GAA DIGEST

A round-up of other GAA news

Louth reach provincial final

O'BYRNE CUP: Louth followed up wins over UCD and Longford with a 2-19 to 1-10 victory over Wicklow at the Gaelic Grounds yesterday. Wicklow's woes were compounded by a red card for Seánie Furlong after an incident in the final minute.

LOUTH: S Reynolds; T Costello, D Finnegan, B McArdle; P Rath, M Fanning, G Hoey; R Carroll (0-1), B White (0-2, one '45'); D Reid (0-1), S Lennon (1-6), R Finnegan; JP Rooney (0-2), D Crilly (0-1), D Clarke (1-4, three frees). Subs: A Reid (0-2) for R Finnegan (35+1); J Carr for T Costello, J O'Brien for B McArdle (both half-time); A Hoey for D Crilly (62); P Nixon for D Finnegan (64); P Smith for D Clarke (65).

WICKLOW: M Travers; C Hyland, W Callaghan, A Byrne; L Glynn (0-1), E Keogh, P McWalter (0-1); P Brophy, T Hannon (0-3, one free); A McLoughlin, J McGrath, D Hayden (0-1); D Odlum (1-1), S Furlong (0-2), D Siney. Subs: J Dalton for W Callaghan (yellow card, 14); S Kinsella (0-1) for A McLoughlin (half-time); A Nolan for J McGrath (55). Sent-off: S Furlong (69).

Referee: D Coldrick (Meath).

DCU stage late fightback

O'BYRNE CUP: DCU stunned the home support with a strong final-quarter finish to turn a four-point deficit into a 2-8 to 0-11 victory over Kildare in yesterday's semi-final at Newbridge. Brian Sheridan put in a storming finish to steal the win for DCU.

DCU: M Boyle; D Walsh, C Gavin, C Guckian; D Sheridan, C Hughes, R Flanagan; R Cullivan (0-1, free), K Reilly; R Maguire, B Sheridan (0-3, two frees), C Cregg (0-1); D Keenan, L Sweetman (1-1), M McElroy (1-2, 0-1 from free). Subs: K Leahy for Guckian (53); M McElhinney for Keenan (58); W Muhall for McElhinney (64 Yellow).

KILDARE: S McCormack; H McGillan, D Brennan, M Kenny; M Scanlon, M Foley, M Conway (0-3, two frees); D Flynn, R Sweeney; E Callaghan (0-1), E O'Flaherty (0-1), J Kavanagh (0-3); M Harnett (0-2), K Donnelly (0-1), M O'Sullivan. Subs: D Hendy for Brennan (32 Yellow); K O'Neill for Scanlon (54); J Kavanagh for Harnett (32); M O'Flaherty for Flynn (60 Yellow); E Bolton for Sweeney (62 Yellow).

Referee: E Kinsella (Laois).

Roscommon qualify for final

CONNACHT LEAGUE: Substitute Kevin Higgins nailed the vital point minutes from the end to help Roscommon beat Mayo 1-7 to 1-6 and finish top of their Section in the FBD league in a game battered by wind and rain at Ballyhaunis.

Mayo found themselves in deep trouble at half-time trailing by 1-5 to 0-1, Trevor Mortimer’s 22nd-minute effort from play gave Mayo just a morsel of hope having been outplayed by a much hungrier Roscommon team in that first half.

John O’Mahony’s men looked in dire straights when they went 1-5 behind without a score and if David Clarke hadn’t been in superb form it could have been much worse for the Mayo men, the Mayo custodian also denying Roscommon two goals early in the second half.

The Sligo versus Leitrim game fixed for Coola was called off due to the bad weather, while NUIG completed the pool stages unbeaten in three games – after a 2-14 to 1-9 victory over Sligo IT – but did not win by enough in the wind and rain at Dangan to book a place in next weekend’s final against Galway. Instead, Roscommon go through on points difference.

SCORERS

Roscommon: S Kilbride 1-0; D Keenehan 0-2; S Purcell, K Mannion, G Cox, S McDermott, K Higgins 0-1 each.

