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Full-time: Clare 1-18 Limerick 3-15
“That’s exactly why they are chasing five-in-a-row,” declared Joe Canning on RTE after Limerick recovered from a nine-point deficit to defeat The Banner by three points.
Clare were flying as Aidan McCarthy and Shane O’Donnell caused havoc for the first 50 minutes, surging their side into a 1-15 to 0-9 lead.
However, three quick Limerick goals – including two from Aaron Gillane – secured the comeback win. Gearoid Hegarty claimed the Man of the Match accolade, as Limerick march on and proved their mettle again.
This is a screenshot of Aaron Gillane just being in the square before he scored a rebound goal. Seeing as they lost by only three points, Clare will be aggrieved that the call went against them:
Full-time: Wexford 1-21 Dublin 2-18
Wexford were cruising but they conceded two stoppage time goals to Dublin’s Danny Sutcliffe and Cian O’Sullivan saw them end up with a hard-earned draw.
Full-time: Cavan 3-16 Tyrone 1-23 (aet)
Tyrone were six up at the break but Cavan rallied late on to snatch a late equaliser. Going to extra time and Tyrone get one with a point to spare.
Full-time: Roscommon 0-13 Mayo 1-15
Mayo move on to the Connacht SFC Final. Ryan O’Donoghue was in decent form and Aidan O’Shea bagged a fine first half goal.
Full-time: Donegal 4-11 Derry 0-16
Goals from Oisin Gallen, Jamie Brennan and Daire O Baoill (two) ended Derry’s dreams of a third Ulster Championship in a row as the fly-goalie tactic was destroyed in Celtic Park.
Playing as a roving goalkeeper, as he has done all year, Derry’s Odhran Lynch was caught out for three of Donegal’s four goals.
Donegal’s second goal, scored by Daire Ó Baoill, really showed up the fly-goalkeeping tactic.
The result blows the Ulster championship wide open and sends Derry back to the drawing board.
The question was whether, after all these years, Jim McGuinness would be able to bring something new to Gaelic football once more. What he did was he brought something old, as one of the oldest tactics in Gaelic football – the long kick-out – inspired Donegal to glory.
After the game, The Sunday Game analyst Ciaran Whelan didn’t spare Mickey Harte over Derry’s display.
“Derry spectacularly got it wrong and I think certainly, Jim McGuinness came and wiped the floor with Mickey Harte tactically,” said Whelan.
“Donegal came and sat back and they came determined to play on the counter-attack and not to give up easy goals.
“If a team dictates that style of play, you have to protect yourself. Odhran Lynch pushed out on them…Three stupid mistakes. If he stays on his line, they’re not getting those goals.”
‘It’s a massive set-back for Derry. “You’ve got to question it. I get it, balancing space and so on. But to me, it’s just mind-boggling. He’s been caught a few times, and that ultimately was the difference,” added Whelan.
Peter Canavan, meanwhile, said Jim McGuinness didn’t have to bring anything new to the table in terms of tactical innovations.
“Derry were sitting ducks from winning the National League,” said Canavan.
” A lot of people felt Jim McGuinness would have to bring something new. He didn’t bring anything new. He just exploited Odhran Lynch’s position for the kick-out.”
Keep up to date with all the action in our live-blog below. (It might take one minute to load.)
The sun is out, the championship is here.
The Gaelic football has slowly stuttered into gear with a couple of so-so early provincial weekends but the action really ramps up now.
Saturday promises plenty of excitement with the meeting of Kerry and Cork in the Munster senior football championship followed by Jim McGuinness vs Mickey Harte up in Ulster. It’s the clash of the Allianz League Division Two Champions with the Division One champions up in Celtic Park, in the Ulster senior football quarter final.
While the football has been somewhat slow to ramp up, the hurling begins on Sunday with proverbial bang.
In fact, it could be argued that there are too many games on Sunday with the eagerly anticipated match between Clare and Limerick throwing in at the same time as Wexford vs Dublin in Leinster, as well as the Joe McDonagh headliner between Offaly and Laois.
Some hurling fans are less than pleased with the fixture scheduling for the opening round of the Championship.
The Munster and Leinster Championships and the Joe McDonagh Cup all begin this weekend in what is a feast of hurling.
Bar the Joe McDonagh Cup clash of Meath and Down, no other big hurling game will take place on Saturday however.
Instead, four of the biggest games of the weekend – namely Clare-Limerick (Munster), Wexford-Dublin (Leinster) and Laois-Offaly, Westmeath-Kerry (Joe McDonagh) – all throw in at the same time (2.00) on Sunday.
Neither Wexford-Dublin nor Laois-Offaly, Westmeath-Kerry will be streamed or shown on TV.
Supporters have questioned why Dublin-Wexford couldn’t be played on the Saturday. It also ensures that the Joe McDonagh’s will be overpowered on its opening weekend by Munster and Leinster championship clashes.
The other big hurling game of the weekend, Cork-Waterford (4.00 Sunday) will be shown on GAA GO.
Meanwhile, despite the fact that there are 11 senior championship games this Sunday, meaning that The Sunday Game will already be jam-packed with highlights, it appears that RTÉ are planning a discussion about fixtures.
See all the weekend’s fixtures below.
Fixtures:
Saturday
Connacht SFC semi-final
Sligo v Galway, Markievicz Park, 3.30
Munster SFC semi-finals
Kerry v Cork, Fitzgerald Stadium, 4.00 – GAAGO
Waterford v Clare, Fraher Field, 6.00
Ulster SFC quarter-final
Derry v Donegal, Celtic Park, 6.15 – RTE & BBC
Joe McDonagh Cup round 1.00
Down v Meath, Ballycran, 2.00
Christy Ring Cup round 2
Derry v Tyrone, Owenbeg, 1.00
London v Sligo, Ruislip, 1.00
Sunday
Munster SHC round 1
Clare v Limerick, Cusack Park, 2.00 – RTE
Waterford v Cork, Walsh Park, 4.00 – GAAGO
Connacht SFC semi-final
Roscommon v Mayo, Dr Hyde Park, 4.00
Ulster SFC quarter-final
Cavan v Tyrone, Kingspan Breffni, 4.00 – BBC
Leinster SHC round 1
Wexford v Dublin, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 2.00
Galway v Carlow, Pearse Stadium, 2.00
Kilkenny v Antrim, UPMC Nowlan Park, 2.30
Joe McDonagh Cup round 1
Laois v Offaly, O’Moore Park, 2.00
Westmeath v Kerry, Mullingar, 2.00
