February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Not even the placed-ball heroics of Galway’s Ger Farragher could halt Kilkenny’s momentum. Farragher missed just one of 13 attempts in registering a superb personal total of 15 points, which included a couple of sideline cuts now worth two points each. However, despite that impressive accuracy, Galway never had the same goal threat that the winners had.
With Eugene Cloonan absent on club duty with Athenry, the Kilkenny defense wasn’t under too much threat after Kevin Broderick’s powerful shot just 30 seconds into the second half. Kilkenny, meanwhile, had two goals before the break, by John Hoyne and, almost inevitably, by Henry Shefflin on his return to league action.
Hoyne had a second goal and substitute Eddie Brennan was also on target as Kilkenny pulled away, leaving Galway manager Conor Hayes in a philosophical mood.
“We conceded the scores too easily, and also let them in for goals,” he said. “Every time we got a score at our end, they got two. So they were always in control.”
WATERFORD 1-19, LAOIS 0-14
Waterford were sluggish starters against Laois in Portlaoise, but they eventually found their rhythm in chalking up their first victory of the campaign. With his team trailing by four points at the end of the first quarter, John Mullane sparked his teammates into action with a couple of scores, and when the same player struck for a goal, Waterford were able to go in at the break 1-10 to 0-7 in front.
Eoin Kelly wound up with seven points and Mullane hit 1-4 as Waterford controlled the second half, while James Young, with 0-7, was the top scorer for Laois, who have now lost two in a row.
CLARE 2-19, DUBLIN 0-14
Dublin who were far too easily snuffed out by Clare at Parnell Park. It was Dublin’s second double-digit loss in succession, and the truth was that Clare didn’t even have to be at anything like their best to take maximum points.
First-half goals by Tony Carmody and Diarmuid McMahon put Clare on the right track, and with Tony Griffin and Niall Gilligan picking off scores at regular intervals, Dublin were well beaten long before the final whistle.
DIV. 1B
TIPP 4-14, LIMERICK 3-11
There were more rumblings of discontent in the Limerick camp as they slumped to a second defeat, this time to Tipperary at the Gaelic Grounds. If it hadn’t been for late goals by Donie Ryan and Andrew O’Shaughnessy, the scoreline would have been a complete embarrassment — nearly as bad as the 13-point demolition by Cork in the opening game.
Significantly, both Mark Foley and Mark Keane, who had been selected, failed to line out, and T.J. Ryan was recently sidelined and ordered to improve his fitness levels.
“Things are very low at the moment,” manager Pad Joe Whelahan said. “It can’t get much lower than we’re going now and I’m getting older every week driving down to Limerick.”
Asked about the player absences, Whelahan was even more subdued: “They’re all sick or injured, choose you own reason. There’s a lot flu going around, lads.” The county chairman, Denis Holmes, said there was disappointment over the team’s performances, but when questioned about the future of the management, he would only offer: “We’ll see about that.”
Ahead by 3-6 to 0-7 at the interval, Tipp’s goals came from Michael Webster, Evan Sweeney, Francis Devenney and Darragh Egan in front of a crowd of only 1,500. Eight years ago, the same fixture attracted 18,000 to the same venue.
CORK 1-13, WEXFORD 0-15
A new-look Wexford were unlucky not to earn a draw against Cork at Wexford Park as in the end they finished up narrow losers in a tremendous contest. As ever, the solitary goal hit home by Timmy McCarthy in the second half proved crucial.
With Paul Carley scoring 0-9 for Wexford, including six from frees, and with David O’Connor and Keith Rossiter anchoring the defense, it needed an injury-time point by Tom Kenny to secure the result for Cork.
ANTRIM 3-13, DOWN 0-10
Antrim got the better of Down in an Ulster clash at Portaferry, where four yellow cards were shown and Antrim’s Darren Quinn was red-carded. Michael Herron and Johnny McIntosh, with 1-5 and 1-3, respectively, were the main scorers for the winners.
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OTHER GAMES
In Div. 2A, Offaly kept up their unbeaten record with a 3-18 to 2-8 win over Westmeath in Mullingar, and Derry needed a couple of late scores to defeat Roscommon by 2-12 to 0-14 at Banagher. In 2B, Kerry hammered Sligo by 6-19 to 4-8, while Carlow were too good for London at Ruislip, where it finished 2-16 to 0-9.
FOOTBALL
SLIGO IT 0-10, QUEENS 0-7
Sligo IT won the Sigerson Cup for third-level colleges when they defeated Queen’s University after extra time at Dundalk last Saturday.
Sligo battled to victory despite having wing back Jamie Murphy sent off in the first half, but with captain Christy Toye dropping back to help out in defense, they proved the stronger in added time after the contest had finished level at 0-6 apiece at the end of normal time.