Limerick 0-30; Tipperary 1-23
Reports of Limerick’s demise seems to be wildly exaggerated on the evidence of how they reeled in and beat high-flying Tipperary with a power packed second half showing at the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday.
This was a mixture of potency from the old and the young as wing back Diarmaid Byrnes hit seven points while wing-forward Aidan O'Connor ended his day with five to his credit in this opening win of the season for the Treaty men.
The first half was even enough with Limerick slightly the better until Sean Kenneally’s goal for the ages gave the Premier County a one point interval lead of 1-13 to 0-15 in a half where the winners lost Kyle Hayes from centre-back due to injury.
That didn’t galvanise his colleagues though and instead it was Paddy O’Donovan who showed up for the fight with three points in the second half.
Byrnes influence grew too as Limerick used their traditional third quarter to tighten the screw on their opponents as David Reidy struck to give them a two point advantage early in the second half.
Byrnes, Cian Lynch and Adam English kept the scoreboard ticking over, while Tipperary depended on McCarthy frees to stay in touch. With the game delicately balanced on the scoreboard, it was the old hands, Byrnes and Aaron Gillane who stood up to see them win in a hotly contested encounter.
Limerick: S Dowling; F O’Connor, D Morrissey, B Murphy; D Byrnes (0-7, 0-3f), K Hayes, C Coughlan; A English (0-3), C Lynch (0-2); E Stokes (0-1), D Reidy (0-3), A O’Connor (0-5); A Gillane (0-4, 0-3f), D Ó Dálaigh, P O’Donovan (0-3) Subs: E Hurley (0-2) for Hayes (24, inj), M Houlihan for Ó Dálaigh (46), H Flanagan for Stokes (60), D Lynch for O’Donovan (69).
Tipperary: B Hogan; R Doyle, E Connolly, M Breen (0-1); S Kennedy, R Maher, B O’Mara (0-1); W Connors (0-1), C Morgan (0-1); G O’Connor (0-1), J Morris (0-4), A Tynan (0-2); D Stakelum, S Kenneally (1-3), D McCarthy (0-9f) Subs: C Bowe for Stakelum (46), B McGrath for Kennedy (46), M Corcoran for Morgan (57), J McGrath for O’Connor (64), J Ryan for Connors (64).
Ref: C Mooney (Dublin).
Galway 2-21; Clare 0-20
Galway’s first round loss to Tipp at home was pushed further back in the memory following this second successive big scalp in a row by the Tribesmen at Pearse Stadium.
Beating Kilkenny away and now All Ireland champions Clare at home has given Micheál Donohoe’s side a spring in their step. The manner of their first half demolition of the Banner boys after which they led by 2-15 to 0-11 was best exemplified by the play of Anthony Burns, who was responsible for both goals while also adding a brace of points for good measure.
Not unexpectedly, Brian Lohan’s team upped their game on the turn over and outscored their hosts by 0-9 to 0-6, chiefly because Galway hit 10 poor wides in that moiety.
The home side wore black armbands in this game in memory of former Galway All-Star and All-Ireland midfield great Michael Coleman who tragically died following an accident at the weekend.
Clare can point to only having four of the All Ireland starting line-up but at this time of year, the league is all about giving teams confidence and improving team spirit - something that Galway sadly lacked after round one three weeks ago.
not
Galway: D Fahy; D Loftus (0-1), D Burke, D Morrissey (0-1); P Mannion (0-1), G Lee, C Trayers; C Fahy, T Monaghan (0-2); J Fleming, T Killeen, B Concannon; E Niland (0-9, 0-7f, 0-1 ’65), C Whelan (0-2), A Burns (2-3) Subs: F Burke for D Burke (12), J Flynn (0-1f) for Niland (46), K Cooney for Concannon (46), S Linnane (0-1) for Fleming (53), E Lawless for Trayers (65).
Clare: E Foudy; I McNamara, J O’Neill (0-1), A Hogan; D Lohan, R Hayes, C Galvin (0-1); R Taylor (0-2), P Donnellan; P Crotty (0-2), C Malone, S Rynne; K Smyth, D Reidy (0-2), A McCarthy (0-11, 0-8f) Subs: R Hayes for Lohan (35), A Shanagher for Smyth (49), C O’Meara for Rynne (53), T Kelly (0-1) for Donnellan (55), D Conroy for Malone (60).
Ref: M Kennedy (Tipperary).
Dublin 1-22; Westmeath 0-18
The jury is still out on what Dublin might achieve this hurling season, but a second victory despite blowing hot and cold and being reduced to 14 men, says they are up for the battle no matter what way the wind blows - for or against them.
They maintained their perfect start to life in Division 1B with this seven-point win over Westmeath in Cusack Park. New Manager Niall Ó Ceallacháin knows no trophies are handed out in February so the habit of winning is the best thing that his side can aspire to, even when they are not all hurling on top of their form.
Conal O’Riain lashed home the sliotar after 10 minutes to give his side a 1-6 to 0-4 after a quarter of an hour. If they thought they would have an easy day’s work at the office, they were very much mistaken as the Westies shot five unanswered points Eamon Cunneen, Peter Clarke (one), and three from David Williams to level scores.
Diarmaid Ó Dúlaing showed his accuracy to put Dublin ahead by 1-12 to 0-12 at the break and continued to score from frees and open play in the third quarter to keep the four or five point gap intact.
Even when Ó Riain saw red and the game became niggly as Willians hit a brace of scores to narrow the margin to a goal, the visitors seldom looked to be in danger and three unanswered white flags from David Purcell, Daire Gray and Fergal Whitely put the game to bed.
Donegal 0-23; Kerry 1-18
Considering Donegal had not won down in the deep south since the late 1980s, the long trip back to Ulster was considerably shortened with this two-point victory by Jim McGuinness’s side against a Kerry side playing in blue because of the clash of colors at Fitzgerald Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Both sides could point to absent talisman influence - Donegal to Michael Murphy and Kerry to David Clifford but for those on show, it was clear that Donegal deserved the spoils. They were cruising by five points going down the home straight but then Paudie Clifford orchestrated a goal for Diarmuid O’Connor and the game was back in the melting pot.
Ultimately Donegal showed greater composure and two points from sub Jamie Brennan and aConor O'Donnell was enough to see them escape to victory.
Ref: B Cawley (Kildare).
GAA RESULTS
Allianz FL Division 1
Donegal 0-23 Kerry 1-18
Allianz FL Division 3
Laois 3-20 Leitrim 0-6
Allianz FL Division 4
Wicklow 3-17 Waterford 1-19
Allianz HL Division 1A
Limerick 0-30 Tipperary 1-23
Galway 2-21 Clare 0-20
Kilkenny 2-17 Wexford 0-15
Allianz HL Division 1B
Waterford 1-27 Laois 0-20
Westmeath 0-18 Dublin 1-22
Offaly 2-26 Antrim 0-17
Allianz HL Division 2
Down 3-17 Donegal 0-17
Meath 2-22 Tyrone 2-14
Kerry 5-20 Derry 1-12
Allianz HL Division 3
Wicklow 2-19 Armagh 0-16
Mayo 1-12 Sligo 0-13
London 1-19 Cavan 1-10
Allianz HL Division 4
Fermanagh 2-14 Monaghan 0-15
Louth 0-25 Warwickshire 2-7
Leitrim 0-17 Longford 1-11
