Dominant Laois overcome Down, Meath hold on for win over Kildare

HURLING WRAP: Laois overcame Down after a dominant display. Pic: ©INPHO/Tom Maher

Down came close to picking up a shock win to kick off this year’s Allianz Hurling League, but ultimately it was Laois who picked up victory at Laois Hire O’Moore Park, thanks to a dominant finish.

Throughout the first half, the game progressed along predicted lines, with Down working hard and getting some good scores, but just not quite keeping pace. Points from Maher, Willie Dunphy and league debutant Jer Quinlan kept Laois in the lead, with Quinlan also putting name on an excellent goal. Pearse Og McCrickard and Mark Fisher responded for the Mourne men, who still trailed by 1-12 to 0-8 at the break.

It was all change after half-time, with the visitors posting the first five points, exerting huge pressure on their hosts.

Quinlan gave Laois a bit more breathing space with another score for the home side, but Down had reduced Laois’s lead to a single point by the 56th minute, when Dunphy was sent off for the midlanders.

The numbers were evened out when Down’s Mark Fisher was also red carded after 60 minutes. The margin remained tight until a Mark Dowling goal gave Laois enough breathing room to kick on and record a 2-18 to 0-17 win.

Kerry fell to a heavy defeat to Carlow while another heavyweight contender in Division 2A also fell by the wayside as Kildare, last year’s finalists, succumbed to a 2-20 to 3-14 defeat to newly-promoted Meath at Páirc Tailteann.

Cian Boran struck an early goal for the Lily Whites, while clinical free-taking from Jack Sheridan kept Meath’s resurgence at arm’s length, despite 1-1 from Nicky Potterton.

Meath took the lead after half-time through a second Potterton goal. Conn Kehoe got one back for Kildare but a quadruple from Jack Toher, O’Hanrahan (2) and Sean Martin without reply gave the Royals enough cushion to concede a late goal to James Burke and still prevail.

In Division 2B, last year’s Nickey Rackard Cup final win for Wicklow over Donegal felt like a distant memory, as Donegal put the Garden County to the sword in Aughrim.

New Wicklow manager Jonathan O’Neill, who was only appointed on Monday, was always likely to struggle to get his team in shape and sure enough they quickly fell behind, 0-8 to 0-2. The writing was on the wall when Donegal added a goal courtesy of Luke White, scored from distance, and Michael Óg O’Neill saw red soon. White got his and Donegal’s second via a penalty to help give his side a comfortable 2-23 to 0-13 victory.

Back up in the northwest, it was a good day for the Oak Leaf County on the double at Celtic Park, as their hurlers got the day off to a flying start before Mickey Harte’s men took to the field. Derry built a 13-point lead in the first half with Cormac O’Doherty, Rúairí Ó Mianáin and Corey O’Reilly scoring freely, capitalising on the home side’s control of the play out the field.

In the second half Tyrone began to make headway but a goal from O’Reilly sucker punched the visitors in the 52nd minute. Soon after, Dara Mooney grabbed another goal for Derry before Tyrone had two men sent off, Joe McToal and Lorcan Devlin. Michael Little (0-4), Tiernan Morgan (0-3) and freetaker Aidan Kelly (0-5f) led the way for the Red Hand men.

Finally, Clare native and new Roscommon manager Kevin Sammon got his tenure off to a flying start with an impressive win over Christy Ring Cup side London in Athleague.

Paddy Fallon, Mickey Joe Egan and Seán Canning were in sensational form as Roscommon used the wind to build up an 0-16 to 0-7 half-time lead. London had reduced that lead to four points and were right in the mix when Kevin Reid’s red card curtailed their momentum.

Former Kerry player Jack Goulding soon picked up a second yellow, meaning that Seán Glynn’s goal was a mere consolation on the way to an 0-24 to 1-15 defeat.

Louth’s goals proved the difference in their Division 3A league opener with Monaghan. Leading by ten points, 3-9 to 0-8 at halftime, goals from John Casey (two) and Darren Geoghegan looked to have given Louth more than enough cushion to hold firm as they faced into the breeze in the second half at Dowdallshill.

A goal from Thomas Hughes for the visitors with just three minutes gone looked like it might change that while Niall Arthurs racked up the points from frees, but Conor Murphy grabbed Louth’s final goal to seal an important win for the Wee county.

After a big night for the footballers at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park last night, the Mayo hurlers recorded a big win over Armagh on the same field to get their 2024 season out to a perfect start. Cormac Phillips shot four points in the first half while Mayo had six other scorers at the interval, when they led by 0-13 to 2-3.

The defence, inspired by Man of the Match David Kenny, put in a stellar display after half-time to keep Armagh to just four points with the wind, while Adrian Phillips crowned their win with a late goal.

In the only game played on Saturday, Sligo withstood a strong second half comeback from Cavan and held out to win by 4-19 to 3-18. Both games in Division 3B finished level, with Reuben Murray scoring 1-3 for Longford in their 1-9 to 0-12 draw with Lancashire at Abbotstown, while Jack Grealish struck a late equaliser to give Warwickshire a 1-17 to 0-20 home draw against Leitrim.