FOOTBALL

Ulster GAA Bank of Ireland Dr. McKenna Cup semi-final.
DONEGAL 4-14 MONAGHAN 0-11

Munster GAA McGrath Cup
CORK 1-20 WATERFORD 0-6
TIPPERARY 1-11 LIMERICK 0-10

Donegal impressed with a very convincing 15-point victory over Monaghan in today’s Bank of Ireland Dr. McKenna Cup semi-final.

Jim McGuinness’ team were much the sharper throughout and took control of the contest early on with three first half goals courtesy of Oisin Gallen (two) and Odhran Doherty.

Gallen lobbed his first into an empty net when Donegal turned over possession with Monaghan ‘keeper Darren McDonnell out of his goal.

Doherty slammed home a second-goal for Doengal who were already nine points to the good by mid-way through the first half.

Gallen scored his second goal from penalty kick to bring his first-half scoring exploits to 2-4, as Donegal went in at the break leading by 3-9 to 0-3.

They emptied their subs bench in the second-half and one of the new faces, Ronan Frain, scored their fourth goal to add further lustre to the final score.

Meanwhile, there were wins for Cork and Tipperary in the McGrath Cup.

The Rebels proved much too strong for Waterford, running out 17-point winners with Eoghan McSweeney and Chris Óg Jones in especially impressive scoring form.

While Tipp claimed their first win under new manager Paul Kelly with a second-half goal from Upperchurch-Drombane clubman, Luke Shanahan, proving to be the decisive score.

HURLING

Munster GAA Co-Op Superstores Munster Hurling League

CORK 1-24 CLARE 0-24
TIPPERARY 1-28 KERRY 1-14

Leinster GAA Dioralyte Walsh Cup Round 3

DUBLIN 2-31 ANTRIM 1-20
GALWAY 6-29 LAOIS 2-20
WEXFORD 3-20 CARLOW 0-19

Leinster GAA Dioralyte Kehoe Cup Round 1

KILDARE 4-27 WICKLOW 0-6
DOWN 2-20 MEATH 1-16

Conor Lehane’s first-half goal ultimately proved to be a vital one for Cork as they ran out three-point winners over Clare in the Co-Op Superstores Munster Hurling League.

Lehane scored 1-3 from play before being substituted at half-time and he formed a very sharp double-act in the Rebels attack with Shane Kingston who landed eight points, four of them from play.

Cork named a more recognisable team than a Clare side who fielded an entirely new XV after their mid-week defeat to Limerick, and that extra quality helped them into a 1-16 to 0-14 half-time lead.

They looked home and hosed when they increased their advantage to seven-points with 11 minutes to go, but a strong finish from Clare saw them score the next six points and reduce the deficit to the minimum before Cork sealed the win with two late frees.

In today’s other match in Munster, Tipperary overcame a slow start to eventually run out 14-point winners over Kerry.

The Kingdom led by a point after 15 minutes and were very much still in the game at the break by which time they trailed by just three.

But when Gearoid O’Connor slammed home a penalty for Tipperary after 47 minutes the Premier County were in control, and they won comfortably from there.

Meanwhile, in Leinster, Keith Rossiter’s reign as Wexford manager started with a win as the Slaneysiders ran out 10-point winners over Carlow in the Dioralyte Walsh Cup.

Lee Chin was their main man in attack, scoring 2-7, with Jack Doran scoring his team’s third goal in the second-half.

Declan McLaughlin scored a hat-trick of goals for Galway as they ran out convincing 21-point winners over Laois. Another rising star, Alex Connaire, scored 2-1 for the Tribesmen who led by 2-13 to 1-9 at half-time and were even more dominant in the second-half.

14 different players scored for Dublin in their 14-point win over Antrim. Diarmaid Ó Dúlaing was especially impressive, finishing with a personal haul of 1-6.