Meath hurler, Jack Regan.
Round two of the Christy Ring, Nickey Rackard and Lory Meagher Cups took place over the weekend.
Christy Ring Cup
Meath got off the mark in the Christy Ring Cup with a comfortable win over Tyrone in Trim on Saturday.
Jack Regan’s accuracy led a strong start by the three-time Christy Ring winners and although a Rory Weir goal brought Tyrone within a point, Meath took over between then and the end of the first half, opening up a 1-18 to 1-5 advantage, helped by Damien Healy’s major. Kiefer Morgan’s second yellow card made Tyrone’s task even tougher, while Regan kept the scoreboard ticking over for Meath on his way to a personal tally of 13 points. Sub Darren O’Higgins added a second goal for the hosts, while Seán Duffin’s late penalty was little consolation for Tyrone.
Wicklow made it two from two by edging Donegal in a low-scoring game in Letterkenny.
Four points from Gerard Gilmore helped Donegal to lead by the minimum at half-time, but Pádraig Doran hit the net to help Wicklow put some daylight between the teams for the only time. Their four-point cushion became less comfortable when Jack Phelan picked up a second yellow, before Donegal keeper Luke White netted his second penalty in two weeks to bring his side level just after the hour mark. They failed to score thereafter, however, while Doran converted a free to win it for Wicklow.
Derry battled from seven points down to deny London in Ruislip on Sunday.
David Devine led the scoring for London, who also had a major from Seán Glynn as they moved into a commanding position to build on their opening win over Meath, but Conor O’Carroll’s sending-off didn’t help their chances of subduing Derry’s second-half revival, which saw Cormac O’Doherty rattle the net twice. Christy McNaughton, Déaghlán Foley and Éamon Conway were also among the scorers as Derry went top on score difference.
Nickey Rackard Cup
Mayo top the table in the Nickey Rackard Cup after a convincing win away to Armagh.
Mayo dominated the first half in building up a 0-16 to 0-1 lead, helped by three points each from Liam Lavin, Eoin Delaney and Shane Boland. Odhrán Curry, Stephen Keenan and Danny Magee all made scoring contributions off the bench for Armagh, but this one was already well beyond their reach, with Simon Thomas netting the only goal for 2024 runners-up Mayo.
Saturday’s all-Connacht clash finished all-square between Roscommon and hosts Sligo after a dramatic finish at Markievicz Park.
Conor Cosgrove helped power Roscommon to a 0-9 to 0-4 interval lead, but Andrew Kilcullen hit nine points as Sligo got to grips with things after the restart. They hit three consecutive scores (two from Kilcullen and one by Darragh Flynn) to move to the brink of victory, but Jack Donnelly’s added-time goal earned Roscommon their first point of the campaign.
Louth beat Fermanagh for the third time this year on Sunday, courtesy of a prolific second-half display.
Fermanagh were 0-11 to 0-7 up after playing with the breeze for the first 35 minutes, with Danann McKeogh and Seán Corrigan leading the way on the scoresheet, but Louth took over, with Darren Geoghegan, Leon Fox and sub Seaghán Conneely’s goals proving key. The Wee County ended up with an impressive tally of 3-20 as they secured their first win of the group stage.
Lory Meagher Cup
Saturday’s Lory Meagher Cup double-header in Longford produced two one-point games.
The first of those saw Leitrim get off the mark at the expense of Lancashire. Peter Boylan and Conor Levingstone hit three points each in the first half for Lancashire, but Joe Murray netted a penalty for Leitrim, who changed ends leading by 1-4 to 0-6. Philip Burgess, Seán Ó Riordáin and Dhani Keane stretched Leitrim’s advantage, but Shane O’Boyle’s goal swung momentum back in favour of Lancashire. The Exiles were still one up inside the last five minutes, only for Murray and Stephen Goldrick to win it for Leitrim.
Longford have two wins to their credit after they finished strongly to pip Warwickshire.
Having scored seven of the game’s first eight points, Longford saw their lead wiped out by the end of the half, with Jordan Conway helping Warwickshire get level, although he went off injured in a blow to the visitors’ prospects. Warwickshire held a narrow lead for much of the second half, with Ian Dwyer hitting a brace to move them three clear, only to be denied by Longford outscoring them by 1-4 to 0-1 down the home straight. Martin Farrell got the only goal to turn things in Longford’s favour, before Éamon Allen and Reuben Murray secured their second victory.
Longford were later overtaken on score difference by neighbours Cavan, who won their derby at home to Monaghan.
Liam O’Brien and goal-scorers Seán Keating and Nicky Kenny all shone up front for Cavan, who raced ahead early on, en route to a 2-12 to 0-9 interval lead. Shane Slevin got a goal back for Monaghan, who were without their top scorer Niall Arthur, but Cavan weren’t going to be caught, with O’Brien racking up 11 points.
RESULTS:
Saturday, April 19
Christy Ring Cup Round 2
Meath 2-29 Tyrone 2-15
Donegal 1-10 Wicklow 1-11
Nickey Rackard Cup Round 2
Armagh 0-11 Mayo 1-29
Sligo 0-17 Roscommon 1-14
Lory Meagher Cup Round 2
Leitrim 1-13 Lancashire 1-12
Longford 1-14 Warwickshire 0-16
Cavan 2-20 Monaghan 1-14
Sunday, April 20
Christy Ring Cup Round 2
London 1-18 Derry 2-19
Nickey Rackard Cup Round 2
Louth 3-20 Fermanagh 0-15
