Leinster and Munster SHC finalists to be decided
June 18, 2013
We will know more after this weekends games. INPHO
The weekend's action in the race for the Liam MacCarthy Cup is as follows:
Saturday June 22
GAA Hurling All-Ireland Qualifier Preliminary Round
London v Westmeath, Ruislip, 16.30
Wexford v Antrim, Wexford Park, 15.00
Offaly v Waterford, Tullamore, 19:00
Sunday June 23
Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Semi-final
Kilkenny v Dublin, Portlaoise, 15.30
Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Semi-final
Clare v Cork, Gaelic Grounds, 16:00
CORK v CLARE, GAELIC GROUNDS, SUNDAY, 16:00
It was a very busy rivalry in the last decade with the counties meeting five times in 2003-2008, all of which were won by Cork. The Rebels also won in the1999 Munster final, which leaves Clare seeking their first win over Cork since the 1998 Munster semi-final. Their last meeting was in 2008 when Cork won an All-Ireland quarter-final by two points.
The counties have met on 46 occasions in the Championship with Cork leading 32-11 while there have been three draws. Clare last reached the Munster finalin 2008 when they lost to Tipperary while Cork last reached the final in 2010when they lost in a replay to Waterford.
This will be Cork's first outing in the 2013 championship, whereas Clare havealready beaten Waterford by 2-20 to 1-15. Waterford led by 1-9 to 0-8 at half-time and it was level at the three-quarter mark before Clare out-scored theirrivals by 2-6 to 0-4 in the final quarter. Colin Ryan was Clare's top scorer on 0-7 (0-6 frees, 0-1 '65') while Tony Kelly hit 0-4.
Last Five Championship Clashes
2008: Cork 2-19 Clare 2-17 (All-Ireland quarter-final)
2007: Cork 1-18 Clare 1-11 (Munster quarter-final)
2006: Cork 0-20 Clare 0-14 (Munster semi-final)
2005: Cork 0-16 Clare 0-15 (All-Ireland semi-final)
2003: Cork 1-18 Clare 0-10 (Munster semi-final)
This year's clashes....
This will be fourth meeting between the counties this year with Clare having won the previous three. Remarkably, Clare scored only one goal in the three games, which featured extra-time in the relegation play-off, yet still won them all.
1. Clare 0-20 Cork 2-11 (Waterford Crystal Cup semi-final, Sixmilebridge, February 1)
Late points by Colin Ryan and Cathal O'Connell edged Clare to victory. They led by 0-10 to 0-7 at half-time.
2. Clare 1-22 Cork 1-16 (Allianz Hurling League, Páirc Uí Rinn, March 16)
Clare trailed by 0-12 to 0-7 at half-time but won the second half by 1-15 to 1-4 in a remarkable performance which overwhelmed Jimmy Barry-Murphy's men. Colin Ryan scored 0-12 (0-9 frees) for Clare while Patrick Horgan on 0-9 (0-8 frees, 0-1 '65') was Cork's main marksman.
3. Clare 0-31 Cork 2-23 (Allianz Hurling League - Div 1A Play-off -
Limerick, April 14)
It took extra-time to separate them in a tense battle to decide who dropped into Division 1B. In the end, it was Cork who lost out in the high-scoring shoot-out. Colin Ryan on 0-10 (0-6 frees), Tony Kelly 0-6 and John Conlon 0-4 were top scorers for Clare while Patrick Horgan 0-11 (0-7 frees), Pa Cronin 1-3 and Luke O'Farrell 1-2 were Cork's main marksmen.
Did You Know
That Cork's last Munster final win was in 2006 and that since then they have reached only one final, which they lost in a replay with Waterford in 2010. That if Clare win, they will set up a first Munster final clash with Limerick since 1995, a year they went on to win the All-Ireland title.
DUBLIN v KILKENNY, PORTLAOISE, SUNDAY, 15:30
They meet for the fifth successive year in the Leinster championship with Kilkenny having won the previous four by margins ranging from six (2009 Leinster final) to nineteen (2010 Leinster semi-final) points. Dublin are seeking their first championship win over Kilkenny since the 1942 Leinster final when they won by 4-8 to 1-4. In all, the counties have been paired on 78 occasions in the Leinster championship with the score standing at 55-18 in Kilkenny's favour while there have been five draws.
Kilkenny and Dublin have met in the championship on thirteen occasions in Portlaoise, with Kilkenny winning seven to Dublin's for while there have been two draws.
This will be the third successive weekend that Dublin are in championship action, having drawn with Wexford (1-17 each) in the quarter-final last Saturday week before winning the replay by 1-17 to 0-12 last Saturday. Kilkenny beat Offaly by 0-26 to 4-9 in the quarter-final last Sunday week. It was only the third time in Brian Cody's fifteen seasons in charge that they conceded four goals in the championship. The others were in the 2005 All-Ireland semi-final against Galway and the 2010 All-Ireland final against Tipperary. They lost both of those games, unlike last Sundays week's tie with Offaly which they won by five points.
Last Five Championship Clashes
2012: Kilkenny 2-21 Dublin 0-9 (Leinster semi-final)
2011: Kilkenny 4-17 Dublin 1-15 (Leinster final)
2010: Kilkenny 4-19 Dublin 0-12 (Leinster semi-final)
2009: Kilkenny 2-18 Dublin 0-18 (Leinster final)
2004: Kilkenny 4-22 Dublin 0-8 (All-Ireland qualifiers)
Brian Cody v Dublin
Brian Cody takes Kilkenny into the championship for the 15th successive year.
