Waterford promotion hopes are dented

GALWAY UNITED, who ended Athlone's outside hopes of promotion on Friday, continued to have their say in who will join Kilkenny…

GALWAY UNITED, who ended Athlone's outside hopes of promotion on Friday, continued to have their say in who will join Kilkenny City in the Premier Division next season as they dented Waterford United's hopes at the Regional Sports Centre yesterday.

The 1-1 draw means that the promotion race goes right to the wire on Sunday, with Drogheda and Waterford level on points and with just one goal, to Drogheda's advantage, separating them. But that advantage may not seem too great as Drogheda's last game is at home to party-poopers Galway, while Waterford entertain Monaghan United.

Galway made Waterford sweat it out for much of yesterday's meeting after they'd taken a 14th minute lead when Harry Costello headed home a Stephen Lally corner. After Waterford had dominated for long spells, central defender Tony Hall, arguably Waterford's best player this season, timed his first goal of the season to perfection 12 minutes from time to head in a corner from Alan Reynolds.

Kilkenny City's title celebrations continued at Monaghan as they crushed the home side 4-1. Monaghan's Lee King had the sides level at the interval after he scored with a 40th minute penalty to equalise Pat McCarthy's opening goal for Kilkenny three minutes earlier.

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But John Power, with goals in the 49th and 63rd minutes, put Kilkenny in command and top scorer Ritchie Hale, added a fourth ten minutes from time after the Monaghan goalkeeper, Robbie O'Dowd, had been sent-off for handling the ball outside the box four minutes earlier.

Paddy Doyle scored twice for St Francis in a 4-0 home win over Longford Town. Captain Bernard Connolly and Thomas Clarke scored the other goals.

Antonio Izzi scored his 12th league goal of the season as Cobh Ramblers beat Limerick 2-0 at St Colman's Park on Saturday. Izzi opened the scoring on 16 minutes, after outpacing the Limerick defence and rounding goalkeeper Eddie Hickey. He then crossed for Paul Coughlan to head Cobb's second goal 12 minutes later.

. Summerhill College, Sligo, regained the Irish Schools Senior A Championship title with a 3-2 win over Colaiste Spioraid Naomh, Cork, in a gripping All-Ireland final at MacSharry Park, Sligo, yesterday. Irish international Sean Flannery hit the winner in the fourth minute of the first period of extra-time.