U20 Six Nations Women’s Summer Series: England V Ireland – The Irish Independent – July 5 2024

Posted on July 4, 2024 by admin

Chisom Ugwueru and Hannah Clarke on mark but Ireland no match for five-try England

U-20 Six Nations Women’s Summer Series: England U-20 33, Ireland U-20 10

Despite Chisom Ugwueru and Hannah Clarke grabbing tries in either half, the Ireland U-20 women’s team started their campaign at the inaugural Six Nations Women’s Summer Series with a 23-point defeat to England at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi in Parma.

After scrum-half Tori Sellors dotted down with just under two minutes on the clock to offer England a perfect start, Red Roses skipper Lilli Ives Campion confidently added a second try in the 18th minute of the action.

Yet Ireland subsequently came to life at the start of the second quarter as a powerful surge into the opposition ‘22’ by fly-half Kate Flannery provided the platform for Ugwueru (sister of Clare gaelic footballer Ikem Ugwueru) to cross over for an unconverted try to the right of the posts.

While this helped to keep Niamh Briggs’ side within touching distance, additional five-pointers from Reneeqa Bonner and Ives Campion – as well as a third conversion by Lia Green – propelled England towards a convincing 26-5 lead at the interval.

Even though Ireland initially dominated possession during the early stages of the second half, they were struggling to unlock the English defence and ultimately conceded a fifth try on 57 minutes, full-back Green crossing over for a score that she converted herself.

This effectively eliminated any prospect of a dramatic comeback from Ireland, but moments after returning to the field of play in place of Ugwueru, Connacht winger Clarke reacted quickest to an awkward bounce inside the English ’22 and proceeded to bag a hard-earned consolation effort.

SCORERS – England: Tries: L Ives Campion (2), T Sellors, R Bonner, L Green. Cons: L Green (4). Ireland: Tries: C Ugwueru, H Clarke.

ENGLAND: L Green (S Hopkins 68); S Hopkins (M David 54), M Hyett, C Morrall, R Bonner (S Shiels 55); A MacDougall, T Sellors (A Wilkinson 67); C Flanagan (A Williams 54), L Calladine (N Swailes 64), H Sams (K Leat 64); T Shirley (J Battishill 60), L Ives Campion; A Richardson (T Shirley 64), J Bennett, A Meta (E Roberts 51).

IRELAND: R O’Connor; H Clarke (N Gallagher 58), L Linn, E Boylan (E O’Sullivan Sexton 56), C Ugwueru (H Clarke 68); K Flannery, J Gaffney (M Goulding 62); H Wilson (G Burke 56), B Buttimer (K Burke 70), S Barrett (L Morris 64); R Campbell, J Neill; B Heylmann (A Hahessy 56), E Murtagh (C Ní Chonchúbhair 34), I Kiripati (E Murtagh 72).

REF: Berenice Bralley (France)

Posted in Women's Rugby | Comments Off on U20 Six Nations Women’s Summer Series: England V Ireland – The Irish Independent – July 5 2024

Summer Tour Odds Piece: New Zealand V England – Gambling.com – July 4 2024

Posted on July 4, 2024 by admin

New Zealand Vs England Betting Tips: The Panel’s Best Bets & Predictions

Daire Walsh

New Zealand Vs England Betting Tips:

Saturday’s clash in Dunedin between New Zealand and England will be the first of two Tests on consecutive weekends.

The best betting sites for rugby union are taking a great interest in the series between two great rivals.

A mixed Six Nations campaign saw England finish third in the overall standings, with a victory over eventual champions Ireland squeezed in between defeats to Scotland and France.

Steve Borthwick’s English outfit are hoping for a productive summer tour of the southern hemisphere while New Zealand will use the series as preparation for their defence of the Rugby Championship.

On their way over to New Zealand, England beat Japan 52-17, which will have pleased Borthwick, who can expect tougher examinations in their series with the All Blacks.

Scott Robertson took over as New Zealand coach from Ian Foster upon the completion of the World Cup, and Robertson will hope to get the All Blacks back to winning ways against the English.

The sides played out a 25-25 draw at Twickenham in November 2022 after England’s magnificent World Cup semi-final victory against New Zealand in 2019.

The Kiwis had six victories on the bounce over the English before that, including a three-Test success at their expense when England last toured the southern hemisphere nation in 2014.

The Panel have studied the form and stats to bring you two great value bets from Saturday’s first Test in Dunedin.

New Zealand Vs England Prediction: England To Start Fast

England are more than capable of pulling off a positive result in Dunedin Saturday, but they start the game as heavy underdogs on betting apps.

