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At a glance: Ladies Football & Camogie semi-finals

Updated / Friday, 20 Apr 2018 19:03
Old foes Cork and Mayo clash again
Old foes Cork and Mayo clash again

SUNDAY 22 APRIL

LIDL Ladies NFL Division 1 semi-finals

1500 Cork v Mayo, St Brendan's Park, Birr

Cork celebrate their 2017 league success

The Rebels are chasing a sixth league title on the trot and face a Mayo side who, despite the absence of Cora Staunton and Martha Carter (both expected to be back for the championship), have impressed in reaching this stage. They put six goals past Monaghan in the final regulation game.

Cork have real firepower of their own to call upon as Eimear Scally and Orla Finn form two-thirds of a potentially lethal inside line.

The O’Sullivan sisters, Doireann and Ciara, line out in the half-forward line, with Aisling Hutchings and Brid O’Sullivan anchoring midfield.

Cork: M O’Brien; M Ambrose, E Meaney, E Spillane; M O’Callaghan, M Duggan, S Kelly; A Hutchings, B O’Sullivan; C O’Sullivan, D O’Sullivan, O Farmer; L Coppinger, E Scally, O Finn.

Mayo: S Murphy; O Conlon, S Tierney, S Ludden; D Caldwell, E Lowther, D Hughes; C McManamon, A Gilroy; F McHale, F Doherty, S Cafferky; N Kelly, S Rowe, G Kelly.

1500 Dublin v Galway, Coralstown/Kinnegad

Dublin eye up another title

The reigning All-Ireland champions are seeking a first spring success and will have 12 of the team on show that featured in last September's success.  

Galway crept in to the last four by virtue of scoring more points than Donegal after their regulation game finished level and both sides finished on nine points. 

They also defeated Sunday's opponents on 25 March by two points. 

Led by captain Tracey Leonard and Caitriona Cormican, Galway hit 1-5 over eight minutes while Dublin registered just a single point in that period.

A late Nicole Owens goal couldn’t sway the result as Leonard nailed two free-kicks.

Dublin, however, are fancied to avenge that loss in what should be another tight contest in the midlands.

Dublin: C Trant; M Byrne, D Murphy, L Caffrey; S McGrath, S Goldrick, N Collins; L Magee, O Carey; N Owens, N McEvoy, L Davey; O Whyte, N Healy, S Aherne.

Galway: D Gower; F Cooney, S Lynch, S Burke; C Cooney, N Ward, L Walsh; L Gannon, O Divilly; Á McDonagh, T Leonard, A Davoren; M Seoighe, S Conneally, L Coen.

Lidl Ladies NFL Division 2 semi-finals

1300 Tipperary v Armagh, Coralstown/Kinnegad

Tipperary had two points to spare when these sides met in Silverbridge at the end of January and remained unbeaten until Waterford put them to the sword two weeks ago.

Aishling Moloney was the recent star of the Gourmet Food Parlour O’Connor Cup final for DCU and she was this week honoured with The Croke Park Hotel/LGFA Player of the month award for March.

She’s listed at full-forward, with Cahir team-mate and 2017 TG4 Intermediate Players’ Player of the Year Aisling McCarthy in the centre forward role.

Caroline O’Hanlon returns to midfield for the Orchard County following her exploits with Netball Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games, while Aimee Mackin will hope to continue her rich vein of attacking form for Armagh.

Tipperary: L Fitzpatrick; S Condon, M Curley, E Buckley; B Condon, S Lambert, C Condon; J Grant, G O’Brien; L Dillon, A McCarthy, N Lonergan, O O’Dwyer, A Moloney, R Howard.

Armagh: C O’Hare; S Reel, C Morgan, S Marley; L McConville, R O’Reilly, M Tennyson; B Mackin, C O’Hanlon; A McCoy, A Mackin, C McCambridge; K Mallon, F McKenna, M McGuinness.

1300 Waterford v Cavan, St Brendan's Park, Birr

When the sides met in the group stages, Waterford ran out 4-9 to 1-6 winners and Cavan will hope to close the gap.

They’ve had the Sheridans, Bronagh and Aishling, in superb form and Aishling captured a Gourmet Food Parlour O’Connor Cup medal with DCU recently.

Aisling Doonan is another marquee forward for the Breffni girls while Waterford will look to the sharpshooting skills of Maria Delahunty and Aileen Wall.

Waterford: G Kenneally; K McGrath, M McGrath, R Casey; M Wall, E Murray, M Dunford; K McGrath, K Murray; A Murray, G Power, L McGregor; M Delahunty, E Fennell, A Wall.

Cavan: E Baugh; R Doonan, L Fitzpatrick, J Moore; S Greene, M Sheridan, N Byrd; C Dolan, D English; G McGlade, B Sheridan, A Sheridan; R O’Keeffe, A Doonan, C Finnegan.

Lidl Ladies NFL Division 3 semi-finals

1300 Meath v Down, Inniskeen Grattans

When the counties met at the start of the campaign, Meath ran out 4-13 to 2-02 winners but that was a wake-up for Down.

Granted, six of their group points came from Longford and Leitrim concessions but Down still managed to secure good wins against Offaly, Roscommon and Kildare on the field of play, and they were competitive against table-toppers Wexford.

