Afternoon all and welcome along to today’s Allianz Hurling League coverage.
Here are the main games, we’ll be keeping track of.
Division 1A
Kilkenny v Cork, Nowlan Park, 2pm
Tipperary v Clare, Semple Stadium, 3pm
Division 1B
Galway v Laois, Pearse Stadium, 2pm
Wexford v Kerry, Innovate Wexford Park, 2pm
It’s been a brilliant start so far to life with Wexford for Davy Fitzgerald as they’ve claimed victories over Limerick and Galway to now be in pole position for promotion.
The venue for today’s showdown in Kilkenny.
Here’s how last night’s big hurling games unfolded in Croke Park and the Gaelic Grounds.
Kilkenny 0-2 Cork 0-0
2 mins – Flying start from Kilkenny with TJ Reid and Eoin Murphy both converting frees.
Wexford 0-2 Kerry 0-2
Two Lee Chin points so far for Wexford, Kerry reply each time through Brian Murphy and John Buckley.
Kilkenny 0-3 Cork 0-2
8 mins – Shane Kingston finds Alan Cadogan in space and the combination play between the Douglas duo results in a point.
Kilkenny 0-4 Cork 0-4
11 mins – Richie Leahy stretches Kilkenny’s lead before Seamus Harnedy and Lehane are on target to reel them in.
Wexford 0-3 Kerry 0-3
11 mins – Kerry making it interesting at the moment, still level with the Division 1B league leaders.
Galway 0-11 Laois 0-2
11 mins – Galway are running riot in Pearse Stadium, looks grim already for Laois.
Kerry 0-4 Wexford 0-3
Padraig Boyle puts over a free to put Kerry, who are backed by the wind, in front.
Kilkenny 0-5 Cork 0-5
14 mins – Points swapped by TJ Reid from a free and Bill Cooper from play.
Kilkenny 0-6 Cork 0-6
17 mins – It’s tight and closely contested so far in Nowlan Park. A free from Cork’s Conor Lehane leaves the sides level.
Galway 0-13 Laois 0-3
18 mins – An impressive 10-point lead now for Galway. Jason Flynn, Padraic Mannion, Joseph Cooney, Conor Cooney and Aidan Harte amongst their point-scorers to date.
Kilkenny 0-7 Cork 0-6
20 mins – A majestic point by TJ Reid, his first from play, and Kilkenny are back in front.
Wexford 0-6 Kerry 0-4
A little bit of daylight between the teams now as Paul Morris notches a point for Wexford.
Kilkenny 0-8 Cork 0-7
25 mins – Richie Hogan from play for his first of the day and Conor Lehane from a free for his fourth of the day.
Wexford 0-7 Kerry 0-4
Jack O’Connor is fouled and the free is slotted over by Conor McDonald to increase the gap to three points.
Kilkenny 0-9 Cork 0-7
29 mins – Reid fires over a free and then is just off target from play after an excellent flowing move by Kilkenny cut open the Cork rearguard.
Kilkenny 0-11 Cork 0-9
36 mins – Lehane hits over a wonderful free but that’s quickly cancelled out by Richie Hogan.
Kerry 0-7 Wexford 0-7
Paudie O’Connor brings Kerry level.
Galway 0-20 Laois 0-4
Thomas Monaghan on target as Galway reach the 20-point mark.
Half-Time: Galway 0-20 Laois 0-5
Half-Time: Wexford 0-7 Kerry 0-7
Half-Time: Kilkenny 0-11 Cork 0-10
A result from Croke Park.
Cork 0-11 Kilkenny 0-11
37 mins – Conor Lehane brings Cork level early in the second half.
Kilkenny 0-12 Cork 0-12
39 mins – Cillian Buckley points from play and Lehane bangs over a ’65. Cork could have netted before that ’65 but Eoin Murphy was equal to Cormac Murphy’s well-struck shot.
Goal for Wexford from Harry Kehoe!
Goal for Galway from David Burke!
Wexford 1-9 Kerry 0-7
A five-point lead now for Wexford.
Galway 1-23 Laois 0-7
The Galway captain hits the net and it looks like game over in Salthill.
Kilkenny 0-15 Cork 0-12
43 mins – Walter Walsh with a brace and one from Reid sends Kilkenny clear by three.
Tipperary 0-4 Clare 0-0
3 mins – Brendan Maher and John McGrath on target so far for Tipperary.
Kilkenny 0-18 Cork 0-12
45 mins – The gap is steadily increasing. Richie Hogan (2) and Conor Martin both point to increase the gap to six.
Tipperary 0-5 Clare 0-1
8 mins – First point of the day for Clare comes from Podge Collins.
