Ross King was in impressive scoring form for Laois. Photo by Matt Browne/Sportsfile
SUNDAY
Allianz Hurling League Division 2B
Derry 2-32 Roscommon 0-14
Roscommon’s bright start in Lavey proved to be a false dawn as Derry went on to record a 24-point victory to march into the Division 2B final in fine style.
Cian Murray scored some elegant points from play and Paddy Fallon swung over a line ball in an impressive start for the Rossies, but after grabbing an 0-8 to 0-3 lead, they collapsed before half-time, conceding 1-9 in succession.
Derry were fortunate to benefit from an own goal but they capitalised ruthlessly, with Darragh McGilligan adding a second goal to make it 2-13 to 0-10 by half-time.
Offaly native James Hardiman did his best to stem the flow with four points for the visitors, but the free scoring Oak Leaf men still ran riot. McGilligan (1-4), Rúairí Ó Míanáin (0-7), Cormac O’Doherty (0-6), Corey O’Reilly (0-5) and Cahal Murray (0-3) all scored freely for Derry, who are guaranteed a local derby league final as they await the winners of next weekend’s clash between Tyrone and Donegal.
Donegal 2-26 London 1-16
This was one of the highest stakes games of the weekend, with the winner guaranteed a league semi-final appearance and a place in Division Two next year, but once Gerry Gilmore found his scoring rhythm to knock over six points in the opening half, exactly the lead that the home side held at the interval, Donegal didn’t look back and cruised to victory at O’Donnell Park in Letterkenny.
A sending off for Pauric Mullen didn’t help London, and second half goals from Oisín Grant and Liam McKinney made it a comfortable finish for the home side.
Tyrone 1-29 Wicklow 2-17
Even by his own free-scoring standards, it was a remarkably productive afternoon for Tyrone marksman Aidan Kelly, who fired over 18 points in a dominant display at Páirc Eoghan Ruadh in Dungannon.
After a competitive start, where the first eight points of the game were equally shared, Kelly scored six in an 0-9 to 0-1 run for the Red Hand county coming up to half-time.
A couple of points from Luke Evans helped Wicklow to reduce the lead to 0-15 to 0-9 at half-time and they were still hanging in there when Lorcan Devlin and Cian Lohan traded goals in the space of three minutes.
Seánie Germaine hit the net to cut the gap to four points just short of the hour, but Tyrone had another gear in them and rattled off eight without reply to go into next weekend’s league semi-finals with a spring in their step.
SATURDAY
Allianz Hurling League Division 2A
Laois 4-20 Kerry 1-19
With promotion to Division 1B still very much on the table if they can overcome Down next weekend in the league semi-final, Laois made sure to put their best foot forward in their final group game against Kerry. Ross King stood out for Laois scoring 1-7, three coming from frees, as his side secured an important win against the Kingdom at Laois Hire O’Moore Park in Portlaoise.
The home side led comfortably at the break, 3-12 to 0-8 in front. Goals from Ross King, James Duggan and Tomás Keyes ensured Laois had all the momentum.
Fionan Mackessy scored Kerry’s only goal and helped them get within five points of their hosts, but Laois put the game beyond doubt thanks to Tomás Keyes’ second goal of the game, struck in injury time.
Down 3-19 Meath 1-16
After their defeat to Down at Ballycran today, Meath sit rooted to the bottom of the Division Two table, their only points coming from their win over Kildare in the first round of games. A Daithí Sands hat-trick helped Down to a comfortable win today, ensuring they will get the chance to try and improve on their 2-18 to 0-17 defeat in Portlaoise last month.
A Jack Walsh goal for Meath gave the Royals a great start, but they fell away in the second quarter, coughing up a seven-point lead thanks to the first two goals that were scored by Sands.
With the scores at 2-9 to 1-10 there wasn’t much between them and when Down’s Eoghan Sands received a red card minutes into the second half there was further opportunity for Meath to try and put pressure on their hosts, but another goal from Daithí Sands soon after sucked the life out of their challenge and they faded away.
Allianz Hurling League Division 3A
Armagh 0-19 Louth 2-10
In what was one of the most important fixtures of the day, essentially a straight shoot out to determine which of these teams would hurl in Division Three in 2025 and which would make the drop to Division Four, Armagh avoided relegation by securing a big local derby win over Louth in Middletown. The game’s top-scorers, Darren Geoghegan of Louth and Armagh’s Alex O’Boyle ended the day with 0-8 and 0-11 respectively.
Louth goals from Conor Murphy and Patrick Lynch were not enough to overcome the Armagh men who kept chipping away. It was O’Boyle with the final say as he slotted two frees near the end to secure Armagh’s first win of the season and keep his side out of the basement division next year.
Cavan 2-13 Monaghan 0-13
Cavan’s outstanding season in Division 3A of the Allianz League continues, and their third win of the campaign means they will now face Sligo in the Division 3A semi-final, a side they lost to in a 4-19 to 3-18 thriller at Markievicz Park already this year.
Nicky Kenny shot five of his seven points in the first half while a Brian Fitzgerald goal in the 22nd minute nudged Cavan 1-7 to 0-7 in front in this local derby clash at Kingspan Breffni Park.
Emmet Walsh, Niall Arthur and Thomas Hughes pointed in succession to reduce the gap to one after half-time, but Cavan kept their noses in front before Rian Delaney put daylight between the sides with the game’s second goal just before the hour mark.
Mayo 2-12 Sligo 0-14
Sligo made a blistering start to this All-Connacht Division 3A top-of-the-table clash at Kent Park, but couldn’t quite sustain it and were ultimately pipped by Mayo in a tense battle.
Gerard O’Kelly Lynch hit two frees and five other Sligo players scored from play as the Yeats County made a dream start to lead by 0-7 to 0-0. That was still the gap at half-time, 0-10 to 0-3, but a red card for Gavin Connolly four minutes into the second hand hurt the home side, who didn’t score again until the 54th minute.
They still led with an hour gone, but Joseph Burke’s goal was a hammer blow, and they never got back on terms – though they were chasing an equaliser when Eoin Delaney struck Mayo’s second goal in the final minute of action.
Allianz Hurling League Division 3B
Warwickshire 3-23 Lancashire 3-17
Warwickshire booked their place in the Division 3B semi-final with a win against Lancashire in this goal-fest at Páirc na hÉireann in Birmingham.
Luke Hands had put Warwickshire into a first-half lead with two goals, and that proved to be the difference at the break, with the home side 2-9 to 0-9 in front. After the restart however, Lancashire goals from Conor Kennedy and Ethan Costello seemed to shift momentum back in favour of the visitors.
A David Devine goal for Warwickshire widened the gap between the sides before a final Lancashire goal from Finn Henry finished the game off. It wasn’t enough in the end as Warwickshire march on into the knockout stages while Lancashire end the season at the foot of the table.
Fermanagh 0-11 Longford 0-7
Fermanagh remain the team to beat in Division 3B as they booked their place in the league final by beating Longford today after a low-scoring affair. They will have home advantage against the winners of either Longford or Warwickshire who face off in the semi-final decider.
It was just 0-4 to 0-2 at half-time in a game where attacking flair was not a prominent feature, but despite falling behind with 15 minutes to play, ultimately Fermanagh made it four wins out of four thanks to Luca McCusker’s fine four-point display at Brewster Park, not to mention a late run of scores from Daniel Teague (two), Brian Teehan and Thomas Duane.