Exciting fare ahead in Allianz League Hurling Semi-Final weekend
Places in the finals in all divisions will be on the line next weekend and there are also relegation issues to be decided as the Allianz hurling League heads towards its climax.
It’s two each from Leinster and Munster in the Division 1 semi-finals while Antrim face Offaly in the relegation play- off.
CORK v KILKENNY
They meet in the Allianz League semi-final for the first time since 1986, while their last meeting in the League was in 2019 when Kilkenny won by seven points. More recently, they met in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final when Cork won by 1-37 to 1-32 after extra-time.
Cork are bidding to reach the Division 1 final for the first time since 2015 when they lost to Waterford. They last won the title in 1998.
Kilkenny were last in the final in 2018, which they won. They were joint winners with Galway last year.
PATHS TO THE SEMI-FINAL
CORK
Cork 2-30 Clare 2-21
Cork 4-25 Offaly 1-15
Cork 2-19 Limerick 1-13
Cork 1-26 Galway 0-23
Wexford 1-22 Cork 1-17
Played 5, Won 4, Lost 1
Average For: 2-24
Average Against: 1-19
Top Scorers
Shane Kingston... 4-20 (0-12 frees, 0-1 ‘65’)
Patrick Horgan.....1-22 (0-14 frees, o-3 ‘65s’)
Conor Lehane.......1-11 (0-3 frees)
Mark Coleman......0-13 (0-7 frees)
Darragh Fitzgibbon..1-9
KILKENNY
Kilkenny 2-15 Antrim 3-9
Tipperary 1-19 Kilkenny 1-18
Kilkenny 2-28 Laois 0-17
Kilkenny 2-23 Dublin 0-16
Kilkenny 2-21 Waterford 0-21
Average For: 2-21
Average Against: 1-16
Alan Murphy .........0-23 (0-17 frees)
Martin Keoghan......3-8
Padraig Walsh.........0-15
Walter Walsh...........1-10
John Donnelly...........0-11 (0-7 frees)
WATERFORD v WEXFORD
They last met in the Allianz League in 2018 when Wexford won a 1A game by seven points.
Wexford last reached the Division 1 final in 1993 when they lost to Cork in a second replay. They last won the title in 1973.
Waterford were last in the final in 2019 when they lost to Limerick. They last won the title in 2015.
WATERFORD
Waterford 2-15 Dublin 0-21
Waterford 7-31 Laois 0-19
Waterford 3-21 Antrim 2-22
Waterford 1-28 Tipperary 0-21
Played 5, Won 3, Drew 1, Lost 1
Average For: 3-22
Stephen Bennett ....6-40 (0-31 frees, 4-0 pens, 0-2 ‘65s’)
Austin Gleeson........1-19 (0-8 frees, 0-1 ‘65’, 0-1 s/l)
Patrick Curran.........1-10
Colin Dunford.......2-3
Ciaran Kirwan.......1-5
WEXFORD
Wexford 1-11 Limerick 0-11
Wexford 2-20 Clare 1-20
Wexford 2-15 Galway 0-15
Wexford 1-22 Offaly 2-12
Played 5, Won 5
Average For 1-19
Average Against: 1-15
Rory O’Connor....3-32 (0-15 frees, 0-1 ’65)
Jack O’Connor......0-18 (0-12 frees)
Diarmuid O’Keeffe.....1-4
Conor McDonald........0-7
Paudie Foley...............0-5 (0-3 frees)
ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIV 1 RELEGATION PLAY-OFF: ANTRIM v OFFALY
Both lost all five games in their respective groups, Offaly by an average of 16.6 points per game, Antrim by an average of 7.9 points. Their biggest defeat came on Sunday when they lost to Tipperary by 29 points
Antrim are trying to avoid relegation to Division 2 after two seasons in the top flight. Offaly were promoted last year. They last met in the Allianz League in 2020 when the Division 2A game finished level.
THIS SEASON.....
ANTRIM
Dublin 2-19 Antrim 2-15
Laois 1-20 Antrim 1-19
Tipperary 7-28 Antrim 1-17
OFFALY
Galway 4-22 Offaly 0-17
Cork 4-25 Offaly 1-15.
Clare 4-20 Offaly 0-16
Limerick 4-29 Offaly 0-17
The weekend action is as follows:
Allianz League Semi-Finals
Saturday
Division 1: Cork v Kilkenny, Pairc Ui Chaoimh, 7.15
Division 2A: Westmeath v Kerry, TEG Cusack Park, 1.0
Division 2B: Donegal v Sligo, Letterkenny, 2.0
Division 3A: Roscommon v Armagh, Dr. Hyde Park, 2.0
Division 3B: Longford v Leitrim, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, 2.30
Sunday
Division 1 semi-final:
Wexford v Waterford, UPMC Nowlan Park, 3.45
Relegation play-offs
Division 1: Offaly v Antrim, Pairc Tailteann, 3.0
Division 2B: Wicklow v Mayo, Venue TBC, 12.30