They were in an extremely strong position against South Africa for the majority of their World Cup semi-final duel in October, and led 12-6 at the break.

However, the Springboks pipped them at the death, thanks to Handre Pollard’s late penalty to help South Africa to a 16-15 win.

Therefore, there is every possibility that England could lead at the midway point in Dunedin this weekend.

England should have momentum going into the game after beating Japan last weekend and the visitors are 23/10 to lead at half-time on rugby betting sites.

The home side may have to be patient, but the Panel think New Zealand will take control in the second half and record their first win in three attempts against England.

The Panel Tip 1: England/New Zealand HT/FT – 21/5 with BetVictor

New Zealand Vs England Prediction: Razor Looks For Sharp Display

In their first game under the guidance of Robertson, the All Blacks will more than likely want to lay down a marker and show that they are ready to push forward under a new coaching set-up.

Having previously played for the club on 86 occasions, Robertson went on to enjoy seven seasons as head coach of Crusaders.

During his time with the Christchurch-based side, the man known affectionately as ‘Razor’ won no fewer than five Super Rugby titles as well as two Super Rugby Aotearoa crowns.

He also accumulated 23 senior international caps with New Zealand from 1998 to 2002, scoring four tries, and big things are expected during his time as All Blacks supremo.

It might take some time to gel everything together, but it is still anticipated that they will establish a safe distance between themselves and England over the course of the action on Saturday.

Even though there isn’t a huge difference in what is being offered for the various potential winning margins, Bet365 view a 6-10 points victory for New Zealand as a 4/1 possibility.

The Panel Tip 2: New Zealand To Win By Between 6-10 Points – 4/1 with Bet365

Posted in International Rugby | Comments Off on Summer Tour Odds Piece: New Zealand V England – Gambling.com – July 4 2024

Updated All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Odds Piece: Gambling.com – July 4 2024

Posted on July 4, 2024 by admin

GAA Betting: The All-Ireland Football Championship: Kerry The New Favourites For Sam

Daire Walsh

We are down to the final four in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and we have a new favourite after a dramatic weekend of action.

The best betting sites have significantly re-evaluated their views on the potential champions now that Dublin have been elinimated.

Up until last weekend, the Dubs had been regarded as the clear favourite to claim the Sam Maguire Cup for a second year in succession on Sunday, July 28 at Croke Park – and for the eighth time in 10 seasons.

But defeat to Galway saw Dublin removed from the equation. Can Galway go all the way, or will it be Kerry’s year?

Galway Come From Behind To Oust Defending Champions

Dessie Farrell’s Dublin side appeared well on course for a spot in the penultimate round when they led Connacht champions Galway by four points (0-11 to 0-7) at the midway stage of their quarter-final meeting at Croke Park last Saturday.

Yet Shane Walsh’s five-point haul had kept the Tribesmen in touch during the opening half of the contest, and with Cillian McDaid, John Maher and Dylan McHugh all standing up on the resumption, Galway dug deep to record a sensational 0-17 to 0-16 victory.

Remarkably, this bridged a 90-year gap to their last championship win against Dublin and it was also the Sky Blues’ first quarter-final defeat since Kerry comfortably got the better of them all the way back in 2009.

Kerry, Donegal and Armagh Also Advance To Last-Four

Speaking of Kerry, they played out a dour affair against Derry at Croke Park on Sunday afternoon, but ultimately secured a 0-15 to 0-10 triumph courtesy of a strong final-quarter showing.

Meanwhile, Donegal had eight points to spare (1-23 to 0-18) against Louth earlier on the same day in the Jones’ Road venue.

In the opening game of the weekend on Saturday, Armagh reached an All-Ireland SFC semi-final for the first time since 2005 with a 2-12 to 0-12 win over 14-man Roscommon.

Now that the heavily-backed Dublin are out of the picture, the remaining teams in the competition will all believe that a Sam Maguire Cup success is well within their grasp for the 2024 season.

Kerry The New Favourites For All-Ireland Title

Yet this doesn’t mean that all four teams are regarded as equals in the eyes of betting apps and there is a new favourite for All-Ireland supremacy ahead of the forthcoming semi-finals on July 13 and 14.

Before last weekend’s fare, Kerry were seen as the most likely challengers to Dublin’s throne.

Despite not being at their best, the Kingdom avoided the same fate as that of their long-standing rivals a day earlier when facing Derry in the last-eight.

In a game that was largely devoid of attacking ingenuity, the fact that the Kingdom had 10 players on the scoresheet proved crucial in getting them past Mickey Harte’s northerners.

