Armagh, Wicklow and Kerry all progress

Armagh 1-10
Derry 1-07

In front of a crowd of just over 10,000 Armagh booked their passage through to the quarter-finals of the Ulster Senior championship after a hard fought win over Derry. It was Derry’s first championship defeat at Celtic Park since 1994.

It was point for point all the way throughout the opening 22 minutes, with the Oak Leafers pulling away with frees from Paddy Bradley and Mark Lynch, only to be pegged back by Aaron Kernan an Steven McDonnell.

A very tense contest burst into life just before half-time when Paddy Bradley grabbed a goal for Derry. But this was the sign for McDonnell to show why he is one of the best footballers in the country. As he fired over four points late in the half, two of them from exceptionally difficult frees, to level the scores and send the sides in at the break deadlocked at 1-5 to 0-8.

Charlie Vernon fired Armagh into the lead for the first time two minutes after half-time before Derry suffered a game changing double blow.

First Eoin Bradley picked up a second booking after hauling Aaron Kernan to the ground, and his side was reduced to 14 men. Less than two minutes later, the Orchard men forced ahead with a goal from substitute Jamie Clarke. The Crossmaglen youngster collected McDonnell's cross from the left to shoot deftly past Gillis for a 1-10 to 1-6 lead.

Derry only managed to score two points in the entire second half as the Armagh defence stood strong, particularly Kieran Toner and Ciaran McKeever. However, they were still in with a chance to at least bring the game to a replay when they were awarded a penalty with five minutes left. But Paul Hearty pulled off a tremendous save to deny Gerard O’Kane.

Derry: B Gillis, B Og McAlary, K McGuckin, D McBride, G O'Kane, B McGuigan, M Bateson, F Doherty, Patsy Bradley, SL McGoldrick, M Lynch (0-4 (3f), D Mullan, Paddy Bradley (1-2, 0-2f), E Bradley (0-1), R Wilkinson Subs: B McGoldrick for McGuigan (inj, 23), J Kielt for Wilkinson (49), M Craig for Bateson (61), J Diver for Doherty (inj, 63), E Muldoon for SL McGoldrick (70)

Armagh: P Hearty, A Mallon, K Toner, B Donaghy, P Duffy, C McKeever, F Moriarity, C Vernon (0-1), J Lavery, M Mackin, A Kernan (0-3, 2f), G Swift, B Mallon, S McDonnell (0-5, 4f), R Henderson (0-1) Subs: V Martin for Lavery (34), J Clarke (1-0) for Henderson (49), M McNamee for Mackin (70)

Referee: M. Deegan (Laois).


Kerry 2-18
Tipperary 2-06

Kieran Donaghy was the conductor for All-Ireland champions Kerry as they passed this early summer examination against Tipperary, running out 12-point winners in the end.
The 4,965-strong Thurles crowd had hopes of an upset as Tipperary ended the first half just 0-08 to 1-04 in arrears, with Philip Austin scoring a cracking early goal. But, turning with the wind, the Kingdom hit their stride in the second period to cruise through to a semi-final showdown with Munster title holders Cork on 6 June.

Bryan Sheehan netted twice and Colm Cooper, Donaghy and Barry John Keane all had an influence, putting the game beyond a brave Tipp's reach. John Evans' young side also finished the game with 14 players as top scorer Barry Grogan was very harshly dismissed for his second bookable offence, a mistimed challenge on Kerry substitute Adrian O'Connell.

With five of last year’s All-Ireland winning side missing, following the retirements of Darragh O Se and Diarmuid Murphy, the departures of Tommy Walsh and Tadhg Kennelly to Australia and Aidan O'Mahony's recent withdrawal from the panel, Kerry will be very happy this week with their performance as the begin training for another Cork challenge.

The visitors hit the front after a minute and 20 seconds, Donaghy turning inside two defenders to land the opening point. But Tipperary, boosted by their Under-21s' recent win over Kerry, levelled with a '45' from Grogan and took a seventh minute lead when Austin beat Brendan Kealy in the Kerry goal with a measured finish.

Cooper (0-03) and Paul Galvin got Kerry back on terms, but they should have been in front. Sheehan had a 14th minute goal harshly disallowed for an ‘illegal’ hand pass from Donaghy, a decision that may well have gone for Kerry on another day.

The Tipp goalkeeper Paul Fitzgerald blocked a goal-bound effort from Donaghy and the Tralee giant had two wides in quick succession as the Tipp rearguard did their job in frustrating Kerry's fluent forwards. Cooper watched a point attempt from directly infront of the goals bounce back off the post, and the Premier County side went back in front when a strong burst in from the left from Austin set up a Brian Mulvihill point.

Pointed efforts from Galvin and Sheehan saw Kerry use their huge amount of possession to go in ahead at the break by a point, 0-08 to 1-04.

There was a sense around Semple Stadium that Kerry would simply go through the gears when the action resumed in the second half and gradually that is the way it played out. Sheehan hit the woodwork with a point attempt, but Cooper traded points with Grogan as O'Connor's charges kept ahead.

The Tipp defence was caught out in the 47th minute as Tomas O Se and McCarthy raided forward, the latter's point attempt failed to find the target but Donaghy scooped the ball over for Sheehan to slip a low shot to the net for a 1-12 to 1-06 scoreline.

Tipp rallied superbly and were unfortunate not to close the gap as Austin went wide from a kickable free and Kealy had to be on his toes to block a snap shot from Acheson.

They did manage to whittle Kerry's lead down to three points when the Kerry net minder was beaten to a high ball by Grogan for Tipp's second goal in the 52nd minute. But that proved to be Tipp’s last score as Kerry tightened their grip on proceedings and the excellent Donaghy gave an exhibition of high fielding.

