In the provincial club football championship Crossmaglen Rangers produced a great comeback to beat Cavan champions Gowna by one point in the Ulster championship at Breffni Park on Saturday night. Cross trailed by 11 points early in the second half and the Armagh champions needed a last minute two-pointer from Rian O’Neill to secure the narrowest of wins, their first in the Ulster championship since 2018.
Also in Ulster St Eunan’s from Letterkenny advanced to the semi-final with a deserved win over wasteful Erne Gaels in Brewster Park. The winners were more composed and took their chances with aplomb. The Belleek club will not be happy with their tally of 15 wides, eight from fairly scorable positions in the second half. Reigning Ulster champions Scotstown also booked their place in another provincial semi-final after an extra-time win over Magherafelt in Clones. Meanwhile in Munster newly crowned Cork champions Nemo Rangers had an easy win over Tipperary’s Loughmore-Castleiney at Pairc Ui Rinn. Mark Cronin scored nine points for the Cork city club. In Connacht Salthill-Knocknacarra booked a semi-final place with a hard-earned 3-16 to 2-15 win over Ballinamore Seán O’Heslins in Carrick-on-Shannon. Robert Finnerty and Tomo Culhane both scored 1-3, while Cathal Sweeney contributed four points and Matthew Thompson added three, including a two-pointer.
REID STARS
FOR CLUB
TJ Reid’s first act as a former Kilkenny inter-county hurler was to display some of his old skills as his club Ballyhale Shamrocks comfortably advanced to the semi-finals of the Leinster club hurling championship at O’Moore Park. Reid, who officially retired from inter-county hurling last week, scored 1-8 and his assist for Ballyhale’s second goal was a sublime reverse pass that completely opened up the Laois Harps defense. It left centre-back Darragh Corcoran in isolation as he advanced on goal before firing the sliotar past Harps keeper Bobby Murphy.
Wexford champions Shelamliers needed a point from Joshua Roche with the second last puck of the game to edge past Lough Lene Gaels in a game played in ideal conditions in Mullingar. Goalkeeper Conor Slevin clinched a dramatic extra-time win as 14-man Offaly champions Kilcormac Killoughey beat Kildare champions Naas by a point in Newbridge. Slevin had earlier been at fault for Naas’ opening goal, but he made amends with a five-point haul from frees, his winner was a huge effort from his own 45-metre line.
GAA results
Connacht Club SFC quarter-finals:
Salthill-Knocknacarra (Galway) 3-16 |Seán O’Heslin’s (Leitrim) 2-15
St Brigid’s (Roscommon) 2-24 St Mary’s (Sligo) 0-9
Munster Club SFC quarter-finals:
Rathgormack (Waterford) 2-15 Éire Óg Inis (Clare)1-13
Nemo Rangers (Cork) 0-19 Loughmore-Castleiney (Tipperary) 1-8
Leinster Club SHC quarter-finals:
Lough Lene Gaels (Westmeath) 4-14 Shelmaliers (Wexford) 2-21
The Harps (Laois) 1-16 Ballyhale Shamrocks (Kilkenny) 1-32
Mount Leinster Rangers (Carlow) 1-16 Kilmacud Crokes (Dublin) 0-22
Naas (Kildare) 1-25 Kilcormac-Killoughey (Offaly) 1-32
Ulster Club SFC quarter-finals:
Erne Gaels (Fermanagh) 0-10 St Eunan’s (Donegal) 1-14
Gowna (Cavan) 2-18 Crossmaglen (Armagh) 1-22
Scotstown (Monaghan) 2-21 Magherafelt (Derry) 2-20
Edendork (Tyrone) 1-15 St Brigid’s (Antrim) 2-11
