CLINICAL strikers Dean Rock and Michael McCarthy led Dublin to a five-point victory over Wicklow in a challenge match at Greystones last night.

Carlow extinguished Waterford’s hopes of promotion at Fraher Field, Dungarvan on Saturday.

Carlow were clearly the better team, but were helped run up a decent score by error-prone Kilkenny in Freshford.

Fermanagh came through this scrappy encounter that had more in common with a relegation battle than a push for promotion yesterday in Brewster Park.

LEITRIM finished with 13 men as Wicklow collected the points at Carrick-on-Shannon yesterday.

A SUCCESSFUL start to the their NHL title defence by Kilkenny in Nowlan Park yesterday, but – as you’d expect for this time of year – it wasn’t by any means a vintage performance from the champions.

Wicklow have named an unchanged side for their All-Ireland SFC qualifier with Down at Aughrim on Saturday.

DESPITE receiving a broken cheekbone in a club game 11 days ago,Ronan McGarrity has been named on the Mayo team for Sunday’s Connacht SFC final against Galway in Pearse Stadium.

OFFALY have been hit with a catalogue of injuries prior to tomorrow’s All-Ireland SHC qualifier with Cork at Tullamore.

ONE can only surmise how either Westmeath or Wicklow would have fared in the Leinster SFC semi-final, but on the basis of the regulation 70 minutes yesterday, not very well.

Kilkenny 2-24 Offaly 0-12

Offaly 3-14 Waterford 0-15

KEN McGRATH is set to make his first start for Waterford in the current National Hurling League campaign when the Decies make the long trip north to Portaferry to take on pointless Down, on Sunday.

PADRAIG BROWNE, who missed Limerick's easy 2A win over London last weekend because of studies, returns at left-corner back in place of Pat Ranahan for Sunday's visit to Donegal.

Waterford 1-26 Offaly 1-15

Kilkenny 6-28 Offaly 0-15

Offaly 6-21 Carlow 4-7

University of Limerick 0-12 Galway/Mayo IT 1-8

Birr took another step towards a record sixth consecutive Offaly senior hurling title when they beat Kilcormac/Killoughey 0-15 to 0-12 in Lusmagh last evening.

A goal in the dying seconds of injury time from right corner-forward Kieran Murphy of Sarsfields dramatically preserved Cork’s unbeaten run in Division 1 ‘B’ of the Allianz National Hurling League at Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday.

DAVID HOEY, Sean McMahon and Diarmuid McMahon look set to make their first Allianz NHL appearances with Clare this season when the Bannermen take on Galway in a top-of-the-table clash at Pearse Stadium on Sunday.

DONEGAL will be without Damien Diver for their All-Ireland SFC qualifier with Down at Clones on Sunday.

ARMAGH have made two changes for Saturday’s Bank of Ireland All-Ireland SFC qualifier with Dublin at Croke Park.

FORMER Kilkenny All-Ireland winning captain Denis Byrne has been handed the number 14 jersey on the Tipperary team for Saturday’s qualifier against Laois in Portlaoise.