Next on the agenda for Kerry will be a semi-final encounter with Armagh in Croke Park on Saturday week.

Given their status as the most successful county in the competition (38 titles in total), and also the fact that they were All-Ireland winners as recently as 2022, it comes as little surprise that Kerry are now the new Evens favourites for Sam Maguire glory.

Galway And Donegal Largely Inseparable In All-Ireland Betting

Following their outstanding victory last Saturday, Galway now have a semi-final to look forward to against Donegal on Sunday week.

Prior to sharing the spoils with Armagh in the group stage of the All-Ireland championship, the Tribesmen were up there as one of the main contenders for the Sam Maguire Cup in the eyes of the new betting sites on the market.

They subsequently found themselves down the pecking order, however, and were sixth favourites for the title ahead of their quarter-final duel with Dublin.

That has all changed now, albeit they are effectively neck and neck with Donegal (9/2) in the betting stakes behind Kerry for the All-Ireland.

The O’Donnell County are also available at 9/2 with Ladbrokes in advance of their upcoming meeting in Dublin.

In terms of the betting for the game itself, the westerners have a slight advantage over Donegal with odds of 10/11 for the nine-time champions.

Armagh Eyes Are Fixed On Winning Sam

Regardless, it has all become very tight in the All-Ireland betting and despite facing the new favourites next, there is also good value on Armagh in their quest for a second final success.

There are plenty of bookmakers offering odds of 5/1 on Kieran McGeeney’s charges going all the way in the All-Ireland championship, including BoyleSports.

Their last-eight duel with Roscommon wasn’t the greatest spectacle you are ever likely to see, but goals from Barry McCambridge and Conor Turbitt offered them substantial breathing space by the time the final whistle was blown.

In much the same fashion as Peadar Mogan for Donegal in the following day’s game against Louth, he ended with an impressive haul of 0-5, McCambridge displayed his attacking intent from defence by clocking an excellent tally of 1-2.

Turbitt, Oisin Conaty and Rian O’Neill are three forwards that can do damage from within the Armagh ranks, while Oisin Gallen and Paddy McBrearty are amongst those in the Donegal side with an eye for the target.

Galway duo Shane Walsh and Damien Comer, as well as Kerry’s attacking aces David Clifford and Sean O’Shea, are also more than capable of being match-winners.

In spite of the complaints about the current state of the game, there could be plenty of fireworks in the All-Ireland football championship over the next few weeks.

Posted in Gaelic Football, Gaelic Games | Comments Off on Updated All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Odds Piece: Gambling.com – July 4 2024

All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Piece: Aoife Prendergast (Kilkenny) – The Irish Examiner – July 4 2024

Posted on July 3, 2024 by admin

Aoife Prendergast: ‘Supporters don’t have to choose between hurling and the camogie anymore’

Whereas their male counterparts are once again locking horns with Clare for a spot in the forthcoming Liam MacCarthy showpiece this Saturday (3pm), Kilkenny’s camogie outfit are hoping to avoid a second consecutive quarter-final reversal when they take on provincial rivals Dublin (12.30pm)
DAIRE WALSH

Aoife Prendergast has called on Kilkenny supporters to get behind the county’s camogie side for their All-Ireland senior championship game at Croke Park on Saturday.

For the second season in succession, this weekend will see both of the Noresiders’ small ball teams playing as part of a championship double-header in GAA HQ. Before the Kilkenny hurlers claimed a place in the All-Ireland senior decider with victory against Clare on July 9 of last year, their camogie equivalents agonisingly lost out by the slenderest of margins to Cork in a nail-biting curtain-raiser at the north Dublin venue.

Whereas their male counterparts are once again locking horns with Clare for a spot in the forthcoming Liam MacCarthy showpiece this Saturday (3pm), Kilkenny’s camogie outfit are hoping to avoid a second consecutive quarter-final reversal when they take on provincial rivals Dublin (12.30pm).

Speaking at a camogie championship quarter-final launch in Croke Park on Tuesday, Dicksboro clubwoman Prendergast said she is hopeful the Marble County’s two teams being in the one ground can attract a healthy crowd to their tussle with the Sky Blues.

“Our Leinster final [also against Dublin] a few weeks ago, Kilkenny and Dublin were playing that evening. The crowd at our match probably wasn’t what we would have liked it to be, but hopefully it will bring a crowd,” Prendergast remarked.

“There’s no supporters that have to choose between the hurling and the camogie now. They have the opportunity to go to both, which is great.

“Hopefully all the supporters will come in before the hurling and make sure that they’re there to support us. Because we’re going to need all the support we can get to get over the line on Saturday. It’s great to be before the men’s match as well.”

