Eoghan Cormican in preview box The three-in-a-row has become a rare commodity in the Cork Senior Hurling Championship.

The full-house signs will be up well before the 7pm throw-in time in Carrigtwohill Sunday evening for the eagerly awaited Cork senior hurling championship third-round showdown between champions Imokilly and Midleton.

There was drama aplenty in Castlemartyr yesterday evening as Aghada saw off the challenge of their neighbours from Cloyne in a gripping first round encounter of the Cork PIHC.

Reigning back-to-back Cork senior hurling champions Imokilly saw off the challenge of Carrigdhoun in round one of the Colleges/Divisions section of the championship at Páirc Uí Rinn last night.

Newtownshandrum, Ballyhea and Midleton have joined Na Piarsaigh in a four-way tie atop the Red FM Division 1 Hurling League.

No complaints, said a member of the Midleton backroom as he and his colleagues walked into the Páirc Uí Chaoimh tunnel yesterday, and a Cork senior hurling county final has rarely been summed up as succinctly.

Not since Blackrock overcame Imokilly back in 2001 has a team struck four goals on the concluding afternoon of the Cork hurling championship.

Ger Fitzgerald is steeped in Midleton history. His illustrious club career saw him rack up four senior county medals, two Munster club titles as well as one All-Ireland club crown. There’s also the small matter of two Celtic Crosses from his days on the inter-county scene.

Cormac Walsh is well fitted to the mould of the modern-day wing-forward. He covers the ground, takes his scores and gets through an amount of work that often goes unseen. The Midleton man’s positivity and openness is as impressive as his on-field exploits and he has very much enjoyed his side’s run to Sunday’s Cork SHC final.

There weren’t too many in Cloyne clapping Paudie O’Sullivan on the back for his equalising point at the end of Imokilly’s county semi-final.

We were impressed with how Blackrock went about their business in the semi-final victory against Na Piarsaigh.

Imokilly manager Fergal Condon says the east Cork divisional side have built up momentum through match practice — tonight’s Cork SHC replay against Sarsfields (Páirc Uí Rinn, 7pm) has them approaching two dozen outings together as a team.

There were three county hurling finals and four county football finals played around the country today.

Eoghan Cormican looks ahead to the action in the Cork club championship this weekend.

St Colman’s take on Our Lady’s, Templemore in the Harty Cup final today, a contest which has launched a thousand inter-county careers.

If they’re handled properly and don’t burn out in their teens, here’s ten talents who’ll make a name for themselves in 2017...

Cork county championships latest: last year's semi-finalist out.

Imokilly 3-20 UCC 1-11: Séamus Harnedy starred as Imokilly put together a fine all-round performance to better UCC at Riverstown in the opening round of the Cork SHC last night.

As HawkEye readily admit, few if any other sport challenges their score detection technology more than hurling.

Here come the hurlers of Cork and Tipperary, peering around the curtain, all but tiptoeing into the limelight.

Cork hurling manager Kieran Kingston has paid a glowing tribute to the players released from the Rebels’ senior hurling panel this week, describing them as giving “massive commitment” to county hurling side over recent years.

Former Cork hurling captain Ger Fitzgerald believes the county’s management team have shown a ruthless streak in dropping five members of their panel in the wake of a disappointing league campaign.

Tipperary 2-27 Cork 2-15: Seamus Callanan’s arrival at half-time briefly threatened to ignite this lacklustre collision of the old rivals. In case there was any danger his first appearance of the campaign went unnoticed by the 7,251-strong crowd, a welcome-back shemozzle immediately broke out in the Cork goalmouth, and Semple lungs opened in unison for the first time in the afternoon.

Cork manager Kieran Kingston has sounded a pragmatic note ahead of this weekend’s NHL clash with Dublin.

Cork 1-14 Waterford 0-20: Make sense of that. Waterford dominate a game and yet need their ‘keeper to make a last-minute save to ensure the points. Cork are listless until a player gets injured, then ignite. A late goal and two straight reds colour an earnest competition with a sharp palette.

There are five changes in personnel, as well as a number of positional alterations, to the Cork side that will face Waterford in the Allianz Hurling League Division 1A at Páirc Uí Rinn tomorrow night (throw-in 7pm).

Galway 1-27 Cork 1-21: A fine spring day in Salthill yesterday, the home side making the most of the sunshine, romping to a comfortable win over visiting Cork.

Recalls are the story of Kieran Kingston’s first Cork League panel which sees Cian McCarthy, Conor O’Sullivan and William Egan returning to the group.

Munster SHL, Cork 0-18, Limerick 3-17.

Sarsfields 0-20, Imokilly 0-16

Imokilly 2-28 Ballyhea 3-11: A strong showing from Imokilly at Kilworth last evening in the Cork SHC, classy in all sectors, they defeated last year’s Premier intermediate champions Ballyhea by 14 points to book their quarter-final place against titleholders Sarsfields in Cobh on Saturday week.

Cloyne 4-11 Carrigaline 0-12: Two late Cloyne goals distorted the scoreline of this Cork PIHC game with Carrigaline at Páirc Uí Rinn. 

Cork 0-20 Clare 0-17

Imokilly 0-20 UCC 0-17: Imokilly’s greater balance in attack proved vital in returning the divisional outfit to the Cork SHC fourth round after a six-year hiatus.

Watergrasshill 1-16 Cloyne 2-11: “We won with pure heart and determination,” was the verdict of Watergrasshill manager John O’Regan after his side battled back from eight points down to snatch victory at the death over a fancied Cloyne in the Cork Premier IHC on Saturday.