Mayo: J Doherty 1-1; A Dillon 0-2; M Sweeney, B Regan, T Mortimer 0-1 each.

Laois and Carlow to meet

O'BYRNE SHIELD: Brian McCormack's 60th-minute goal proved the crucial score as Laois overcame Westmeath, 2-14 to 1-9, in the semi-final at a wet and windy Cusack Park yesterday.

McCormack's well-taken strike – following a Chris Bergin ball inside the Westmeath defence – gave Laois a four-point lead (2-9 to 1-8) and the visitors never looked back from there on.

Meanwhile, an impressive team showing from Carlow saw them prevail 1-17 to 0-13 over UCD in their semi-final at Éire Óg in Carlow.

Corofin set to face Crokes

ALL-IRELAND SFC: Corofin progressed as expected to the All-Ireland club semi-final after a fully deserved 2-7 to 0-6 victory over London's Tir Chonaill Gaels at Ruislip yesterday.

Corofin's victory has earned them a trip to Mullingar on February 21st where they will face Dublin and Leinster champions, Kilmacud Crokes.

SCORERS

Corofin: A O'Donovan 0-5 (all frees); G Higgins, A Donnellan 1-0 each; A Burke, K Comer (free) 0-1 each. Tír Chonaill Gaels: K Downes (four frees) 0-5; C McHugh) 0-1.

Cork and UL to clash in decider

McGRATH CUP: Cork kicked 15 points from play to qualify for the final following a surprisingly easy, 0-18 to 0-8, victory over a disappointing UCC in a game which didn't produce any yellow cards at Páirc Uí Rinn yesterday.

Cork set about their task from the start, sweeping five points clear inside 12 points, including a couple of fine efforts from Fintan Goold, whose brother, David, lined out with the students.

UCC trailed by 0-9 to 0-2 at the interval after Kevin O’Sullivan underlined his credentials by scoring three points. UCC threatened a revival in the second half, but four points in a row from Cork ended any doubts about the outcome.

Cork will meet University of Limerick in the final (next Sunday in Páirc Uí Rinn at 2pm), after UL beat Waterford 0-13 to 0-8 yesterday.

SCORERS

Cork: K O’Sullivan 0-5 (two frees, one 45); F Goold, M Harrington 0-3 each; P Kelly, C McCarthy 0-2 each; A O’Connor, C McManus, S O’Sullivan 0-1 each. UCC: D O’Shea, D Goold (frees), D Kearney 0-2 each; D O’Callaghan (free), P Corrigan 0-1 each.

Tipperary going for three in a row

MUNSTER(SH) CUP: Defending champions Tipperary set up a tasty early-season meeting with Clare in the Waterford Crystal Cup hurling final (next Sunday in Meelick at 2pm) after three second-half goals put paid to University Limerick, 3-9 to 1-8, in Cahir yesterday. Tipperary trailed 0-4 to 1-4 at half-time.

SCORERS

Tipperary: P Kelly 1-3; D Egan 0-3 (one free); L Corbett, H Maloney 1-0 each; P Bourke 0-2; J Devane 0-1.

University of Limerick: D Hayden (Offaly) 1-0; D Burke (Galway) 0-2; T Stapleton (Tipperary) (free), M Gleeson (Tipperary), R O'Dwyer (Tipperary), D Stack (Cork), A Egan (Offaly) 0-1 each.

Clare edge out Waterford IT

MUNSTER(SH) CUP: Home side Clare produced a deserved 2-12 to 1-12 win over WIT in the semi-final of the Waterford Crystal Tournament played at Meelick yesterday.

SCORERS

Clare: C Morey 0-7 (four frees); B Nugent 1-2; A Markham 1-0; C Ryan 0-3.

WaterfordIT: T Hammersley 1-4 (0-2 from frees, 0-1 from 65); TJ Reid 0-3 (one free); PJ Rowe 0-2; R Good, S Lillis (free), F OLeary 0-1 each.