In that period, they have played Dublin seven times in the championship, winning all seven by margins ranging from six to 26 points.
2000: Kilkenny 3-16 Dublin 0-10 (Leinster semi-final)
2003: Kilkenny 3-16 Dublin 0-10 (Leinster semi-final)
2004: Kilkenny 4-22 Dublin 0-8 (All-Ireland qualifier)
2009: Kilkenny 2-18 Dublin 0-18 (Leinster final)
2010: Kilkenny 4-19 Dublin 0-12 (Leinster semi-final)
2011: Kilkenny 4-17 Dublin 1-15 (Leinster final)
2012: Kilkenny 2-21 Dublin 0-9 (Leinster semi-final)
Anthony Daly v Kilkenny
Anthony Daly has managed Clare and Dublin into championship action against Kilkenny. From seven outings (three with Clare, four with Dublin) his best result was in the 2004 All-Ireland quarter-final when Clare drew with Kilkenny before losing the replay.
2004: Kilkenny 1-13 Clare 1-13 (All-Ireland quarter-final)
2004: Kilkenny 1-11 Clare 0-9 (All-Ireland quarter-final replay)
2006: Kilkenny 2-21 Clare 1-16 (All-Ireland semi-final)
2009: Kilkenny 2-18 Dublin 0-18 (Leinster final)
2010: Kilkenny 4-19 Dublin 0-12 (Leinster semi-final)
2011: Kilkenny 4-17 Dublin 1-15 (Leinster final)
2012: Kilkenny 2-21 Dublin 0-9 (Leinster semi-final)
Did You Know
That this will be the 63rd time that Brian Cody leads Kilkenny into the championship since being appointed manager in November 1998. That Dublin are seeking to reach the Leinster final for the third time under Anthony Daly, having previously been there in 2009 and 2011 when they lost to Kilkenny on both occasions.
OFFALY v WATERFORD, TULLAMORE, SATURDAY 19:00
This will be only the third senior championship game between the counties, having met for the first time in the All-Ireland qualifiers in 2005 when Waterford won by 1-26 to 1-15 at Dr.Cullen Park. Their second meeting was in the 2008 All-Ireland qualifiers when Waterford won by 2-18 in 0-18 in Thurles. Eoin Kelly scored 2-13 of Waterford's total while Brian Carroll hit 0-9 for Offaly.
Both counties have had one outing in this year's championship with Offaly losing to Kilkenny by 0-26 to 4-9 in the Leinster quarter-final and Waterford losing to Clare by 2-20 to 1-15 in the Munster quarter-final.
Waterford led Clare by four points and the sides were level at the three- quarter-final before Clare won the last quarter by 2-6 to 0-4. Offaly led Kilkenny by 2-4 to 0-5 after 18 minutes and by 2-6 to 0-11at half-time but Kilkenny powered on in the second half, which they won by 0-15 to 2-3. Joe Bergin (2-0), Colin Egan (1-2) and Shane Dooley 0-5 (0-4 frees, 0-1 '65') were Offaly's top scorers. The winners will play London or Westmeath in the next qualifying round on Saturday week.
WEXFORD v ANTRIM, WEXFORD PARK, SATURDAY, 15:00
This will be only the fourth clash between the counties in championship history. They first met in 1954 when Wexford won the All-Ireland semi-final by 12-17 to 2-3. Nicky Rackard score a total of 7-7 for Wexford in what was a 60-minute game. The second clash was in 2003 when Wexford won an All-Ireland quarter-final by 2-15 to 2-12 and the third meeting was in 2011 when Wexford won a Leinster quarter-final by 3-16 to 1-11 in Wexford Park.
The last competitive clash between the counties was in March when Wexford won an Allianz Hurling League 1B game by 2-21 to 1-12 in Wexford Park. Rory Jacob was Wexford's top scorer on 1-5 while Neil McManus scored 0-6 (0-4 frees) for Antrim.
This will be Wexford's third game in this year's championship, having already drawn (1-17 each) and lost (1-17 to 0-12) to Dublin in the Leinster quarter-final. Antrim have also had two outings, beating Westmeath by 3-18 to 2-13 and losing to Laois by 1-16 to 0-13. The winners will play Carlow in the next qualifier round on Saturday week.
LONDON v WESTMEATH, RUISLIP, SATURDAY, 16:30
Westmeath lost to Antrim by 3-18 to 2-13 in the Leinster preliminary round while London went down to Carlow by 4-17 to 2-13 at the same stage.
Westmeath led Antrim by two points at half-time and went three clear early in the second half before the Ulstermen took over and eventually ran out eight point winners. Neil McManus scored 2-4 for Antrim.
Martin Duggan scored 1-4 as London went down to Carlow by ten points. London won Division 2B of the Allianz Hurling League in April while Westmeath reached the 2A final, losing to Laois.
The winners of Saturday's game will take on Offaly or Waterford in the next round of qualifiers a week later.
GAA HURLING ALL-IRELAND SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP BRIEFS
• Defending champions, Galway are through to the Leinster final for the third time in four se sons after beating Laois by seven points in Portlaoise on Sunday. They will play Dublin or Kilkenny in the final on July 7.
• Laois will play Tipperary, Cork or Clare in the All-Ireland qualifiers on the previous day. Tweet
