Kilkenny set-up Cork semi, Rebels and Clare all square and Tipp and Galway hit big scores

LAST UPDATE | 19 Mar 2023

Results – Allianz Hurling League

Division 1

• Westmeath 1-12 Galway 4-27

• Clare 2-18 Cork 2-18

• Kilkenny 0-18 Waterford 0-16

• Dublin 1-29 Laois 0-20

• Antrim 2-18 Tipperary 4-28

Semi-finals

• Tipperary v Limerick

• Cork v Kilkenny

Relegation play-off

• Westmeath v Laois

*****

KILKENNY SET-UP A Division 1 Allianz Hurling League semi-final against Cork after getting the better of defending champions Waterford at Nowlan Park.

Elsewhere, Tipperary and Galway both hit big scoring tallies in their respective clashes today, while Clare and Cork played out a draw in Ennis.

Dublin finished their campaign with a 12-point victory over Laois at Parnell Park, and the semi-final and relegation play-off details were confirmed.

Tipperary and Limerick, and Cork and Kilkenny, will go head-to-head in the last four, with Westmeath and Laois doing battle for Division 1 survival. Those fixtures will take place next weekend, with the final slated in for 9 April.

#GAA news: #AllianzLeagues Division One Semi-Finals pairings confirmed

— The GAA (@officialgaa) March 19, 2023

The Cats finished strongest after a largely unmemorable meeting on Noreside, points from Billy Drennan and substitute duo Shane Walsh and Alan Murphy seeing them home.

Drennan top-scored for Kilkenny with 0-10 (9f), while Paudie Fitzgerald was Waterford’s main contributor with six frees. 

With several other dead rubbers, effectively, down for decision today, all went along expected lines.

Tipp maintained their 100% record and geared up for their semi-final against the All-Ireland champions as they fired 4-28 past Antrim at Corrigan Park.

Liam Cahill’s side had 11 different scorers, with Mark Kehoe, Pauric Campion, Conor Bowe and Sean Ryan raising their green flags. John McGrath was in fine scoring form with 0-7 (1f), while Gearoid O’Connor hit 0-9 (7f, 1 ’65).

The Premier county dominated in every facet, leading by 14 points at half time. To Antrim’s credit, they rallied in the second half, with Nigel Elliott, Conal Cunning and Rian McMullan leading the Saffron scoring charge.

Galway scored one point less than Tipp against Westmeath — 4-27. Brian Concannon, Declan McLoughlin, Jason Flynn and Tiernan Killeen bagged the goals for Henry Shefflin’s side, while Evan Niland top-scored with 0-11 (8f, 1 ’65′).

Westmeath lost star defender Tommy Doyle to injury early on, increasing an uphill battle in the absence of key forward Killian Doyle. The Tribe were without David Burke, a cruciate injury ruling the 2017 All-Ireland winning captain out for the rest of the season.

Clare and Cork couldn’t be separated at Cusack Park. The hosts finished with 14 men, with David Fitzgerald sent off. Aidan McCarthy (1-13, 9f) and David Reidy (1-0) scored their goals as they avoided a second consecutive defeat on home soil.

Pat Ryan, meanwhile, was left sweating on injuries to Seamus Harnedy and Declan Dalton, the attacking duo both forced off before half time. Harnedy had impressed up to that point with 1-3 on his first start of the season, while Padraig Power hit the Rebels’ other major.

And in the capital, Donal Burke scored 0-12 (7f) as Micheál Donoghue’s Dubs closed out their campaign on a high against Laois. The visitor’s free-taker, Stephen Maher, matched Burke’s tally, but the hosts had too much, with Alex Considine scoring their goal.

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