IT WAS A busy day of GAA action around the country.
The main focus was on the Division 1 football league semi-finals in Croke Park where Tyrone and Dublin claimed victories.
While there was also attention on the Division 1A hurling relegation final between Cork and Clare in Limerick.
But there was plenty items on the agenda and here’s the breakdown on it all unfolded.
Division 1B relegation final
Antrim preserved their Division 1B status for next year with a 0-15 to 0-11 win over Carlow this afternoon in Páirc Tailteann in Navan.
The Saffron County hit the last eight points of the game to secure victory as they needed to come from behind to take the spoils in this relegation decider.
John Meyler’s Carlow side made the early running to lead by 0-8 to 0-4 at the interval with Shane Kavanagh and Richard Coady to the fore in grabbing points for them.
Neil McManus registered all of Antrim’s first-half total and all of his points came from frees as his side struggled against the wind.
But backed by the elements in the second-half, Antrim took over. They were still behind by 0-11 to 0-7 with 15 minutes remaining but the accuracy of McManus and Shane McNaughton proved crucial as manager Kevin Ryan, who was previously at the helm of Carlow, saw his side run out winners and avoid the drop.
Antrim’s Neil McManus.
Pic: INPHO/Presseye/Darren Kidd
******************
Division 2A
Laois have bounced straight back up to Division 1B after a 3-14 to 1-9 victory over Westmeath in this afternoon’s Division 2A hurling league decider in O’Connor Park in Tullamore.
The side managed by Seamus ‘Cheddar’ Plunkett claimed the honors comfortably as they have recovered from the disappointment of suffering relegation last season.
Laois lead by 2-7 to 0-6 at the interval with John Brophy finding the net twice in the opening period while Matthew Whelan and Stephen Maher were also amongst their point-scorers.
The third goal arrived courtesy of Tommy Fitzgerald as Laois had 11 points to spare by the final whistle
******************
Allianz Hurling Leagues
London secured the silverware in the Division 2B final with a 1-16 to 1-14 win against Meath today.
Elsewhere goals from Tony Murphy and Gerry Keegan helped Kildare claim a 2-12 to 0-12 victory over Wicklow in the Division 2B relegation final.
Finally Longford were crowned Division 3B champions with a 1-8 to 0-9 success against Sligo in their decider.
******************
All-Ireland Colleges SBHC
Dungarvan CBS ran out resounding winners in this afternoon’s colleges hurling decider by 3-18 to 1-5 against St Mary’s (Belfast) in Páirc Tailteann in Navan.
Fielding several players who were involved in the Dungarvan Colleges side that won the recent Croke Cup final, the Waterford outfit rounded off a dream campaign with victory.
The winners lead by 0-6 to 0-4 at half-time but they took over in the second-half with Ryan Donnelly firing home two goals and Patrick Curran also raising a green flag.
Dungarvan CBS player Patrick Curran.
Pic: INPHO/Cathal Noonan
******************
Camogie
WEXFORD AND OFFALY will face off in the final of the All-Ireland minor B camogie championship in just under two weeks after the sides came through their penultimate challenges in style.
Gráinne Egan was Antrim’s tormentor-in-chief, building up an impressive personal haul of 2-7 in Offaly’s 3-7 to 0-7 victory over the Ulster side in Drumlane.
Making little of the strong wind blowing across the pitch at O’Connell Park, Egan hit 1-2 in the first-half as Offaly built a 2-2 to 0-2 lead. Mairead Jennings pounced for the other goal.
As the rain began to fall in the second-half, Antrim fought back well. Nicole O’Neill led the resistance and four points in eight minutes left them within two point at 2-2 to 0-6.
With the game on the line, Egan made the decisive contribution. The centre-forward hit three points to put some daylight between the sides once more and her second goal late in the game confirmed Offaly’s All-Ireland final berth.
They will face a stiff challenge from Wexford, who turned on the style in the second half to beat Dublin 2-14 to 0-2 in Clara.
The Metropolitans were very competitive in the opening period, at the end of which they trailed by just 0-6 to 0-2. Aisling McDonald was exerting quite a bit of influence and the Wexford defence had to be at their best to keep her at bay.
McDonald and Róisín Baker produced two wonderful scores but Nicole Fortune’s accuracy from placed balls and points from Marie Morrissey and Leona Breen ensured Wexford had that four-point interval advantage.
They managed to keep Dublin scoreless after the resumption and upped the tempo of their own attacking forays at the same time to ensure that their progress to the decider would be a comfortable one.
Victoria Burke showed good opportunism to goal two minutes after the restart, following good work by Jackie Quigley and Fortune brought her tally to 1-4 when sending a ground shot to the net from close range in the 54th minute.
Dublin did have one very good opportunity to raise a flag of some nature when awarded a penalty within 60 seconds of Burke’s goal, but Mary Cronin’s shot was blocked and cleared by Orlaith Prendergast.
Meanwhile, Lydia Fitzpatrick slotted six points from placed balls as Kilkenny edged out Dublin 0-11 to 0-7 in the minor A play-off, also played at Clara.
