Carlow well in control

Leinster MHC and Connacht MFC Round-up: Carlow, beaten finalists last year, proved much too good for Meath as they advanced to the quarter-final stage of the Leinster minor hurling championship on a 2-15 to 1-4 scoreline at Kilmessan on Saturday.

The visitors, who had five of last year's squad in action, were only a goal to the good (1-2 to 0-2) at the end of the first half, having played against the breeze after Eddie Byrne's early goal.

However, Carlow took control in the second half when scoring 1-9 in a nine-minute spell in the third quarter, Jason Brennan netting the second goal and Dwayne Kavanagh striking a huge point from a free inside his own half.

Kildare finished a predictably well-beaten side in their meeting with Offaly, going down 3-24 to 1-7 at Clane, also on Saturday.

Offaly took an early lead through Daniel Currams and the scores came thick and fast as Offaly raised nine flags without reply on their way to an interval lead of 2-13 to 1-2.

Full forward Willy Cullen was the Wexford hero as they romped to a 50-point win over Wicklow, winning 10-23 to 0-3 at Arklow on Saturday. Cullen blasted home five goals and four points. But it was no one-man victory by Wexford who dominated all over the field and led their opponents by 8-10 to 0-1 at the break.

Paul Garvey masterminded Roscommon's comfortable 1-13 to 0-8 Connacht minor football championship win over Sligo at Markievicz Park on Saturday. Man-of-the-match Garvey was always a menacing presence and scored 1-4 of his side's total.

Scorers: Carlow- J Brennan 1-3; E Byrne 1-1; C Coughlan 0-3; D Kavanagh, P Kehoe, D Murphy 0-2 each; B Doyle, C Clancy 0-1 each; Meath- D Kennedy 1-0, B Slevin 0-2, M Dunne, R Massey 0-1 each.

Scorers: Offaly- D Currams 1-3; A Whelehan 0-5 (frees); D Bevans, T Spain (1-1 each); M Egan, N Dunne (one free) 0-3 each; J Devery, G Conneely, J Mulrooney 0-2 each; B Harding, B Lonergan 0-1 each; Kildare- J Phelan 1-1; P Keegan 0-3 (frees); J Roche 0-2 (frees); D Butler 0-1.

Scorers: Wexford- W Cullen 5-4; L Murphy 1-5; J Kelly, J Rackard 1-1 each; P O'Keeffe, D Kinsella 1-0 each; P Morris 0-5, S Tomkins 0-3; E Walsh 0-2; J Gahan, B Kehoe 0-1 each; Wicklow- B Osborne (0-2); Georgie O'Brien (0-1).

Scorers: Roscommon- P Garvey 1-4 (three frees); D McDermott (0-5, two frees); K Higgins 0-2, K Cummins, K Brady 0-1 each; Sligo- B Harris 0-3 (two frees); A Dunne 0-2; D Clarke, C Burns, P Clarke (free) 0-1 each.