Wicklow 0-12 London 2-08: We came, we saw, we conquered – could well sum up Paul Goggins’ feelings as he left Baltinglass on Sunday evening.

Kildorrery 2-08 Brian Dillon’s 0-13

Kildorrery 2-15 Brian Dillons 1-18

If Erin’s Own harbour ambitions of challenging for this year’s Cork crown, they will have to do better than this Jekyll and Hyde opening round display against Bride Rovers at Carrigtwohill last night.

Wicklow secured a Christy Ring Cup semi-final spot after a late scoring burst in Arklow on Saturday.

County senior panellist Liam Shorten was the hero of Ballingeary’s two point victory over Mayfield in the opening round of this Cork Premier IFC tie at Kilmurry on Saturday night.

Less than 50 paying customers turned out at sun-splashed Fraher Field, Dungarvan, yesterday for this final round tie.

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

RED hot favourites Toomevara overcame a determined Kildangan challenge to capture their 33rd North Tipperary senior hurling championship in Nenagh yesterday.

THE oft-battered cult of the outside manager got a fillip, not a flake, in the Gaelic Grounds on Saturday. You only had to see what victory meant to Limerick football boss Maurice Horan, a Mayo native, at the final whistle.

Ballydesmond 1-9 Glanmire 0-9

WATERFORD bounced back from their opening day defeat to Wexford to claim a historic first Division Three victory at Fraher Field, Dungarvan.

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

THE final scoreline suggests a landslide, a one-sided game in which underdogs Bruree could barely keep the ball kicked out to St. Mary’s, but that would be too simplistic a description.

THE destination of the Cork IFC title was decided in Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday by the 53rd minute penalty scored on the rebound by David Goold and the one missed five minutes later by the unfortunate Andrew O’Brien for Kildorrery.

AN overnight text from his brother, Freddie, coach to the Munster Branch, proved invaluable as Dwayne Twomey fashioned an unlikely win for Bandon over Co Sligo in yesterday’s semi-final of the Bulmers Irish Senior Cup at Castlebar.

CORK CONSTITUTION had to peak twice before shaking off the determined challenge from old rivals Shannon at Temple Hill on Saturday to enhance their position at the head of the AIB League table.

“SO that’s the end of Kilkenny?”

INTERNATIONAL referee George Clancy was scratched from the Christmas card list of many a Shannon player and supporter after his handling of the final stages of Saturday’s gripping AIB League clash at Coonagh.

SHANNON’S season took a further dip at Temple Hill on Saturday when old rivals Cork Constitution had an easier passage than expected to the AIB Cup quarter-finals.

AFTER a very productive first-half, Dolphin did their best to blow an 18 points lead as reigning AIB League champions Shannon piled on the pressure at Musgrave Park on Saturday.

Event victory in the Cork "20" International Rally for Gareth MacHale (Ford Focus) and a record equalling fifth Irish Tarmac Championship success were delivered in tandem today.

GETTING to the All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals against Mayo via the qualifier route may not have been the preferred option for Meath.

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.

Cork 2-6 Limerick 0-11

BOTH Cork and Limerick have made one change apiece from the sides that triumphed over Kerry and Clare, respectively, in the Munster SFC semi-finals for Sunday’s provincial final clash at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

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.

A GOAL from converted defender Cian O’Connor was the critical score as Erin’s Own fought their way through to the third round of the Evening Echo Cork SHC with this narrow 1-12 to 0-13 replay victory over Ballinhassig at Páirc Uí Chaoimh last night.

THE pace, skill and opportunism of winger Stephen Kelly and the quality of a pack who used the atrocious conditions to their advantage were crucial factors as Shannon qualified for another AIB League final at Coonagh on Saturday.

IN highly dramatic fashion, Kinsale Community School won the Cork County Vocational Schools A Ladies Football Championship for the first time after a thrilling victory over Boherbue Comprehensive at Kilmichael yesterday.

GER REIDY of Castleisland Desmonds and Aidan O’Shea from the Glenbeigh-Glencarr club are the two new faces on the Kerry team to play Donegal in the opening round of the Allianz NFL at Austin Park, Tralee tomorrow.

THE BONFIRES were ablaze in Puckane last night as Kildangan celebrated its first North Tipperary senior hurling title since 1943, its third in all, a victory made all the sweeter in that it was achieved in the most unlikely of circumstances over neighbours and fierce rivals, Burgess.

WICKLOW easily beat Roscommon in a one-sided Christy Ring Cup match at Athleague on Saturday.

ROSCOMMON manager Michael Ryan gives championship debuts to three players for Sunday’s Connacht SFC clash with Galway in Pearse Stadium.

A John Paul Murphy point two minutes from time earned Seandun a deserved draw with CIT in this entertaining Evening Echo SHC first round tie at Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday.

NO PROBLEM for three-in-a-row chasing Cork senior hurling champions Erin’s Own at Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday as they romped to a 1-16 to 0-7 opening-round victory over former kingpins Blackrock, who now face a dangerous backdoor test against Bishopstown to stay in the championship.

DLS Macroom 8-13 Hospital Herbertstown 1-4

TWO first-half Clare goals made all the difference in this exciting ladies football NFL Division Two final in Cusack Park yesterday. Donegal fought the good fight, but Clare’s goals made the difference.

BEATING Shannon in the AIB League was a welcome first for Dolphin as they preserved their unbeaten home record at Musgrave Park yesterday and jumped into contention for a top four place.