Armagh 1-18, Derry 1-13
Veteran Derry star Conor Glass opened the scoring with a point against Armagh in the Round 1 game the Athletic Grounds on Saturday night, but that would be the only time the visitors had the lead.
The Ulster champions Armagh replied with six points, with Derry only managing a series of three wides. The visitors then pounced on a poor kick out and Lachlan Murray scored the first goal of the game, to which a point was added, making gap between the sides the minimum.
But Armagh then replied with a goal of their own via a powerful shot by roaming No. 6 Tiernan Kelly, which was followed by a second two-pointer from Oisin Conaty and it was 1-08 to 1-02.
A quarter of the game was gone and the pattern was set that would continue through relative lulls in play and the intermittent rain — which was, Armagh always had the edge and could pull away at any moment. Efforts by stalwarts like Conor Doherty kept Derry just about close to enough to hope for a time, with the gap being three points at one juncture in the second half, 1-11 to 1-8. However, Armagh soon pushed that up to 1-17 to 1-8.
A couple of two-pointers from the Oak Leafers' Paul Cassidy and Ethan Doherty tightened the game towards the end, but the result wasn’t much in doubt by that stage.
Dublin 1-24, Louth 4-18
What a difference a month makes!
Louth bounced back from their 20 points to 10 defeat in the Leinster semifinal against Dublin in Portlaoise on May 2 to claim a famous three-point Round 1 victory over the same opposition on Sunday, this time at Croke Park. The men from the Wee County were in fact six points down at half time, but two goals from James Maguire early in the second half gave them a lead that they mostly held for the rest of the game.
Dublin scorers: Charlie McMorrow (0-03), Seán Bugler (0-04, 1 tp); Killian McGinnis (0-01), Niall Scully (0-01), Ciarán Kilkenny (0-01); Paddy Small (0-03), Con O'Callaghan (1-03), Cormac Costello (0-08, 1 tp, 0-02f).
Louth scorers: Dara McDonnell (0-02, tp), Craig Lennon (1-02); Ciarán Downey (0-02), Sam Mulroy (0-05, 1 tpf, 0-02f), James Maguire (2-00), Kieran McArdle (1-01), Ryan Burns (0-02, tp), Ciarán Byrne (0-03), Paul Matthews (0-01).
Monaghan 2-20, Mayo 1-24
It can never be simple with Mayo, it seems. They were ahead by 12 points early in the second-half away at Monaghan in Clones, but were left clinging to a one-point victory at the end. The home side also missed some chances and were unfortunate, too, in losing impactful sub Bobby McCaul to injury.
Mayo’s 18-year-old star Kobe McDonald got 1-3 for the visitors while teammate Ryan O’Donoghue was their top scorer with 8 points.
Monaghan scorers: Rory Beggan (0-02, 0-02 ‘45s); Aaron Carey (0-01), Dessie Ward (0-02, 1tp), Conor McCarthy (0-02); Mícheál McCarville (0-01), Karl Gallagher; Mícheál Bannigan (0-01, 0-01f), Oisín McGorman (0-01); Andrew Woods (0-02, 1tp), Jack McCarron (0-05, 1tp, 0-01f), Max Maguire (0-02, 1tp), Bobby McCaul (1-01), Stephen Mooney (1-00).
Mayo: Jack Carney (0-04, 2tp); Jordan Flynn (0-02), Conor Loftus (0-01), Darragh Beirne (0-04, 1tpf), Ryan O’Donoghue (0-08, 1tp, 1tpf, 0-02fs), Kobe McDonald (1-04, 1tp), Paddy Durcan (0-01).
U-20 hurling final
Clare 4-20, Galway 2-16
Clare’s clinical finishing against a talented Galway side proved the difference in Sunday’s All-Ireland U20 Hurling Championship final at Semple Stadium, Thurles.
The sides were fairly even when it came to points in early exchanges, but Clare scored goals at key moments in the first half and again two more early in second half that had maximum impact. The first put the banner ahead 1-5 to 0-7, and the second gave them a half-time lead at 2-8 to 0-9, while their third and fourth goals early in the second half made it 4-10 to 0-9.
Galway continued to fight, though they always faced an uphill battle to get back into the game.
Under-20 football final
Kerry 0-21, Tyrone 1-10
We’ve heard of a game of two halves. Well, this was a game of one quarter and then the other three quarters. Tyrone were going for their third consecutive Under-20 All Ireland title, and appeared well on their way to completing that achievement with a 1-7 to 0-2 lead by the 18th minute. Eight points behind, though, Kerry may have been, they’d had settled by that stage and got down to the business of winning the game, with as it happens an 8-point margin. Midfielder Evan Boyle was particularly impressive for the new champions and was named player of the match..
Draw for Round 2A & 2B
Round 2A: Donegal vs. Cork; Galway vs. Westmeath; Louth vs. Armagh; Tyrone vs. Mayo.
Home side is cited first. The games will be played on the weekend of June 13/14, with the winners advancing to the quarter finals on the weekend of June 27/28 and the losers playing a Round 3 tie against winners of Round 2B on the weekend of June 20/21.
Round 2B: Cavan vs. Dublin; Derry vs. Meath; Kildare vs. Kerry; Monaghan vs. Roscommon.
Home side is cited first. The winners will advance to a Round 3 game against losers of Round 2A on the weekend of June 20/21. The losers of Round 2B exit the championship.
