Trio of goals sees Galway home Galway proved too hot for Cork with a 3-13 to 1-15 victory in Series Two (Group One) of the national hurling league at Pearse Stadium. Galway's Fergal Healy opened the scoring with a fine early point and Eugene Cloonan threatened to double the advantage in the seventh minute only to be thwarted by the imposing Diarmuid O'Sullivan. Cloonan made it 0-2 to no score in the ninth minute. Paul Tierney and John Gardiner drew Cork level with a free and a '65' respectively before Cloonan edged the Tribesmen back in front. The Rebels sneaked ahead for the first time by landing the next two points. Damien Hayes then set up Alan Kerins for a Galway goal but the Rebels replied with a three-pointer of their own through Joe Deane. Niall McCarthy made it 1-5 to 1-3 in Cork's favour but Tony Og Regan pulled a point back for Galway in the 29th minute. Kevin Broderick equalised before McCarthy was on target again for the Leesiders. Cork scored again before Gardiner added his second to make it 1-8 to 1-5 at the interval. Galway had the better of the second half and deservedly ran out winners. They made a bright start on the turnaround and levelled within four minutes with points from Cloonan, David Forde and Damien Hayes, but Jonathon O'Callaghan put the Rebels back ahead with a point from a close-range free. Cloonan turned down a point to go for goal with a close-range free at the other end but his effort was blocked. The goal was imminent, however, and again Alan Kerins was on hand to supply it, giving the Tribesmen a two-point cushion. Tierney pointed for Cork and Galway led by 2-8 to 1-10. O'Callaghan provided the equaliser but Cloonan was having none of it and he quickly registered his side's third goal. Lambert drew a point back for Cork within ten seconds of that major. Midfielder Fergal Healy made it 3-9 to 1-12 and the sides then swapped points. Damien Hayes stretched the Galway advantage to four points eight minutes from time. Another Cloonan free increased the lead and O'Callaghan's fifth point lifted Cork's flagging spirits. But Niall McCarthy's injury-time attempt on goal screamed wide and with it went Cork's hopes of a result.   Banner teach Tipp lesson Clare were full value for their 1-20 to 1-15 national hurling league Division One, Series Two (Group One) victory over Munster rivals Tipp at Cusask Park There was a spree of scoring in the first five minutes but Clare effectively wrapped up the win with an unanswered scoring run of 1-4 in the closing stages of the first half. Niall Gilligan opened the scoring with a point after only 20 seconds and the captain doubled the Banner's advantage in the third minute. However, Tipp replied in style with a point from Paddy O'Brien followed by a great John Carroll goal. The teams swapped scores for a while and the Premier County were a goal to the good by the end of the first quarter, 1-4 to 0-4. The magnificent Gilligan pulled one back for Clare but Tipp still led by 1-8 to 1-4 after 25 minutes, following a good Benny Dunne point. Gilligan had scored all four of Clare's points at that stage. However, the Banner County produced a rousing climax to the first half and rattled over a series of superb points as well as a 33rd-minute Frank Lohan goal to steal a five-point lead at the break, 1-13 to 1-8. Clare remained on top and Gilligan had two points to make it 1-15 to 1-8 before impressive sub Seamus Butler and Paddy O'Brien replied for Tipp. Tipp, who hit four consecutive scores, were within three points 20 minutes into the second half as Butler and O'Brien got another point apiece. The next four points were shared and it was 1-17 to 1-12 after 29 minutes. Tony Griffin extended the Banner's advantage and there was never going to be any way back into it for the Premier County. Indeed, but for two excellent saves from Brendan Cummins, it could have been worse.   Waterford hold out to take points Classy Waterford leaked four second-half goals but still held out for a deserved 1-20 to 4-7 victory over Limerick in this Division One Series Two (Group One) encounter at Walsh Park There were just two points in the first ten minutes and both went to Waterford. Seamus Prendergast got off the mark in the second minute and a full eight minutes elapsed before Andy Maloney doubled the Decies' lead. Waterford continued to carry the initiative and soon led by double scores, 0-8 to 0-4. John Mullane had a nice point for the Suirsiders and Dave Finnan and Eoin Kelly also got on the scoreboard. Amazingly, super-sharp and rampant Waterford continued to completely dominate proceedings and Limerick never scored again in the first half. Indeed, they managed just a solitary score from play during that opening 35 minutes and trailed by 1-12 to 0-4 at half time. Limerick introduced Clem Smith at midfield and came back into it on the re-start and two early goals - the first from O'Neill (42) and the second fired home from an O'Shaughnessy free (47)  - gave them hope at 2-6 to 1-14. Dan Shanahan and O'Neill traded points but, despite substitute Michael McKenna adding Limerick's third goal, the Decies had given a great all-round display and were never going to let this one slip. Pad Joe Whelehan's men gave them a fright, though, with yet another three-pointer, but that was about as generous as Waterford were feeling.   