Five minutes from the finish, another top drawer catch and feed by Donaghy set up Sheehan for a drilled finish to the bottom left corner of Fitzgerald's net. Cooper added another point soon after to wrap up the scoring as Kerry finished the final quarter of the game having outscored Tipp by 1-08 to 0-00

Tipp have a long wait to the first round of the All-Ireland qualifiers on 26 June and their search for a first Munster Championship win since 2003 continues, but they can certainly be proud of their efforts here and Evans has an abundance of potential to build on. Every year an unfancied team goes on a run through the qualifiers, Fermanagh in 04, Wexford in 08, and Sligo in 02, 2010 could be Tipperary’s year.

Tipp: P Fitzgerald; P Codd, N Curran, C McDonald; C Aylward, R Costigan(c), C McGrath; K Mulryan, G Hannigan(0-1), P Acheson (0-1), P Austin (1-00), H Coghlan; S Carey, B Grogan (1-03, 1 ’45) B Mulvihill (0-1) Subs: B Fox for Coghlan (13-20 mins, blood sub), B Fox for Mulvihill (44), B Coen for Carey (55), J Cagney for Austin (61), B Jones for Aylward (66), A Morrisey for McGrath (70).

Kerry: B Kealy; M O Se, T Griffin, T O'Sullivan; T O Se, M McCarthy, K Young; S Scanlon (0-1), M Quirke; P Galvin (0-2), Declan O'Sullivan (0-1), D Walsh(0-1), C Cooper (0-5, 1f), K Donaghy (0-1), B Sheehan(c)(2-05, 4f) Subs: P Reidy for T O'Sullivan (45 mins), Darran O'Sullivan for Galvin, A Maher for Quirke (both 56), A O'Connell for Young (61), BJ Keane (0-2) for Declan O'Sullivan (62).

Referee: D. Coldrick (Meath)


Wicklow 3-13
Carlow 0-12

A hat-trick of goals saw Wicklow clear their Leinster Championship first hurdle as they overcame Carlow at O'Moore Park on Sunday afternoon.

Wicklow had Nicky Mernagh sent off in first half injury-time but a Paul Earls goal ensured a 1-06 to 0-06 lead for them at the break. Carlow lost midfielders Brendan Murphy (straight red) and Thomas Walsh (second yellow) in the closing 35 minutes, and their provincial hopes were ended by further goals from Wicklow's Leighton Glynn and JP Dalton.

After a pulsating encounter which saw referee Gerry Kinneavy award three red cards and 16 yellows, the reward for Mick O'Dwyer's men is a quarter-final clash with Westmeath on 6 June.

Carlow were unable to make their first half domination tell on the scoreboard as they hit seven wides in the opening 21 minutes. Wicklow, however, were more clinical with their possession as they broke into a 0-03 to 0-00 score.

Carlow were left exposed defensively, while the expected midfield dominance by former Aussie Rules trainee Brendan Murphy and ex-Wicklow player Thomas Walsh failed to materialise in the opening quarter. Luke Dempsey's charges had registered four wides before Murphy landed Carlow's opening point to cut the deficit to two points.

Carlow levelled the game by the 20th minute but Wicklow then took control with an unanswered score of 1-2 before the break. The goal coming from the boot of Paul Earls. However, Wicklow were quickly on the back foot once again as Nicky Mernagh was sent off in first half injury time. Carlow took immediate advantage of their numerical gain with two quickfire points to leave three between the sides at half time.

McWalter bagged another Wicklow point within 40 seconds of the restart, with scores from Hannon and Glynn giving O'Dwyer's side a 1-10 to 0-07 lead by the 45th minute. But Carlow pressed hard, with Murphy beginning to exert his authority on proceedings from midfield, although Wicklow goalkeeper Mervyn Travers denied him a certain goal in the 58th minute.

The Barrowsiders were reduced to 14 men when Murphy received a straight red with eight-and-a-half minutes remaining. They tried hard to pick up the pieces but were dealt a huge blow with two sucker-punch goals in a six-minute spell.

Firstly, Wicklow captain Glynn found the net, after an excellent long ball in from midfielder Dalton. Glynn outpaced both Padraig Murphy and Benny Kavanagh before beating Clarke from close range. Dalton turned scorer as he completed Wicklow's hat-trick in the 68th minute, nipping the ball past Clarke to put his side 3-11 to 0-09 in front.

Carlow rallied in the closing stages with scores from substitute Daniel St Ledger and defender Alan Curran. But it was too late for Dempsey's side to stage a recovery and Wicklow progressed through to a quarter-final meeting with Westmeath.

Wicklow: M Travers; S Kelly, D O'hAnnaidh, A Byrne; P McWalter (0-1), B McGrath, D Hayden; J Stafford, D Jackman; L Glynn (1-04), T Hannon (0-6, 2f, 1 ’45), N Mernagh; D Odlum, S Furlong (0-2), P Earls (1-0) Subs: JP Dalton (1-0) for Jackman (21 mins), S Canavan for McWalter (52), P Dalton for Odlum (58).

Carlow: J Clarke; P Murphy, L Murphy, B Kavanagh; A Curran (0-3), J Hayden, P McElligott; B Murphy (0-3), T Walsh; S Gannon, D Foley, M Carpenter; S Rea (0-4, 4f)), J Murphy, J Kavanagh Subs: S Redmond for L Murphy (29 mins), JJ Smith (0-1) for Foley (34), D St Ledger (0-1) for J Murphy (44), P Cashin for Hayden (60).

Referee: G. Kinneavy (Galway)