Meath, with Vikki Wall in outstanding form, still look best equipped to reach the decider.

Earlier, this week, Meath captain Niamh O'Sullivan talks to RTÉ Sport about the team's rebuilding process as they prepare for the Down clash.

READ HER THOUGHTS HERE.

Meath: M McGuirk; K Newe, M Peel, S Powderly; E Troy, S Ennis, N Gallogly; M O’Shaughnessy, K Byrne; M Thynne, A Cleary, V Wall; N O’Sullivan, S Grimes, F O’Neill.

Down: A Burns; C Cunningham, O Boyle, L Morgan; C Laverty, R Torney, H Murray; D Doherty, C Mulvena; L Duffy, J Foy, A Keown; G McClean, K McKay, N Ferris.

1400 Wexford v Kildare, Stradbally GAA

Wexford were beaten Division 3 finalists last year, falling to Tipperary after a replay, and are determined to go one better this time.

But Kildare will take heart from the group meeting between the counties, when just a goal separated the sides.

And a gritty victory over Roscommon secured a semi-final place for the Lilywhites, who are finding their feet again after a difficult spell that followed TG4 All-Ireland intermediate glory in 2016.

Forwards like Róisín Byrne and Ellen Dowling have the ability to hurt any defence but Wexford have scoring power of their own, while former Kerry skipper Bernie Breen is at midfield.

Wexford: M.R. Kelly; S Murphy, M Byrne, S Harding Kenny; N Moore, N Mernagh, N Butler; R Murphy, B Breen; C Donnelly, F Rochford, K Kearney; C Foxe, A Murphy, C Murray.

Kildare: A Wosser; S Kendrick, A Horan, R Cribbin; L Scully, R Corrigan, C Sullivan; T Duggan, A Curley; N Sinnott, S O’Sullivan, G Clifford; R Byrne, E Dowling, M McKenna.

Lidl Ladies NFL Division 4 semi-finals 

1400 Louth v Limerick, McCann Park, Portarlington

The Shannonsiders will feel they’re in bonus territory having made the semi-finals but they’re here on merit, with a number of good wins under their belts.

They racked up 4-23 against Kilkenny in an eye-catching result but Antrim, Derry and Fermanagh were other good wins for Limerick.

They’ll meet Louth, who ran out 2-6 to 0-7 winners when the counties met in round 5, and the Leinster outfit collected five victories from seven in the group phase.

The only blots on the Wee County’s copybook were defeats to Fermanagh and Wicklow and they do have that earlier victory over Limerick to call upon ahead of this repeat meeting.

Louth: G Boyle; E Singleton, R Kane, S McLoughlin; C Nolan, D Osborne, B McGrane; S Woods, R Carr; P Murray, S Byrne, A Russell; L Boyle, K Flood, M McArdle.

Limerick: K O’Dwyer; M O’Shea, C McGrath, J O’Malley; Á McGrath, N Ryan, K Geary; L Hanley, C Hickey; C Mee, M Kavanagh, C Ní Cheallaigh; K Reidy, C Davis, C Clancy. 

1500 Wicklow v Antrim, Inniskeen Grattans

Wicklow, who were beaten Division 4 finalists last year, steamed into the semi-finals again by claiming maximum points in the group stages.

Antrim needed a win to edge out Fermanagh in fourth place and the three points ensured that they made it on the head-to-head rule.

They will now aim to prove that they deserve their semi-final spot but the Garden County won the group game between the sides by 3-16 to 1-3.

Wicklow: K Connors; E Mulhall, S.J. Winder, A Gillen; A Conroy, S Hogan, L Fusciardi; N McGettigan, A Gorman; G Canavan, J Kinch, A Murphy; L Hogan, K Miley, M Kealy.

Antrim: A McCann; C Stewart, N McIntosh, N McKeown; O McCrory, S Cochrane, A McFarland; D O’Kane, L McCann; A Devlin, C Carey, E Faloon; C Taggart, O Prenter, E Kelly.

Littlewoods Ireland Division 2 semi-finals

1400 Cork v Kilkenny, Walsh Park

The jury has spoken

Cork’s only dropped points in the group stage came courtesy of a defeat to Westmeath in their last group match who therefore topped the group ahead of them.

Kilkenny were unbeaten in the group stage as they topped their section with their only dropped points coming in a draw against group runners-up Dublin.

The Rebels are hoping to retain their title this year whilst the Cats are aiming for a first Division 2 title since 2006. 

1400 Dublin v Westmeath, Clane

Dublin were unbeaten in the group stage albeit having drawn two matches whilst claiming four victories along the way as they finished in second place.

Westmeath topped their group with a draw away to Antrim the only blemish on their record as they won four matches in total.

The midlanders have yet to win a League title at this level, whilst the Dubs will be aiming to claim a first Division 2 title since 1987 should they reach this year’s final.

RADIO
Live updates on the day's action on Sunday Sport, RTÉ Radio 1 from 1400. 

WEATHER 
Quite cool and fresh, with a mix of bright or sunny spells and scattered showers, most of the showers in the west and north. Max. 11 to 14 Celsius, in moderate to fresh southwesterly winds. Overnight minima 6 to 8 Celsius.

For more see met.ie

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