Following that 2-14 to 2-13 success over 2022 champions Kilkenny at the quarter-final stage of last year’s championship, Cork went on to secure the O’Duffy Cup for the first time since 2018 with subsequent knockout wins over Galway and Waterford – who will meet in the other senior camogie quarter-final at Croke Park on Sunday.

A three-point group stage loss at the hands of Tipperary in The Ragg last weekend has put an extra obstacle in front of them, but Prendergast and her Kilkenny colleagues are fully focused on reigniting their championship challenge on Saturday.

“You can’t beat having matches, but it’s about getting over these matches now and getting onto the next stages is the crucial part of it. There’s no point being in a quarter-final now if you can’t get over the line on the day. Hopefully we can bring a good performance for this weekend and we’ll see what happens,” Prendergast added.

“We were disappointed after the match last weekend, but we need to move on from that fairly quick. We’ll regroup and refocus, and our attention turns to Saturday. We were disappointed, but Tipp are a great team and they put up a great fight against us. We’re going to have to be ready now for Saturday.”

 

Posted in Camogie | Comments Off on All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Piece: Aoife Prendergast (Kilkenny) – The Irish Examiner – July 4 2024

All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Piece: Aine Keane (Galway) – The Irish Examiner – July 3 2024

Posted on July 3, 2024 by admin

Galway camogie will take inspiration from the county’s male footballers says Aine Keane

“The boys were incredible, they really were. They showed us that anything is possible even when everyone writes you off,” Keane said at the launch of the All-Ireland camogie quarter-finals.
DAIRE WALSH

When it comes to searching for inspiration ahead of their All-Ireland senior championship quarter-final clash with Waterford at Croke Park this Sunday, Aine Keane and her Galway camogie team-mates don’t have far to look.

Despite the triumphs of their fellow challengers Armagh, Donegal and Kerry, it was the Galway men’s footballers who grabbed the headlines last weekend with a stunning victory over defending champions Dublin at the last-eight stage of the All-Ireland Senior Championship in GAA HQ on Saturday.

While the county’s camogie side weren’t able to attend due to their Round Five game with Cork in Group Two of the All-Ireland series taking place at Páirc Uí Chaoimh earlier on the same day, they were glued to their devices on the way home as Padraic Joyce’s outfit ended the Sky Blues’ hopes of retaining the Sam Maguire Cup.

“We were coming back from Cork. We were only able to watch it on the bus. It would have been great to be here, but it was special all the same to watch it on the phone,” Keane said at the launch of the All-Ireland camogie quarter-finals in Croke Park yesterday.

“The boys were incredible, they really were. They showed us that anything is possible even when everyone writes you off. It was an excellent game and we can take, I suppose, inspiration from that as well and hope that we can achieve the same.”

The St Thomas’ star most recently played in Croke Park when her county lost out to Tipperary in a National Camogie League Division 1A decider on April 14 and her latest appearance in the venue is one of two double-headers that will be held there this weekend.

On Saturday, a semi-final spot in the All-Ireland senior camogie championship will be up for grabs when Dublin take on provincial rivals Kilkenny at 12.30pm. At 3pm on the same day, the latter’s male compatriots face Clare in the last-four of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship for the third year in succession.

There are also a brace of mouthwatering clashes down for decision on Sunday with Galway’s aforementioned camogie quarter-final with Waterford (1.30pm) preceding the tantalising duel between Limerick and Cork on the opposite side of the All-Ireland senior hurling championship (4pm).

With the anticipation being that a sell-out crowd will descend upon GAA HQ for this day, Keane is excited about what lies in store for their showdown with the Deise.

“Any day you get to play in Croke Park, it’s a special day. When you start the year, you want to get to knockout camogie. We’re going to play here now on Sunday in front of hopefully a sold-out crowd.

“If we can only have half that sold-out crowd watching our game, it would be an unbelievable experience for all of us players.”

Courtesy of topping Group One and Two respectively, Tipperary and Cork are already guaranteed a place in the All-Ireland senior camogie championship semi-finals – which are due to be held at Nowlan Park in Kilkenny on July 27.

Although a draw would have sufficed, Cork emphatically sealed an automatic last-four spot with a 2-16 to 1-7 success at home to Galway last Saturday.

Keane acknowledged Cathal Murray’s westerners fell well short of the required standard in this game and is grateful they have an immediate chance to bounce back from their 12-point reversal to the Leesiders.