Kilkenny 0-19 Cork 0-13
51 mins – Cork grab a point back through Dean Brosnan but Richie Leahy quickly responds for Kilkenny.
Goal for Wexford from Diarmuid O’Keeffe!
Red card for Kerry’s Patrick Kelly!
Kilkenny 0-20 Cork 0-13
55 mins – Richie Leahy raises another white flag for Kilkenny with a glorious shot from the sideline.
Brilliant save by Anthony Nash to deny Colin Fennelly finding the net for Kilkenny.
Subs: Cork bring in Patrick Horgan and Stephen McDonnnell for Killian Burke and Shane Kingston.
Red card for Cork’s Cormac Murphy.
Tipperary 0-8 Clare 0-8
David Reidy brings the Banner level. They’ve recovered well from a bad start to this game.
Joe Canning and Conor Whelan goals for Galway.
Galway 3-29 Laois 1-10
Quite the beating Galway have handed out at Pearse Stadium today.
Result – Kilkenny 0-22 Cork 0-15
Result: Wexford 3-18 Kerry 0-12
Clare 0-11 Tipperary 0-10
John McGrath points a free and now there’s only one between them in Thurles.
Half-Time: Clare 0-11 Tipperary 0-10
Result: Galway 3-31 Laois 1-11
A good day’s work then in Division 1B for Galway and Wexford while Kilkenny claim their first victory of the campaign in Division 1A.
Clare 0-11 Tipperary 0-11
Noel McGrath brings Tipperary level early in the second half.
Tipperary 0-15 Clare 0-12
45 mins - Noel and John McGrath both point, three in it now.
Tipperary 0-19 Clare 0-15
55 mins – John McGrath fires over a point, he’s been excellent today.
Tipperary 0-22 Clare 0-15
60 mins – Tipperary pulling clear now, seven points to the good.
Tipperary 0-23 Clare 0-20
68 mins – Galvin has made a real impression since coming on, now only three between the sides.
Tipperary 0-27 Clare 0-20
71 mins – Tipperary putting the game to bed now, newcomer Paul Flynn on target.
Result: Tipperary 0-28 Clare 0-21
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Played Junior football with niyi. One of the best full forwards iv seen! Great lad ! Hope this works out for him
@Cormac O’Gara: Templeogue/Synge St? Great club.
Indeed. Hon Synge
Niyi a former De La Salle College lad. Sure he is practically a Dubliner!
cormac are u eoghans bro
He is a Dubliner Rob.
Happy for him. Great player. I hope he gets Canada gametime.
Who will play 11 v AB’s?
Kelleher?
Definitely should be given a chance against Canada but even training with the squad and getting used to that environment will improve him immensely.
Well done Connacht rugby for giving him his chance professionally.
Great player. Deserves his shot at it.
At last! with Luke gone and Zeebs at FB the 11 slot was looking very sparse. Niyi has the speed to carve the ABs.
Im an idiot.
Yeah, all blacks must be quaking in their boots now this news is out!!!
They’ll carve him a new one if they fancy it.
I’d have Matt Healy before him in the 11 shirt, as would most Connacht fans. But seeing Niyi before Christmas not even making the 23, to filling in for the injured starter Poolman and the reserve Carr in the New Year, to absolutely crushing it from Paddy’s day on, to scoring in the final, to an Ireland call up. . . has been great.
@Range Rover P38: I was recently looking at early 1900s census online where the head of the house had to fill in facts about his family members. The heading of one particular column read,Lunatic,Idiot or Imbecile. Now I know a lunatic is a mad person but maybe you could enlighten me as to the difference between an idiot and an imbecile. BTW Niyi would cause problems for any team in the world if he broke the tackle line.
An idiot is someone who opens eyes at 7 and comments on the 42 rugby without having a coffee first. Start brain before talking. Niyi plays 14. Has done for years. Nothing to do with 11.
@Range Rover P38: Ah don’t be so hard on yourself. Some wingers can switch sides easily enough; I think Bowe, Earls and D.Kearney have all played on both wings at some stage.
@Range Rover P38, ^^* lol, you da man
On a serious note I’m delighted about this signing. It’s not like the lad is a blow in. In the 14 slot for Connacht his finishing, and his creation greatly aided that Pro12 championship. The Ireland team is weak at 14…which is what I failed to say this morning, very early. He’s been absolutely fantastic and an inventive try scorer. Ireland have been very poor scoring tries.
So the phone coverage in Connacht is shocking then! Or had he a Galaxy Note 7 that had just exploded when Joe tried to call him!!!!
Well Niyi is on fire alright