David Qualter points the way as Kildare hurlers looking up

It'll be Division 1B for the Lilywhites next term.

Sat, 22 Mar, 2025 - 18:11

Kevin Egan

Kildare will have glamour fixtures against Dublin, Antrim, Clare and Wexford in Division 1B of the Allianz Hurling League next year after David Qualter’s 0-13 powered them to a 1-24 to 1-14 win over Meath in Trim in what was effectively a league semi-final.

Jack Regan’s fifth point of the game in the 20th minute left it finely poised at 0-8 to 0-6 in Kildare’s favour, but his freetaking counterpart David Qualter shot five before half-time and three more immediately afterwards, by which time there was a nine-point margin.

Meath enjoyed a purple patch for the next 10 minutes to get back to within five, but Jack Sheridan’s goal in the 52nd minute removed any lingering doubt about the result.

The 2025 Allianz League has been an historic one for the Donegal hurlers, the highlight their home win over Kerry at O’Donnell Park, but it still ended in relegation as Derry, who have found their form in recent weeks, made the short trip to Letterkenny and racked up a 2-23 to 0-9 win.

It was 0-15 to 0-3 at half-time and Shea Cassidy compounded Donegal’s misery with a goal immediately after the break. Richie Mullan lorded matters from centre back, scoring 0-3, while Eamon Conway shot four points and Thomas Brady chipped in with a late goal for the resurgent Oak Leaf men.

In Division Three, Seán Kenny’s late goal wrapped up a 4-15 to 2-15 win for Mayo in Aughrim that gave them promotion at the expense of the Garden County, while Armagh avoided the drop despite losing by 2-15 to 0-10 at home to London.

A home win for the Garden County would have tied the teams on eight points and thus pushed them through to the final on the back of their head-to-head victory, but they received an early setback when midfielder John Toomey received a straight red card with just four minutes played.

It was Mayo’s game to lose at the interval, with the scoreboard reading 1-9 to 0-6. A Shane Boland point and Liam Lavin’s goal in the first minute of the second half only exacerbated matters, but what followed was Wicklow’s best hurling of the year, as they overcame their numerical disadvantage to fight their way back into contention.

Doyle ignited their rally with a goal, Pádraig Doran took control of the game from centre back, and when Luke Evans came forward to find the net with 15 minutes to play, there was a point between the sides and the miracle comeback was on.

Cormac Phillips and Kenny got the goals to see Mayo over the line however.

Roscommon’s 2-15 to 2-13 victory over Sligo means Cavan will join Sligo in Division Four next season, courtesy of their head-to-head loss to Armagh last week.

Sligo were already assured of making the drop to the bottom tier next year but they certainly started as if they intended to bring their neighbours along for the ride, going 1-6 to 0-1 in front when Paul O’Leary found the net in the 26th minute.

Even allowing for the strong breeze blowing into their faces, Roscommon were desperately poor during that phase of the game, but they exploded into life in the five minutes before half-time. Conor Mulry was their goalscorer as they drew level at 1-7 each, scoring 1-4 in that period.

From then on it was a nip-and-tuck contest, with Kenny’s goal and a Conor Cosgrove point in stoppage time seeing Roscommon home.

Finally Francis McBrien scored 0-10 as Fermanagh beat Lancashire by 2-21 to 1-10, meaning they wrapped up promotion and a Division Four final tilt against Louth.

Leitrim needed to win and for Fermanagh to slip up but instead they crashed to a dismal 4-14 to 0-7 loss to Lancashire, while Longford beat Monaghan by 3-15 to 2-13, having led by 16 points before a late Monaghan rally.