​By Colm Shalvey

CHRISTY RING CUP

****2013 and 2014 Christy Ring Cup winners Down and Kildare advanced to this year’s semi-finals with wins on Saturday.

A dominant second-half performance led Down past **Roscommon **at Ballycran. Roscommon were first off the mark through top scorer Jerry Fallon, but although Down had to wait almost ten minutes for their first point from Oisín McManus, the Mourne men didn’t trail in the remainder of the game. The teams had been level on four occasions by the time a Scott Nicholson point edged Down ahead by 0-7 to 0-6 at the interval and the hosts pushed ahead after the restart with scores from the likes of Danny Toner, Conor O’Prey and substitute Chris Egan. Roscommon scored just twice in the second half and even though one of those was a goal from sub Naos Connaughton to reduce the gap to four in the closing stages, an added-time major by Toner sealed a 1-14 to 1-7 win for Down, who will play Meath in the semi-finals.

**Kildare **also advanced to the last four with a 1-17 to 0-15 win over London in Newbridge. Both sides were wasteful in the opening stages and it took until the 12th minute before London’s Mark O’Dwyer opened the scoring. Kevin O’Loughlin added a brace of frees for the Exiles, but Kildare eventually got going via a Mark Delaney goal, followed by points from Gerry Keegan and Philip Cocoman. A Johnny Byrne point sent Kildare in at half-time with a 1-7 to 0-9 lead. Keegan and O’Loughlin swapped points from frees in the early exchanges in the second half, with the former’s haul of 0-9 ultimately helping Kildare hold the edge. Shane O’Donnell came off the bench to hit three points for London, but Martin Fitzgerald and Jack Sheridan added their names to Kildare’s list of scorers as the hosts secured a 1-17 to 0-15 victory. Kildare’s opponents will be Meath, who will be out to avenge defeats in last year’s quarter-finals and the 2014 semis.

NICKY RACKARD CUP

****Last year’s runners-up and 2012 champions Armagh advanced to the semi-finals thanks to a strong finish away to Longford. Joe O’Brien converted four frees in the opening quarter for Longford and although a string of scores from the likes of Ryan Gaffney and Declan Coulter edged Armagh ahead, a brace of Cathal Mullane points kept Longford in touch. Armagh went on to lead by 0-11 to 0-7 at half-time and the second half began with a point from Coulter and a goal-attempt from Conor Corvan that was cleared off the line. Keelan Cox then found the net at the other end to bring Longford within two, but a goal by Coulter kept Armagh clear. Mullane and Paddy Farrington replied for Longford, who got right back into it with a major from O’Brien, but there was still time for goals by Stephen Renaghan and Conor Corvan and a brace of Gaffney points to leave Armagh with 11 to spare (3-19 to 2-11).

2013 winners Donegal are still in contention after holding off a comeback from **Monaghan **in Inniskeen to knock their Ulster rivals out for the fourth time in five years. Donegal started with three unanswered points from Niall Cleary, Lee Henderson and Kevin Campbell (a trio who would go on to hit a combined 2-12), but Monaghan hit back with 1-3 on the trot; the goal from Mark Treanor. The streaky nature of the first half continued with Donegal hitting the next four points and Monaghan responding with three, before Ciarán Mathewson found the net to make the half-time score 1-7 to 1-6 in favour of Donegal. The visitors hit 2-3 within ten minutes of the restart, including goals by Ronan McDermott and Campbell, but Monaghan refused to wilt, helped by a string of scores from Fergal Rafter, who finished with 0-11. Even after Henderson netted a free to extend Donegal’s lead into double figures, Monaghan goals by sub Tadhg Campbell and Stephen Lambe set up an exciting finish. The gap had been reduced to two inside the final minute of normal time, but a Cleary point saw Donegal through on a 4-14 to 3-14 scoreline.

LORY MEAGHER CUP

Louth have three wins from three in the Lory Meagher Cup after they cruised past **Lancashire **in Dunleer. A Gerard Smyth goal was all that separated the teams in the first half, at the end of which Louth led by 1-7 to 0-7. Paddy Duggan’s free-taking was giving Lancashire hope of a first win in the competition, but with Diarmuid Murphy hitting a total of nine points and Andrew McCrave and Nigel Stanley finding the net, Louth ran out 3-15 to 0-10 winners.

Sligo got off the mark when they saw off Warwickshire. Sligo led by 2-10 to 1-5 at half-time and they stayed ahead throughout the second half, even though Warwickshire remained spirited, even when reduced to 14 men. Keith Raymond hit 1-12 for Sligo, while Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch’s 2-1 haul included a spectacular goal.

RESULTS:

Saturday, May 7

Christy Ring Cup Quarter-Finals**

**Down 1-14 Roscommon 1-7

Kildare 1-17 London 0-15

Nicky Rackard Cup Quarter-Finals

Longford 2-11 Armagh 3-19

Monaghan 3-14 Donegal 4-14

Lory Meagher Cup Round 3

Louth 3-15 Lancashire 0-10

Sligo 3-18 Warwickshire 3-11