“Obviously Saturday was very disappointing on our behalf. We really underperformed and Cork made us pay for that. As of last Saturday it was an eight-day turnaround, it’s less now. In one way it’s a good thing because we haven’t time to think about it and dwell on it,” Keane added.

“It’s get back into training this week and just try and rebuild. Stick to what we know. We know we’re good enough and we know the last day wasn’t our best performance as a team. We hope on Sunday we’ll have a good day out.”

Posted in Camogie | Comments Off on All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Piece: Aine Keane (Galway) – The Irish Examiner – July 3 2024

The Big Interview: Leah Harrold (London/Wandsworth Gaels/St Sylvester’s) – Media West Ireland – June 29 2024

Posted on June 30, 2024 by admin

Capital gains for London as Leah Harrold targets progress

By Daire Walsh

Long before making her debut with London in this year’s All-Ireland junior football championship, Leah Harrold was well used to rubbing shoulders with stars of the inter-county scene.

Now a member of the Wandsworth Gaels club in the English capital, Harrold previously lined out for St Sylvester’s in her native Dublin.

Having picked up county and provincial honours in the junior grade as a teenager back in 2011, she went on to achieve the same feat with the Malahide outfit at intermediate level 10 years later and also added an All-Ireland second-tier title to her list of achievements when Syls defeated Castlebar Mitchels in a national decider in 2022.

During her lengthy stint in the adult ranks of Sylvester’s, Harrold featured alongside Dublin stalwarts such as Sinead Aherne, Niamh McEvoy, Nicole Owens and Kate Sullivan — all of whom have collected multiple All-Ireland senior crowns with the Jackies.

Given this impressive quartet are all attackers, and she was ordinarily deployed as a defender by Syls, Harrold was often provided with as much of a test in club training as she was in competitive matches.

“They’re all absolute role models. Just such unbelievable talents and such great leaders. When we’d be back in training, it’d be great. Obviously I was playing in the full-back line or the half-back line. Any of those backs/forwards drills, I might be lining up against Sinead Aherne or Kate Sullivan or Nicole Owens,” recalled Harrold, who also played with Down’s Kim White in Sylvester’s.

“Just being able to practice marking players of that calibre, it really prepares you very well for the big games when you’re coming out into All-Ireland semi-finals, All-Ireland finals and playing Dublin senior club as well. I just learned so much from them. How they communicate, read the game, things like that. They were brilliant for giving me advice as well.

After winning that All-Ireland intermediate club championship title a little over two years ago, Harrold initially remained with Sylvester’s and was playing at left corner-back for their Dublin senior football championship semi-final loss to Kilmacud Crokes in September 2022.

Yet with a number of her friends from the Syls team opting to travel abroad to Australia, Harrold also started to contemplate the idea of spending some time overseas.

In the end, she decided to make the move over to London and is currently employed as a validation and pharmaceutical compliance manager with the British engineering company, Puretech Process Systems.

At the same time, she was in the middle of remotely undertaking a master’s in pharmaceutical quality assurance and regulation with TU Dublin and she explains that this played some part in her decision to choose England over a journey to the southern hemisphere.

Despite having a demanding work and college life, Harrold found time to play Gaelic football over in England and officially completed a transfer to the Clapham-based Wandsworth Gaels in the spring of 2023.

While lining out for London wasn’t necessarily a goal for her when she started out at Wandsworth, Harrold was one of a host of new faces that Exiles boss Tommy Donohue called upon when he was finalising his panel for the All-Ireland junior championship in April and May of this year.

After operating solely as a club player back in her home county, Harrold suddenly found herself thrust into the inter-county grade and was a starter for London’s recent reversals to Derry and Carlow in Group A of the All-Ireland JFC.

Unfortunately, due to a combination of a calf injury and illness, Harrold was unavailable for London’s home encounter with Sligo at McGovern Park in Ruislip last Saturday – a game the hosts lost on a scoreline of 1-20 to 5-3 at the end of a gripping contest.

Yet her recovery from these setbacks has gone according to plan and — like her Wandsworth club-mates Aoife Ryan, Abbie Sexton and Rebekah McKegney — is hoping to play a key role in London’s final championship group game against Fermanagh in Killeeshil tomorrow (throw-in 2pm).

They might be out of contention for a knockout spot as a result of three defeats on the bounce, but Harrold and her colleagues are focused on finishing their 2024 campaign on an encouraging note.

“We’re finding week on week, or game on game, that we’re making improvements in different aspects of our play. We’ve had a very positive win or learn attitude. We’re looking at what we’re doing well and we’re looking to improve any kind of gaps in our game,” Harrold added.

