Fagan, B Nolan, D Lyons, P Leavey, J Barron (0-1), P Hogan, J Prendergast (0-1), C Lyons, Shane Bennett (0-4, three frees), P Curran (1-0), D Hutchinson (1-1). Subs: N Montgomery for P Curran (50m), Padraig Fitzgerald for P Hogan (60m), Patrick Fitzgerald (0-1) for Shane Bennett (66m), I Daly for P Leavey (69m), K Mahony for D Hutchinson (70+1m).

Kilkenny: E Murphy, M Butler, H Lawlor, T Walsh, D Blanchfield, P Deegan, M Carey, C Kenny, S Murphy, A Mullen, E Cody (0-3), J Donnelly (0-2), TJ Reid (0-8, eight frees), M Keoghan (0-1), L Hogan (0-2). Subs: K Blanchfield (0-1) for M Butler (11m), P Moylan for M Carey (44m), B Drennan for L Hogan (48m), T Clifford for J Donnelly (58m), B Ryan (0-1) for M Keoghan (64m).

Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick).

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