Hurling

Round-up: Weekend's Ring, Rackard, and Meagher Cup action

30 April 2023 - 7:32PM

London defeated Mayo in the Christy Ring Cup.

The Christy Ring, Nickey Rackard and Lory Meagher Cups all continued over the weekend, with teams remaining tied on points at the top of each table.

Christy Ring Cup

Meath returned to winning ways in the Christy Ring Cup when they held off a stern challenge from Derry in Owenbeg on Saturday.

Pádraig O’Hanrahan, Jack Regan and Éamon Ó Donnchadha led the scoring as Meath built up a 0-14 to 0-10 half-time lead, but they had James Toher sent off and when Cormac O’Doherty netted a penalty soon after the restart, Derry were right back in it. The hosts went on to inch into a two-point lead, but instead of fading away, Meath’s 14 men regrouped, with a Nicky Potterton goal proving crucial as they dug out a gutsy 1-21 to 1-19 victory.

London moved narrowly into top spot on score difference when they won away to Mayo on Sunday.

Ronan Crowley was the main man for London, racking up an impressive 2-13 as the Exiles made it back-to-back wins. London led by 2-12 to 0-12 at half-time and although Joseph McManus and Fergal Boland finished with a combined 15 points for Mayo, the hosts remained seven adrift at the final whistle.

Sligo join Meath and London on four points each after they turned the tables on Tyrone in Carrickmore.

Tyrone had ten points to spare when the teams met in the league, but Sligo raced into a seven-point lead after the first half an hour. A hat-trick of placed-ball strikes by Dermot Begley helped Tyrone close the gap to three by half-time, but Sligo responded with the first four points of the second half. A Chris Kearns goal gave Tyrone renewed hope of making it three games unbeaten, but Andrew Kilcullen hit three late scores, including a winner deep into added time, to edge it for Sligo.

Nickey Rackard Cup

Wicklow made it three consecutive wins in the Nickey Rackard Cup with a commanding second-half performance away to Armagh on Saturday.

Tomás Galvin and Fionntán Donnelly both hit the net early on to move Armagh ahead, but a string of scores from Gavin Weir and Michael Boland swung the momentum in favour of Wicklow, who then struck their own quick-fire brace of goals courtesy of Luke Evans and Andy O’Brien. Donnelly rattled a free home just before the break to keep Armagh in touch at 3-4 to 2-11, but Wicklow outscored the hosts by 1-5 to 0-1 in the first 10 minutes of the second half; the goal from Eoin McCormack. Weir (0-8) and Boland (0-6) led 12 scorers for Wicklow as they maintained their 100% record.

Donegal also made it a hat-trick of wins when they proved too strong for Roscommon.

A Ronan McDermott goal was all that separated the teams at half-time, with Donegal leading by 1-10 to 0-10, before the visitors found an extra gear. McDermott, Liam McKinney and Declan Coulter were all in prolific form for Donegal, who netted a second goal through Seán Ward as they pulled away. Roscommon’s Mickey Joe Egan hit a brace of consolation goals on his way to a personal tally of 2-7, but Donegal had done enough.

Louth and Fermanagh finished all-square at the end of a six-goal thriller in Darver.

Darren Geoghegan led the scoring as Louth changed ends with a narrow lead, which was wiped out soon after the restart by Seán Corrigan’s goal. Further majors followed from Caolán Duffy and John Paul McGarry for Fermanagh and Tom Matthews for Louth, who looked set to edge out the Erne men for the second time this year when Mark Gahan put them a point up late on. Fermanagh were determined to leave with something this time, however, and Luca McCusker’s 12th score earned them a share of the spoils.

Lory Meagher Cup

Cavan moved to the top of the Lory Meagher Cup table via a comprehensive win at home to Lancashire on Saturday.

Having won their first two games, Lancashire started strongly with early goals from Ray McCormack and Darragh Carroll, which saw them lead by 2-4 to 0-4 after 15 minutes. Cavan took charge, however, by outscoring the visitors by a remarkable 2-16 to 0-2 between then and half-time, the goals coming from Nicky Kenny and Seán Keating. Lancashire hit the net three times during the second half, two from Connor Kennedy, but with Canice Maher and Kenny both finishing in double digits and Mark Moffett adding a late goal, Cavan made it back-to-back wins with a bit to spare; racking up the highest tally to date in this year’s competition.

Longford are also on four points after they won a low-scoring derby against Leitrim in Drumshanbo on Sunday.

The teams were deadlocked at 0-5 apiece at the interval, but Longford dominated the third quarter, with Cathal Mullane and David Buckley to the fore. Joe Murray hit five points for Leitrim, but they couldn’t find enough scores to earn their first win of the campaign.

Monaghan stayed in contention with a comprehensive win at home to Warwickshire.

Goals by Thomas Hughes and Ethan Flynn bookended a dominant first-half performance by Monaghan, who led by 2-13 to 0-3 at the break. Jack Grealish hit the net for Warwickshire, but the Exiles were unable to add to their tally in the last 25 minutes, while the likes of Flynn, Hughes and Niall Arthur kept Monaghan’s total ticking in a win that leaves just one point between the top four teams.

RESULTS:

Saturday, April 29

Christy Ring Cup Round 3

Meath 1-21 Derry 1-19

Nickey Rackard Cup Round 3

Wicklow 3-28 Armagh 3-8

Lory Meagher Cup Round 3

Cavan 3-29 Lancashire 5-9

Sunday, April 30

Christy Ring Cup Round 3

London 2-22 Mayo 0-21

Sligo 0-20 Tyrone 1-16