Kerry 1-20 Derry 0-12: They perhaps left their best hurling behind them in Newbridge a week earlier but when you’ve also left two Christy Ring Cup finals behind you, winning is all that matters.

Hard as you can for as long as you can — the words printed on a giant Kerry flag tacked to the dressing-room wall in Newbridge last weekend as the players exited for action.

Derry 0-23 Down 2-12: Derry produced their most polished performance of the season when defeating Down in Saturday’s Christy Ring Cup semi-final at Owenbeg.

Kerry 6-27 Kildare 0-9: Kerry manager Eamon Kelly was quick to try to dampen down expectations as Kerry blitzed the team that beat them in last year’s Christy Ring Cup final to book a place in next week’s decider.

Derry 0-23 Down 2-12

Kerry 6-27 Kildare 0-9

Niall Ronan knows all about preparing for big games and in the context of Kildare hurling, today’s Christy Ring Cup semi-final against Kerry is a huge affair.

Kerry must do without Clare native Patrick Kelly for Saturday’s Christy Ring Cup semi-final as the game clashes with his club Clarecastle’s championship game against Clonlara.

Kildare found themselves away from home and eight points down for the second Saturday in a row at Trim two days ago, but yet again the Christy Ring Cup champions dug themselves out of a hole to record a 3-23 to 2-18 win over Meath and set up a semi-final meeting with Kerry at Newbridge on Saturday.

Westmeath 1-21 Antrim 0-7: Westmeath recorded their second victory in their Leinster SHC qualifier group with an emphatic win over Antrim in a very wet and rain soaked Cusack Park, Mullingar, yesterday.

Laois 1-17 Carlow 1-14: Laois half-time substitute Ben Conroy made an instant impact at Netwatch Cullen Park yesterday, scoring 1-2 in the opening minutes of the second half as Seamus ‘Cheddar’ Plunkett’s side stormed into an eight-point lead which Carlow were unable to claw back, despite a brave late rally in this Leinster SHC Round Robin tie.

Mayo manager Noel Connelly has denied an ultimatum was handed to captain Keith Higgins to choose football over hurling this year.

In the build-up to Kerry’s Allianz Hurling League promotion/relegation play-off with Antrim, Eamonn Kelly set aside a five-hour block to review DVD footage of the Ulster outfit.

Kildare 4-18 Kerry 2-22

Kildare 1-20 Wicklow 3-13

Meath 0-16 Mayo 0-15

Down 0-23 Meath 1-10