Carey steers Cats home DJ Carey inspired Kilkenny to a 2-13 to 0-11 defeat of Leinster rivals Offaly in a lacklustre Division One Series Two (Group Two) national hurling league meeting at Nowlan Park The game got off to a quiet start score-wise, as the teams only managed a pointed free apiece in the first ten minutes' play. DJ Carey (who got four points in the first half) tapped over a simple conversion for the Cats but Rory Hanniffy struck with a neat long-range effort for the Faithfuls. Offaly were dealt a blow when Brian Whelehan was forced out of the fray with a bloodied nose in the tenth minute and Aidan Fogarty was on cue to send over Kilkenny's fourth point and their first from play. In injury time, Fogarty got the only goal of the first half and the Cats led by 1-6 to 0-6 at the short whistle. Three Damien Murray frees inside three minutes drew Offaly level but Fogarty and Carey (2) restored the Cats' cushion. Just before limping out of the action with a leg injury, sublime vision from the mercurial Carey set Jimmy Coogan up for Kilkenny's second goal and that score broke Offaly's resistance. Indeed, the Faithfuls were over-reliant on Murray frees as a source of scores and were no match for the Cats from open play.   Jacob snatches draw at the death A last-gasp Rory Jacob goal gave Wexford an unlikely draw against Laois (2-18 apiece) in the national hurling league Division One, Series Two (Group Two) at O'Moore Park. Wexford got off to the better start with a Barry Lambert point but Laois hit the next five points without reply to race into a four-point lead and they looked on course for a win right up until Jacob's dramatic intervention in stoppage time. However, Lambert then netted to bring the Model County right back into it. Exchanges were competitive and the O'Moore men held a 0-10 to 1-5 edge after 28 minutes. The unstoppable James Young had already scored from play, frees and a '65'! Young registered seven times in the first half.  Meanwhile, Adrian Fenlon and Doc O'Connor had joined Lambert on the scoreboard for the Slaneysiders. Wexford were unable to get back into it before the half-time whistle and Damien Culleton's goal on the stroke of the interval made it 1-13 to 1-9. Lambert, Jordan, Ruth and Jacob all pointed for Wexford to draw them level straight after the resumption but, amazingly, Culleton's second goal made it 1-16 to 1-13 in the O'Moore County's favour. Joe Fitzpatrick (Laois) and MJ Furlong (Wexford) each had a point and the O'Moore County remained three clear as the game went into added time. It looked to all the world as though the home county would hold out but Jacob had the final say two minutes into injury time and it finished all-square.   Nothing between Dublin and Antrim Relegation contenders Dublin and Antrim slogged out a 1-10 apiece draw in this low-key NHL Division One Series Two (Group Two) affair at Parnell Park Dublin led from start to finish in the first half and carried the slenderest of leads into the break. David Curtin opened the scoring and had three early points as the Dubs took a 0-4 to 0-3 lead after 26 minutes. Antrim free-taker Liam Watson was keeping the northern side in touch. At half-time, there was still a point in it: Dublin 0-6, Antrim 0-5, Curtain and Watson having landed five points apiece. Unsurprisingly, Curtin landed the opening two scores of the second half but a Watson goal in the 40th minute levelled the scores. Dublin replied but two more Watson frees put Antrim ahead for the first time after 16 minutes of the second half. Dublin drew level again at 0-10 to 1-7 Antrim got on top in the closing five minutes and points from play courtesy of Brian McFall and Paddy Richmond (2) put then three ahead as the match went into added time. There was one final sting in the tail as Conal Keaney hit the equalising goal - a memorable moment at the end of a forgettable match. NHL Division Two Down's young guns in explosive form Down 2-28 Kerry 4-11 Down youngsters Paul Braniff and Gareth Johnson hit all the high notes as Down pulled off a surprisingly convincing victory over visitors Kerry in a cracking NHL Division Two Group Two tie at Portaferry. Down's crafty double act recorded 1-5 apiece to catapult their side into pole position for a Division Two play-off final berth. Kerry had gone into the game as clear favourites to win and as the form team in the section but on the day they were overwhelmed by Down's potent attack. Braniff and Johnson were strangely rather subdued in the first half, registering just 1-2 between them. However the pair really came alive on the restart with some breathtaking scores to knock the stuffing out of the Munstermen. Braniff banged in a goal after just three minutes to give the homesters the perfect start and then in the 48th minute Johnson received the ball from Braniff before walloping it into the Kerry net. The homesters were full value for their 1-12 to 1-6 interval lead with Kerry's Liam Boyle getting through for a goal to keep the visitors in