“Even though going into Fermanagh, they’ve had a couple of wins and we’ve had a couple of losses, we’re still going in with our heads up and a positive attitude. The girls are really happy to be involved in the championship, which is great.”

Posted in Ladies GAA | Comments Off on The Big Interview: Leah Harrold (London/Wandsworth Gaels/St Sylvester’s) – Media West Ireland – June 29 2024

All-Island Cup Quarter-Final: Shelbourne V Athlone Town – The Westmeath Independent – June 29 2024

Posted on June 30, 2024 by admin

SOCCER: AVENIR SPORTS ALL-ISLAND CUP QUARTER-FINAL

Shels exact some cup revenge on Town

Shelbourne 2

Athlone Town 1 

DAIRE WALSH

GOALS in either half by Noelle Murray were crucial at Tolka Park on Saturday afternoon as Athlone Town exited the All-Island Cup with a narrow quarter-final defeat to Shelbourne.

The initial signs in this contest had been encouraging for the Midlanders with Casey Howe’s neat finish edging them in front during the opening quarter. Yet Shels eventually equalised deep into first-half stoppage-time through the influential Murray and while there was little to separate the two teams for much of the second period, the same player doubled her tally 12 minutes from the end to ensure the Metropolitans progressed into the last-four of the competition.

Although these sides had already met in this year’s edition of the Women’s Premier Division – a 1-1 draw at Athlone Town Stadium on March 30 – their latest encounter evoked memories of their duels in the 2022 and 2023 Women’s FAI Cup deciders. Having lost out 2-0 to Shels in the former, Athlone gained revenge in the latter encounter with a magnificent penalty shootout victory.

Shels may have secured the spoils on this occasion, but Athlone will have an opportunity to make amends when they pay another visit to Drumcondra in the Premier Division on August 17.

Whereas Shelbourne retained just five players that had started their league victory over Galway United just seven days earlier, Athlone boss Ciaran Kilduff opted to make just two alterations from the side that earned a 1-0 win at home to Treaty United on the same day. In defence and attack respectively, Ciara O’Neill and Hazel Donegan were added to the first 11 in place of Kayleigh Shine and Madison Gibson – both of whom were named on the bench for the Town’s latest knockout showdown with Shels.

Roma McLaughlin was one of six players to be given a chance from the start by Shels boss Eoin Wearen and Athlone netminder Katie Keane was forced off her line to smother a goal-bound strike by the Republic of Ireland senior international in the third-minute of the play.

Marauding wing-back Christie Gray was also causing problems down the right-wing, but after surviving early pressure from their north Dublin counterparts, Athlone gradually worked their way into the game. Thanks in no small part to the energetic Chloe Singleton, the visitors started to get a foothold inside the Shels half and ultimately broke the deadlock with just under 16 minutes gone on the clock.

Kerryanne Brown’s lofted delivery into the penalty area was only partially cleared by the opposition defence and when the loose ball subsequently fell into the path of Howe, she superbly drilled a shot into the back of the net – via the fingertips of Shels custodian Amanda McQuillan.

This was the perfect tonic for Athlone and with O’Neill slotting in nicely alongside Jesi Lynne Rossman at the heart of their defence, Kilduff’s charges were keeping the Shels attack at arm’s length.

Yet the Athlone bench did breathe a sigh of relief when Alex Kavanagh smashed the underside of the crossbar off a Jessica Gargan pull-back on 37 minutes and the post also came to the away side’s rescue moments later from a fierce drive by the lively Gray.

Having survived both of these incidents, Athlone now looked set to hold onto their slender leads at the break. However, with an additional hold-up meaning that the clock advanced beyond the third minutes of injury time that were announced, Shels finally unlocked the opposition rearguard.

From a neat cross on the right-flank by the industrious Gray, Murray swept the ball home from close-in to ensure the teams were on level terms at 1-1 heading into the second half.

Athlone were aiming to halt the momentum of Shels upon the resumption, but received another let-off when the aforementioned McLaughlin missed a gilt-edged chance from a Murray pass on 48 minutes.

To their credit, Athlone dug deep in front of 324 spectators at the Drumcondra venue (one of whom was Republic of Ireland women’s national team manager Eileen Gleeson) and Howe in particular stepped up to the plate as the action wore on.

As well as testing the resolve of McQuillan with a powerful shot from long-range, she also delivered an excellent cross into the box on 53 minutes that Roisin Molloy was agonisingly close to getting on the end of.

The leadership of Athlone captain Laurie Ryan was also coming to the fore in the middle of the park and with Shine, Isabel Ryan and Gibson introduced off the bench, there was a fresh look to the Town line-up moving into the final-quarter.

