CHRISTY RING CUP

Last year’s Christy Ring Cup runners-up Antrim qualified for another semi-final with a 3-15 to 0-11 win over Down in Cushendall.

Despite starting without key forwards Danny Toner and Paul Sheehan, Down hit the first three points of the game with the wind at their backs, but Ciarán Johnston netted two penalties to move Antrim into a 2-6 to 0-9 lead by half-time.

Antrim, who were missing top marksman Neil McManus on his wedding day, lost Conor Johnston to a red card, but with Ciarán Clarke hitting 1-5 in the second half, they never looked back. Ciarán Johnston was unable to complete his hat-trick from a third penalty, but Antrim had already done enough to see off their neighbours.

Wicklow are through to the semi-finals for the first time since they reached the decider in 2012 after they pipped Kildare in a thriller at Newbridge.

Wicklow had five points on the board before Kildare opened their account, with Daniel Staunton, Christy Moorehouse and Andy O’Brien leading the way. Free-taker David Reidy (who would hit double figures for the second game in a week) helped give Kildare a foothold in the game, with Mark Delaney also weighing in with a long-range point, while both teams had goal chances before O’Brien found the net to send Wicklow in leading by 1-10 to 0-10.

Reidy, Jack Sheridan and Paul Divilly were among the scorers as Kildare moved ahead for the first time, but goals from Pádraig Doyle and O’Brien turned the tide in Wicklow’s favour. Former Kilkenny star John Mulhall and Chris Bonus responded with majors for Kildare, who were two points up inside the final ten minutes, only for Moorehouse to take his tally to 0-9 with a hat-trick of frees and see Wicklow over the line on a 3-18 to 2-19 scoreline.

Carlow returned to winning ways with a commanding performance at home to Mayo.

Early goals from Kevin McDonald and James Doyle saw wind-assisted Carlow race into a 2-5 to 0-0 lead after just ten minutes; setting the tone for the game. McDonald’s second major had the hosts 3-13 to 0-2 clear at half-time and with Marty Kavanagh and Doyle netting in the second half, the gap was a huge 26 points at one stage. Mayo did manage a brace of consolation goals, but their 5-18 to 2-7 defeat consigns them to a relegation play-off derby with Roscommon.

Roscommon were on the wrong end of a similarly one-sided encounter, where they were no match for London at Dr. Hyde Park.

This game was over as a contest by the interval, at which stage a Kevin O’Loughlin-inspired London side were 3-17 to 0-4 to the good, helped by a storming last ten minutes of the half by the Exiles. Roscommon fared somewhat better in the second half, helped by Shane Curley and goal-scorer Johnny Coyne, but they never made any inroads into London’s commanding lead.

A 4-24 to 1-10 win for London moves them through to a meeting with Down, while the remaining quarter-final will be between Carlow and Kildare.

NICKY RACKARD CUP

Derry powered into the Nicky Rackard Cup semi-finals with a rout of Longford at Owenbeg.

Derry started as they meant to go on when Alan Grant netted a penalty in the first minute and further goals quickly followed from Brian Cassidy and Gerald Bradley. Further strikes from Brendan Rogers and Cassidy had a goal-hungry Derry side 5-10 to 0-6 clear at half-time, although Longford managed to more than double their tally within ten minutes of the restart, helped by a goal from substitute Eugene Kiernan.

Longford were without Paddy Farrington and their cause was hit further by the loss of Cathal Mullane to injury early on and Gerry Moore to a second yellow card during the second half. Rogers added a brace to complete his hat-trick, before Grant notched Derry’s eighth goal. The hosts saw Rogers (3-2), Grant (2-5) and Cassidy (2-4) amass a huge 7-11 between them as they went through on a scoreline of 8-21 to 1-14.

Tyrone joined their local rivals in taking the direct route to the last four thanks to a comprehensive win over another neighbouring county, Donegal, in Carrickmore.

These teams now have two wins apiece from their four meetings this year, with this latest clash producing an amazing 37-point turnaround from Donegal’s Allianz Hurling League Division IIIA Final win at the start of April. Tyrone were all but assured of victory by half-time, with a brace of goals from Conor Grogan and a string of points by Damien Casey leading them to a 2-15 to 0-4 advantage.

Lee Henderson, Davin Flynn and former Tyrone player Gerard Gilmore landed a combined ten points for Donegal, but with Casey tallying 1-10 and Seán Óg Grogan also hitting the net, the Red Hand County were convincing winners by 4-19 to 0-16.

Armagh finished strongly to win another derby at home to Louth.

Roger Maher, Paddy McCormack and goal-scorer Gavin Kerrigan had Louth 1-6 to 0-7 up as the end of the first half approached and although Armagh responded to draw level, Michael Ryan’s three-pointer regained the initiative for the visitors. 

Armagh outscored their opponents by 0-14 to 0-3 in the remaining half-hour, however, with free-taker David Carvill reaching double figures and Connor Corvan chipping with five points from play. The 0-23 to 2-9 win for Armagh earns them a quarter-final clash with Longford, while Donegal will go up against Monaghan.

LORY MEAGHER CUP

**Lancashire **claimed a famous first win in the Lory Meagher Cup with a fine performance against Fermanagh at the Old Bedians Sports Grounds in Manchester.

Ronan Crowley’s 2-5 led Lancashire to a 2-10 to 0-9 half-time lead and there was no repeat of Fermanagh’s first-round comeback that saw them deny Leitrim last week. The hosts pulled further clear to win by 2-22 to 0-15 for their first two points in the competition at the 11th attempt.

It was a clean sweep for the three ‘Exiles’ hurling teams in action on Saturday, as Warwickshire got the better of Sligo to move out on their own at the top of the table after two rounds.

Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Aogán Ó Fearghail was among the attendance at Páirc na hÉireann, where a dominant first-half performance laid the foundations for Warwickshire. Seán Hennessy, Shane Caulfield and Liam Watson were all on song as Warwickshire opened up a 2-13 to 0-4 lead at the break and they went on to win by 2-20 to 2-9.

Cavan’s return to senior inter-county hurling continued with a second defeat on a 1-20 to 0-12 scoreline against Leitrim in Carrick-on-Shannon.

The teams traded scores five times in the opening 20 minutes, with Seán Keating hitting 0-3 for Cavan. Midfielders Kevin Conneely and Diarmuid Cahill moved Cavan two points up to give the underdogs hope, but Zak Moradi hit the only goal of the game just before half-time to move Leitrim ahead by 1-5 to 0-7.

Moradi, Pádraig O’Donnell and Colm Moreton were all in form as Leitrim gained the upper hand after the restart to earn their first win of the campaign.

RESULTS

Christy Ring Cup

Round 2A

Antrim 3-15 Down 0-11

Kildare 2-19 Wicklow 3-18

Round 2B

Carlow 5-18 Mayo 2-7

Roscommon 1-10 London 4-24

Nicky Rackard Cup

Round 2A

Derry 8-21 Longford 1-14

Tyrone 4-19 Donegal 0-16

Round 2B

Armagh 0-23 Louth 2-9

Lory Meagher Cup Round 2

Lancashire 2-22 Fermanagh 0-15

Leitrim 1-20 Cavan 0-12

Warwickshire 2-20 Sligo 2-9