the hunt. The only negative in the game for the Ulstermen was the fact that they went to sleep in the final ten minutes and conceded three sloppy goals with John M Dooley, John Egan and Joe Bunyan grabbing the majors for the outgunned Kerrymen. Roscommon at the races Roscommon 3-13 Meath 0-15 A hat-trick of goals in the space of 11 second half minutes blew apart Meath's chances of a win over host side Roscommon in a thrilling NHL Division Two Group Two clash at Athleague. Meath, with former Limerick supremo Eamon Cregan among the think-tank team, looked on track to record a gritty win when leading by six points after nearly 12 minutes of the second half having elapsed. And even when Roscommon's Colm Kelly fired over two converted frees, the Royals still looked comfortable. However the tide was turning and a bundled goal by Tom Reddington after 49 minutes left the homesters just a single point in arrears in on a roll. Then Kelly fired over the leveller before being denied in the 53rd minute when he saw his poor penalty saved by Meath 'keeper Mark Gannon. However Kelly recovered his composure to send over another free two minutes later to put the westerners in front. And further trouble duly emerged in the 57th minute for Meath when Reddington set up Francis Quine for a cracking goal. With ten minutes left, Roscommon added the coup de gras when substitute Ronnie Kennedy pounced for a third goal. Despite a gutsy attempted fightback by the Royals which saw Cathal Sheridan convert a free, Roscommon had the last say in the match with points by 'keeper Dave Connell (65) and Reddington. Garden swamped Westmeath 1-25 Wicklow 0-10 Westmeath packed too much power for Wicklow at Castleghegan in a surprisingly one-sided NHL Division Two clash. In a nip and tuck opening six minutes, the sides were tied at 0-4 apiece but once Ronan Whelan banged in Westmeath's only goal shortly afterwards, the writing loomed large on the wall for the visitors. Westmeath showed a clean pair of heels to their opponents as they surged into a 1-12 to 0-7 interval lead but that advantage might have been less pronounced had Wicklow's Thomas Finn not blasted a penalty over the bar in injury time. It was all too easy thereafter for the homesters as they careered into a 1-18 to 0-9 lead midway through the second half. Wicklow's miserable day was completed by the dismissal of Don Hyland following an off the ball incident. Oak Leafers stay up Derry 1-12 Mayo 1-8 Derry pulled out all the stops at Lavey to ensure their Division Two survival after grinding out a hard-fought one point win over Mayo in a nervy NHL Division Two clash. The northerners were somewhat fortunate to grab both points on the day, having trailed for almost three-quarters of the game and having seen Mayo spurn several gilt edged chances late in the game. The visitors were the better team in the opening half and showed their intent by romping into a 1-3 to 0-2 lead after 15 minutes with Stephen Broderick the goalscorer. But points by Gregory Biggs, Paul Doherty and Paul Hearty helped keep the homesters very much in the running by the half-time break. It was the aforementioned Biggs who led the Derry fightback on the resumption with his point edging the Ulstermen in front before Pierce Higgins levelled matters. However points by Biggs and Hearty steered Derry into a two point lead and while Derek McConn closed the gap to just one point with just two minutes remaining, Derry held out for a vital win. NHL Division Three Fermanagh 1-13 Armagh 0-15 Fired-up Fermanagh produced a brillant comeback to grab both league points at the expense of host side Armagh in an exciting NHL Division Three clash at Derrynoose. The Orchard County looked set for a crucial victory when leaping into a 0-8 to 0-1 lead after 20 minutes. However that was as good as it got for the visitors as Fermanagh improved greatly to close the gap to just two points, 0-7 to 0-9, with a series of converted frees by Jason McManus. Fermanagh's great recovery was given a huge lift when midfielder Darren Graham fired home the visitors' goal less than 20 minutes from the close of play. Leitrim on top loud and clear Leitrim 0-13 Louth 0-9 Leitrim hurling received a further boost at Carrick-on-Shannon when their in-form senior hurlers secured a fine four point win over visitors Louth in an entertaining NHL Division Three clash. The home side exerted the greatest degree of pressure on their opponents in the first half with Alan O'Shea and Clement Cunniffe both firing over three points apiece to put their side in the driving seat. Man of the match Cunniffe was on hand again to stretch Leitrim's 0-8 to 0-4 interval lead with a great point just 10 seconds after the restart. Indeed it was Cunniffe's four unanswered points on the restart which really left Louth out of the running for the spoils. Sligo on promotion trail Sligo 1-13 Tyrone 1-4 Sligo handed Tyrone their first defeat of the NHL Division Three campaign at Markievicz Park and in the process took a giant step themselves in the hunt for a promotion berth. The Red Hands got off to the better start with Cathal McErlean firing over a point after barely 20 seconds before