Republic of Ireland underage international Mary Philips was also introduced by Kilduff on 77 minutes, but there was to be a decisive blow on the horizon for Athlone. After finding herself through on goal, Murray showed immense composure to coolly slot her low shot to the back of the net. This meant Athlone were chasing the game for the very first time and even though Philips made a strong impact during her brief time on the pitch, they came up just short in the end.

Shelbourne: Amanda McQuillan; Jessica Gargan, Pearl Slattery, Nia Hannon; Christie Gray, Alex Kavanagh, Rachel Graham, Leah Doyle; Roma McLaughlin, Mia Dodd; Noelle Murray.

Subs: Eabha O’Mahony for Doyle, Jemma Quinn for Dodd (both 65), Keeva Keenan for Nia Hannon (70), Nadine Clare for Graham, Katie McCarn for McLaughlin (both 75).

Athlone Town: Katie Keane; Kellie Brennan, Ciara O’Neill, Jesi Lynne Rossman, Shauna Brennan; Kerryanne Brown, Laurie Ryan; Roisin Molloy, Chloe Singleton, Casey Howe; Hazel Donegan. Subs: Kayleigh Shine for K Brennan (half-time), Isabel Ryan for Molloy, Madison Gibson for Donegan (both 62), Mary Philips for O’Neill (77). 

Referee: Daniel Murphy.

Posted in League Of Ireland, Women's Soccer | Comments Off on All-Island Cup Quarter-Final: Shelbourne V Athlone Town – The Westmeath Independent – June 29 2024

Updated All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Odds Piece: Gambling.com – June 27 2024

Posted on June 27, 2024 by admin

The All-Ireland Hurling 2024 Championship Odds: Limerick Leading The Way

Daire Walsh

After last weekend’s quarter-finals reduced the number of teams in the competition to four, the best betting sites are once again examining the main contenders for the top prize in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship.

The first part of a double-header at Semple Stadium in Thurles on Saturday, Cork advanced to the penultimate round of the Liam MacCarthy Cup for the first time since 2021 courtesy of a 0-26 to 0-21 victory at the expense of Leinster finalists Dublin.

In a seemingly constant battle with Kilkenny’s TJ Reid to be the all-time top scorer in the All-Ireland SHC, Patrick Horgan helped himself to 0-10 in the Leesiders’ triumph over the Sky Blues.

Later on at the same venue, the first-half dismissal of Rory O’Connor for their opponents played a part in Clare enjoying a convincing 2-28 to 1-19 success against Wexford.

In addition to Mark Rodgers and Tony Kelly contributing six points apiece, the excellent Shane O’Donnell registered 1-4 from play to offer the Banner County a safe passage into the penultimate phase of the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

All-Ireland Hurling Semi-Finals On The Horizon

While Clare are set to take on Leinster champions Kilkenny for the third year in succession at the semi-final stage of the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship next weekend, Cork will renew acquaintances with provincial rivals Limerick following their previous meeting in the round robin stages of the Munster championship.

On that occasion, with the possibility of an early end to their 2024 season in sight, Cork pulled out all the stops to earn a 3-28 to 3-26 win over their Treaty counterparts.

Limerick Remain The Favourites For Another All-Ireland Success

Yet Limerick still went on to earn a sixth provincial title on the bounce and while their forthcoming opponents have continued on an upward trajectory, John Kiely’s men are still viewed as the team to beat from an All-Ireland viewpoint.

After all, Limerick did lose to Clare in a round robin Munster game last year, before going on to defeat the same opposition in a provincial decider and ultimately claiming a fourth successive Liam MacCarthy Cup with a final win against Kilkenny.

In their latest Munster final duel with Clare, Limerick were full value for a six-point victory (1-26 to 1-20).

Even though they have had to deal with a number of injury set-backs in the current championship – Peter Casey, Sean Finn, Darragh O’Donovan and Seamus Flanagan have all spent time on the treatment table – the defending champions find themselves two games away from becoming the first county to secure five Liam MacCarthy Cups in-a-row.

There are three teams remaining in the competition that will be looking to put paid to these ambitions, but Limerick are the clear favourites for another All-Ireland title with just a few weeks left in this year’s campaign.

With no fewer than eight betting apps the Treaty 8/11 to maintain their grip on the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

Cork’s Stock Has Risen In All-Ireland Betting

It may have seemed an unlikely prospect just a few short weeks ago, but Cork are now being regarded as second favourites for a first All-Ireland senior hurling crown in all of 19 years.

