Munster SFC quarter-finals
Waterford 2-7 Tipperary 1-5
TOM O’Connell was the talisman for Waterford as they recorded their first Munster Championship win over Tipperary in 36 years amid late drama at Fraher Field.
Waterford had finished bottom of Division Four and ended their league campaign a fortnight ago with a 25-point defeat at the hands of Laois. Consequently, going into Sunday’s encounter, Tipperary were definite favourites, despite not having set Division Four on fire themselves this spring. And when the home side managed to register just a single point during the opening 35 minutes in Dungarvan, Tipp’s favourite’s tag appeared to be completely justified.
However, the Déise were a team transformed in the second period, with late O’Connell goals pushing them over the line for a famous win, their first against anyone in Munster since a four-point victory over Clare back in 2010.
Tipperary’s goal came after just two minutes and the points of Stephen Grogan and Riain Quigley sent them towards a 1-2 to 0-1 half-time lead in what was a low-scoring game played in blustery conditions.
However, the Déise started the second-half in promising fashion as points from Stephen Curry (2) and O’Connell brought them level and, after Teddy Doyle nudged the visitors back in front, a goal from O’Connell with five minutes remaining put Waterford ahead.
Two minutes into injury-time, O’Connell would hit the net again and seal a famous win for Paul Shankey’s men as they successfully tore up the script and moved into the last-four.
Next up for Waterford is that Munster semi-final date with Clare at Fraher Field on April 20, while Tipperary descend to the Tailteann Cup.
Cork 3-13 Limerick 0-11
CORK booked themselves the daunting prospect of a Munster semi-final date with Kerry after coming from behind to defeat Limerick by 11 points at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday.
Limerick had endured a nightmarish National League campaign, losing seven games from seven in Division Three as they finished bottom of the table and plummeted through the relegation trap door. As a result, confidence levels couldn’t have been high as they travelled to the Leeside on Sunday.
However, it was the Treaty who started the brightest of the two sides and it was only second-half goals from Chris Óg Jones, Ruairí Deane and Ian Maguire that put the Leesiders on the path to victory, having trailed by a point at half-time.
The points of James Naughton, Bob Childs and Brian Nix were what helped Limerick raise the unlikely chances of a shock and they went in at the break with a 0-7 to 0-6 lead.
John Cleary’s men had the breeze in their favour in the second-half and soon surged in front with points from Jones and Brian O’Driscoll ahead of the former smashing in their first goal.
The hosts wouldn’t look back from there, as Deane fisted in their second goal before Ian Maguire raised the umpire’s green flag with four minutes to go and hand the Treaty men a defeat which consigns them to the Tailteann Cup.
Cork’s meeting with old rivals Kerry is set for April 20 in Killarney.
Connacht SFC quarter-finals
New York 2-6 Mayo 2-21
MAYO had little difficulty setting up a semi-final with Roscommon on their trip to the United States
Ryan O’Donoghue got their goal as they built a 1-11 to 0-2 lead at half-time and despite the home side netting twice in the second half, Kevin McStay’s men were never troubled.
London 0-9 Galway 5-21
GALWAY put a difficult league campaign behind them to cruise into the semi-finals of the Connacht SFC on Saturday by dismantling London in a 27-point victory in Ruislip.
This one-sided affair officially commenced the 2024 race for Sam Maguire and saw the Tribes men running up a 0-11 to 0-3 margin by the 30-minute mark. Shortly afterwards, they netted their first goal via Cathal Sweeney.
That saw the visitors towards a 1-15 to 0-3 half-time lead and they were to add three more points after the turnaround before a devastating six-minute spell that saw them net four goals. Céin D’Arcy, Paul Conroy and Tomo Culhane (2) raised the green flags to truly bury the Exiles hopes as the holders cantered towards the finish line.
The only down side for Pádraic Joyce’s men from the trip to the English capital were the knocks picked up by Johnny Heaney and Culhane, which further adds to their already extensive injury list.
Next up for Galway is the Connacht semi-final meeting with Sligo in Salthill on April 20.
Leitrim 0-6 Sligo 0-15
SLIGO proved too strong for Leitrim in Sunday’s Connacht quarter-final in Carrick-on-Shannon.
Played in windy conditions, it took eight minutes for Pearce Dolan to notch the game’s first point, which would be erased by Darragh Cummins at the other end come the quarter-hour mark.
A free from Niall Murphy, who finished with 0-5 to his name, gave Sligo the lead for the first time a minute later and, from there, they’d surge 0-9 to 0-1 in front, with Paul Kilcoyne fisting over their ninth point on the stroke of half-time.
Canice Mulligan made it a nine-point game shortly after the restart and while Darragh Rooney and Ryan O’Rourke would pull back points, there’d be no way back for Andy Moran’s side as they would go on to be reduced to 14 men.
Shane Quinn’s second caution resulted in the defender’s dismissal as the hosts bowed out of the Nestor Cup race with a nine-point defeat.