It’s a fresh-looking Tuesday around Kilkenny and Carlow, certainly more than yesterday, so let’s take a look at some of the sporting headlines for KCLR and Scoreline.ie today.
Championship draws
Beginning with Gaelic games and the draws for the 2023 JJ Kavanagh & Sons Under 21 hurling championship in Kilkenny took place at UPMC Nowlan Park last evening.
While the dates are to be confirmed, I can tell you at the very least in the A championship we’ll see Bennettsbridge take on Dunnamagin, O’Loughlin Gaels host Dicksboro A, Graigue Ballycallan face James Stephens while Mooncoin make the hop to Thomastown, all in the quarter-finals.
Dates and times that have been confirmed include a couple of big games for this weekend. The GAA have published their list of fixtures for the weekend ahead with Carlow’s Tailteann Cup clash with Limerick locked in for 3pm on Saturday, despite suggestions at the weekend that it may move due to a clash with Kilkenny and Carlow’s Leinster intermediate camogie championship final which also takes place in Carlow this Saturday with a 2.30pm throw-in.
Kilkenny’s All-Ireland minor hurling semi-final against Clare has also been set for 1pm on Saturday to open a double-header of hurling in FBD Semple Stadium Thurles. Niall Bergin is Kilkenny minor hurling manager and he told Full Time last night that despite a few injury concerns, they’ll be giving the game their all this weekend. Hear his interview at the beginning of last night’s show below.
Results recap
In Carlow last night there were two games in the senior football league. In Division 1 it finished Old Leighlin 1-10 Bagenalstown Gaels 2-06 while in Division 2 Éire Óg beat Mount Leinster Rangers 2-11 to 2-08. The minor spring leagues also saw wins for Palatine, St. Martin’s and Bagenalstown Gaels who put 5-4 past St. Patrick’s.
On the national front, Cork are this year’s Munster under 20 hurling champions thanks to a comeback win over Clare last night. That one finished 1-23 to 1-21 at the Gaelic Grounds. Tomorrow night sees Carlow’s Netwatch Cullen Park host the Leinster Under 20 hurling final between Wexford and Offaly with a 7.30pm throw-in.
Meanwhile, St. Kieran’s College Kilkenny will meet Good Counsel College New Ross in Inistioge later today for the Leinster First Year Hurling Larry Doyle Cup Final. Throw-in is at 1.30pm.
Football latest
Carlow native Pádraig Amond has been named the Woking Supporters’ Player of the Year in the Vanarama National League. He played all bar one game for Woking this season, clocked up 12 goals, 11 assists in the league, and helped steer the club to their first-ever promotion playoffs. He also scored a cracker FA Cup goal against Southend early in the competition (see it from the 26 second mark below)
Closer to home again, New Oak Boys Conor Byrne has confirmed he’s calling it a day following back-to-back quadruple wins with the Carlow club completed at the weekend. Speaking to Full Time last night, Byrne says repeating history was always the goal for this past season. Hear his full interview at the end of last night’s show below.
In good news for the KCLR Breakfast crew and Leeds supporters this morning, the club’s U21’s won the Premier League 2 Division 2 playoffs last night with 3-0 win at home to Nottingham Forest.
Liverpool are just one point off the Champions League qualification places after a 3-0 win at Leicester in the Premier League including two goals for Curtis Jones and another for Trent Alexander Arnold, the first Liverpudlians to score together in a game since Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard beat Middlesbrough late on in the early stages of the 2008/2009 season.
A run of seven wins in a row has put Jurgen Klopp’s side in contention to finish in the top four, or at least keep the pressure on Newcastle and Man United who have a game in hand. Defeat for Leicester leaves them two points clear of safety with a trip to Newcastle up next before finishing the season away to West Ham.
Tonight we’ll know one of the finalists for the Champions League with Inter and AC Milan meeting their semi-final second leg, Inter leading 2-0 from last week. Sunderland also take a 2-1 lead into their Championship play-off semi-final against Luton. Both games kick off at eight o’clock.
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