Paul Severs opened Sligo's account four minutes later. Sligo gradually got a grip on the match and two points by Keith Raymond put the home side ahead in the 12th minute. However an opportunist goal by Cathal Hurson in the 14th minute served to ease the Ulstermen into a useful 1-2 to 0-3 lead. Sligo quickly regained the initiative to draw level at 1-3 to 0-6 at the break. On the restart, the home side took control and Michael Gilmartin's goal proved more than enough to ease Sligo past the fading challenge of the northerners who could only manage one point in the second half. It's goals that count for Donegal Donegal 2-10 Cavan 0-7 Two well-taken goals at opportune times by Donegal proved all-important as Cavan slipped up in the NHL Division Three at Ballybofey. In a quite competitive match, the visitors were the more impressive side in the opening quarter and were three points to the good with Michael Power, Mark McEntee and Kevin Downes all on target. But a goal by Enda McDermott and another three pointer ten minutes later by Eugene Organ turned the tide in Donegal's favour thereafter. Donegal were somewhat fortunate to lead by four points at the break but got into their rythmn thereafter, succeeding in outscoring their opponents by eight points to three. Monaghan grind out draw Longford 4-6 Monaghan 2-12Monaghan produced a stunning second half display to earn a deserved draw with homesters Longford in a dramatic NHL Division Three clash at Michael Fay Park. The Ulstermen trailed by 0-6 to 3-6 at the interval and looked out for the count after Eoin Donnellan scored 1-4 and John Minnock fired in a brace of goals for the host side. And when substitute Conor Bracken then scored a gift goal for Longford, Monaghan's cause seemed hopeless. However a point from ace attacker Michael McHugh and a last-gasp goal by sub. Conor McGinnity in the second minute of stoppage time earned Monaghan a deserved draw. Leinster Under 21 Football Championship Dublin advance - but only just Dublin 1-9 Longford 0-10 All-Ireland champions Dublin were pushed to their pin of their collars before seeing off the challenge of a determined Longford side in a pulsating Leinster Under 21 football championship semi-final tussle at Navan. Dublin were far from at their best and managed to record 15 wides over the course of the match. The Dubs started brightly and had opened up a 0-5 to 0-3 lead before points by Longford's Donal McKeon and Michael Hussey levelled matters at the break. The match underdogs then proceeded to take an early second half lead but the Dubs got a major leg-up when Stephen Hiney goaled after his initial shot had been blocked on the line. McKeon and Francis McGee kept Longford very much in the hunt for a place in the final with neat points but Dublin's Daibhneach Dineen saved the Metropolitans' blushes with the insurance point late on. Profligate Meath pay the penalty Kildare 2-9 Meath 2-7Confident Kildare made Meath pay for some dreadful wides to book their place in this year's Leinster Under 21 FC final after a frenetic clash at Tullamore. In fairness to the Lilywhites, Meath could have no complaints about the result as Kildare were full value for their two point win and ought to have won by a greater margin. The short grass county virtually led from pillar to post, having opened the scoring after just 22 seconds. Save a short spell when Joe Sheridan collected a free from Eamon McCormack and rattled the Kildare net in the 6th minute, Kildare were always in the driving seat. Goals by James Kavanagh, from a penalty, and Ross Glavin just before the interval helped put the Royals very much on the backfoot though as they trailed by 1-2 to 2-5 at the interval. Meath were an improved lot on the restart though but their poor shooting was to prove their achilees heel on the day. And despite a strong finish by Meath which saw Sheridan convert two frees and Brian Farrell get through for a goal, Kildare held firm. In a tense closing few minutes, Kildare got a let-off when surviving strong Meath claims for a last-minute penalty decision.All-Ireland VS SFC final Saints make history St. Brogan's 3-15 Ferbane Schools 2-4 Bandon's St. Brogan's made history when capturing the All-Ireland Vocational School football title at the expense of a gritty Ferbane combination on Sunday 11th April. It was nip and tuck in the opening quarter with little separating the sides but then the Cork took a firm grip on the game to seize the initiative. The winners-elect received a major boost when Donal O'Driscoll capitalised on some sloppy defensive work by Ferbane to goal. Ferbane stuck to their task though and team captain Trevor Phelan placed David Corbett for a timely goal. However another defensive lapse by Ferbane allowed Carthach Kane in for a second goal for Bandon which eased the Cork lads into a useful 2-6 to 1-3 interval lead. A flurry of points on the restart by Brogans served to put the issue all but beyond doubt as Ferbane backpeddled furiously. The Saints eventually produced the coup de gras in the 43rd minute when Kevin Canty stroke for his side's third goal of the game. Tweet

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