KILKENNY HAVE LEAPFROGGED Limerick in the league table with a 0-29 to 0-20 win over John Kiely’s men at Nowlan Park.
This leaves them on six points from six games, safely in third place as their league campaign ends following wins over Wexford, Clare and now Limerick and defeats away to Cork and at home to Galway and Tipp.
Wexford and Clare (both on two points) cannot catch fifth-placed Limerick (five points) and both are relegated ahead of the final round of games next week.
Tipperary are in the final due to their head-to-head over Galway. Cork host Galway next Saturday night in what is effectively a league semi-final.
Kilkenny, keen to bounce back from last weekend’s disappointing defeat at the same venue to Tipperary, produced the more urgent first-half display of the sides at Nowlan Park, establishing an 11-point lead by half-time, after an even opening 10 minutes where the sides were deadlocked on 0-4 apiece.
Advertisement
Fionan Mackessy. Ken Sutton / INPHO
Ken Sutton / INPHO / INPHO
Limerick rallied somewhat in the second half without ever appearing as if they were going to engage their higher gears, and Kilkenny had enough of a buffer to pick off scores and secure a nine-point win.
Martin Keoghan impressed for Kilkenny, finishing with 0-7. TJ Reid continued to work his way into the season with 0-10, 0-2 of which came from play.
“The lads have been working very hard, and we would have been disappointed last week how we turned up,” said Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng afterwards to TG4, “that wasn’t a true reflection of the team and, look, today it’s positive, it’s a good start but we have four or five weeks to the championship, we’ve a bit of work to do still but very happy with the bit of character we showed today – that was important.”
Laois, meanwhile, will play in Division 2 next season, having been relegated from 1B with a game remaining. A three-point defeat to neighbours Carlow at O’Moore Park means they are down, regardless of what happens in their final match against Dublin.
Carlow, thanks to their 2-26 to 0-29 victory, are safe in Division 1B, and retain a slim chance of promotion should they defeat Westmeath in their final game and see other results go their way.
Laois looked to be headed for victory today, three points up as the game ticked towards its final 10 minutes. Yet Ted Joyce struck for a goal to level matters, with Carlow finishing the game strongly thereafter, outscoring Laois by four points to one in the finale.
Paddy Boland scored Carlow’s other goal in the first half, with Cathal Dunne in the Laois goal producing a string of fine saves.
Aaron Dunphy was Laois’s prime scoring threat, finishing with 0-16, 0-12 coming from frees. Carlow’s Martin Kavanagh finished with 0-14 to his name, 0-11 from placed balls.
Meath remain in the hunt for promotion to Division 1B after a 2-30 to 4-21 win over Down, who made several changes with promotion already assured.
Meath hit an impressive 2-22 in the first half, Mikey Cole and Damien Healy the goalscorers, with Down managing 0-11 in return. A determined comeback from Down followed in the second half, but Meath had enough done to hold out.
They now face a winner-takes-all clash with neighbours Kildare next weekend.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
16 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
Kilkenny finish league campaign with nine-point win over Limerick
KILKENNY HAVE LEAPFROGGED Limerick in the league table with a 0-29 to 0-20 win over John Kiely’s men at Nowlan Park.
This leaves them on six points from six games, safely in third place as their league campaign ends following wins over Wexford, Clare and now Limerick and defeats away to Cork and at home to Galway and Tipp.
Wexford and Clare (both on two points) cannot catch fifth-placed Limerick (five points) and both are relegated ahead of the final round of games next week.
Tipperary are in the final due to their head-to-head over Galway. Cork host Galway next Saturday night in what is effectively a league semi-final.
Kilkenny, keen to bounce back from last weekend’s disappointing defeat at the same venue to Tipperary, produced the more urgent first-half display of the sides at Nowlan Park, establishing an 11-point lead by half-time, after an even opening 10 minutes where the sides were deadlocked on 0-4 apiece.
Limerick rallied somewhat in the second half without ever appearing as if they were going to engage their higher gears, and Kilkenny had enough of a buffer to pick off scores and secure a nine-point win.
Martin Keoghan impressed for Kilkenny, finishing with 0-7. TJ Reid continued to work his way into the season with 0-10, 0-2 of which came from play.
“The lads have been working very hard, and we would have been disappointed last week how we turned up,” said Kilkenny manager Derek Lyng afterwards to TG4, “that wasn’t a true reflection of the team and, look, today it’s positive, it’s a good start but we have four or five weeks to the championship, we’ve a bit of work to do still but very happy with the bit of character we showed today – that was important.”
Laois, meanwhile, will play in Division 2 next season, having been relegated from 1B with a game remaining. A three-point defeat to neighbours Carlow at O’Moore Park means they are down, regardless of what happens in their final match against Dublin.
Carlow, thanks to their 2-26 to 0-29 victory, are safe in Division 1B, and retain a slim chance of promotion should they defeat Westmeath in their final game and see other results go their way.
Laois looked to be headed for victory today, three points up as the game ticked towards its final 10 minutes. Yet Ted Joyce struck for a goal to level matters, with Carlow finishing the game strongly thereafter, outscoring Laois by four points to one in the finale.
Paddy Boland scored Carlow’s other goal in the first half, with Cathal Dunne in the Laois goal producing a string of fine saves.
Aaron Dunphy was Laois’s prime scoring threat, finishing with 0-16, 0-12 coming from frees. Carlow’s Martin Kavanagh finished with 0-14 to his name, 0-11 from placed balls.
Meath remain in the hunt for promotion to Division 1B after a 2-30 to 4-21 win over Down, who made several changes with promotion already assured.
Meath hit an impressive 2-22 in the first half, Mikey Cole and Damien Healy the goalscorers, with Down managing 0-11 in return. A determined comeback from Down followed in the second half, but Meath had enough done to hold out.
They now face a winner-takes-all clash with neighbours Kildare next weekend.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
GAA Hurling Wrap