Results
Munster U20 hurling championship
- Cork 1-19 Limerick 0-21
- Tipperary 3-26 Waterford 3-13
Connacht minor football championship
- Mayo 1-11 Galway 1-12
- Roscommon 5-9 Leitrim 0-12
*****
A DRAMATIC NIGHT in the Munster U20 hurling championship culminated in Tipperary and Clare qualifying for the semi-final on 8 May, while reigning champions Limerick were knocked out as the round-robin action concluded.
Cork’s qualification for the final on 15 May had already been assured after three successive wins from their opening series of games, but they made a telling impact with Ben Cunningham’s late winner handing them victory, 1-19 to 0-21, over Limerick in TUS Gaelic Grounds.
That result was good news for Clare, who began the night in second place on the table on four points having completed their four games, but had to watch on as the action unfolded. Limerick’s defeat meant they finished in fourth place on three points, while Clare stayed third.
Tipperary’s 3-26 to 3-13 success over Waterford in Semple Stadium ensured Brendan Cummins’ team finished in second place and advanced to the knockout stages.
Cork had to come from behind to fashion victory after a game where defender Ben O’Connor was sent-off late on after being shown a second yellow card. Limerick were in front 0-12 to 1-6 at the break, yet Cork had received a major boost before the break when Diarmuid Healy got in for the only goal of the game.
They made major progress in the third quarter in chipping away at the Limerick advantage – William Buckley, Cunningham and Healy all on target – before Ross O’Sullivan and Buckley pushed them two clear, 1-16 to 0-17.
Limerick fought back, Adam English hit a couple of wonderful scores while free-taker Patrick O’Donovan levelled the game. Limerick needed to win it to go through but instead Cunningham produced the final scoring intervention of the evening.
- Scorers for Cork: Ben Cunningham 0-8 (0-3f, 0-1 ’65), Diarmuid Healy 1-1, William Buckley, Adam O’Sullivan 0-3 each, Tadhg O’Connell 0-2, Timmy Wilk, Ross O’Sullivan 0-1 each.
- Scorers for Limerick: Patrick O’Donovan 0-11 (0-8f), Adam English 0-3, Shane O’Brien, Oisin O’Farrell 0-2 each, Con Hayes, Adam Fitzgerald, John Kirby 0-1 each.
Waterford were already out of the reckoning in the hunt for a spot in the knockout stages and started without U20 forwards Patrick and Padraig Fitzgerald. Tipperary went in front 1-16 to 2-9 at the break and pulled clear in the end to win by 13 points.
Jack Leamy bagged two goals for the Premier, while Peter McGarry raised their other green flag. Charlie Treen was Waterford’s top scorer with Jack Twomey netting twice.
- Scorers for Tipperary: Jack Leamy 2-6 (0-5f), Peter McGarry 1-4, Darragh Stakelum 0-5, Eddie Ryan 0-4, C Quinn, Sean Kenneally 0-2 each, Ronan Connolly, D McCarthy, Ciarán McCormack 0-1 each.
- Scorers for Waterford: Charlie Treen 1-8 (0-7f), Jack Twomey 2-1, O Walsh 0-2 (0-1f), C Keane, J Booth 0-1 each.
In the Connacht minor football championship, there were wins for Galway and Roscommon tonight.
Galway defeated Mayo 1-12 to 1-11 in Castlebar as their brilliant start continues with three wins from three, while Roscommon, who had lost their opening two matches, won their first game of the campaign by 5-9 to 0-12 against Leitrim.