After getting the better of Limerick in that epic round robin battle, Cork comfortably put Tipperary to the sword to keep themselves in the championship beyond the provincial stages.

While their displays in defeating Joe McDonagh Cup champions Offaly and Dublin weren’t entirely convincing, they were clear favourites to win both of those games.

This won’t be the case in their forthcoming last-four showdown with Limerick and this could make Pat Ryan’s charges a dangerous proposition.

The majority of new betting sites have them at odds of 4/1 for an All-Ireland victory.

Kilkenny Remain A Viable Liam MacCarthy Contender

Given they recently earned a fifth consecutive Leinster crown with an impressive demolition of Dublin at Croke Park, you might expect that Kilkenny would be the most favoured county for Liam MacCarthy glory behind Limerick.

They are also the only unbeaten team left in the championship, albeit they had successive draws with Galway and Carlow in the round robin phase of the Leinster series.

This might explain why there are some doubts surrounding the All-Ireland credentials of Derek Lyng’s side, but they remain serious contenders for a competition they have already won on a record 36 occasions.

Aside from the aforementioned Reid, the Cats have considerable firepower in the form of Adrian Mullen, Eoin Cody, John Donnelly and Martin Keoghan.

They have gotten the better of Clare in All-Ireland semi-finals over the past two seasons and it is clear that the Leinster giants are more than capable of doing so again.

In terms of the All-Ireland betting, the odds of 9/2 that are available on GAA betting sites make them third favourites for the top prize, while also leaving them breathing down the neck of Cork.

Clare Still Very Much In The Running For Hurling Crown

After emerging as winners of the National Hurling League Division One title in the spring, it seemed that Clare were primed for a big championship in 2024.

Their general performances in Munster this year may not have been at the same standard as what Brian Lohan’s men produced in 2022 and 2023, but the fact remains that the Banner have once again returned to the business end of the All-Ireland championship.

Following their semi-final losses to Kilkenny in the past two years – one of them being quite heavy in nature – people are perhaps wary of placing big expectations on Clare ahead of their latest duel with the Cats. Still, with odds on the Banner ranging from 5/1 to 6/1, they remain an enticing bet for a first All-Ireland title since 2013.

Posted in Gaelic Games, Hurling | Comments Off on Updated All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Odds Piece: Gambling.com – June 27 2024

Updated All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Odds Piece: Gambling.com – June 26 2024

Posted on June 27, 2024 by admin

GAA Betting: The All-Ireland Football Championship: Dublin On Course To Win Sam

Daire Walsh

Now that we have entered into the last-eight of the Sam Maguire Cup, the best betting sites are once again taking a look at who the main challengers are for the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title.

While group stage winners Dublin, Kerry, Donegal and Armagh were in a position to put their feet up ahead of this weekend’s action in Croke Park, eight different counties had their seasons on the line in a series of All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals last Saturday and Sunday.

First up on Saturday at a rain-soaked Pearse Stadium in Salthill, Galway played host to a Monaghan side that have struggled for form throughout 2024. It was a sluggish start to the contest for the Tribesmen, but with the evergreen Paul Conroy, John Maher and Rob Finnerty leading the way, they emerged with a 0-14 to 0-11 victory.

Also joining Padraic Joyce’s charges in the next phase of the competition are their Connacht neighbours Roscommon – who recorded a magnificent 0-14 to 0-12 win at the expense of Tyrone in Omagh, thanks in no small part to four points apiece from Diarmuid Murtagh and Donie Smith.

Mayo had an opportunity to make it three counties from the west in the quarter-finals when they welcomed Derry to MacHale Park in Castlebar on Saturday evening. Yet after the sides were ultimately inseparable at the end of both normal time and extra-time, it was their Ulster counterparts who progressed with a 4-3 penalty shootout triumph.

This was a dramatic and gripping affair, but perhaps the biggest story of the weekend came in Inniskeen on Sunday. With Sam Mulroy’s late free earning them a 1-9 to 1-8 triumph over Cork, Louth have qualified for an All-Ireland quarter-final for the very first time.

Although there was significant relief in the ranks of Galway, Roscommon, Derry and Louth to have come through do-or-die encounters, Monday morning’s draw for the All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals saw them switch attention to the next task at hand.

There is a feeling that the counties who advanced automatically to the last-eight of the championship will have a strong advantage over their opponents in this weekend’s quarter-finals and this is how the bookmakers are viewing things at the time of writing.

Dublin Remain Team To Beat

Having been favourites to defend their Sam Maguire Cup crown since the very beginning of the year, Dublin are still regarded as the most likely All-Ireland winners ahead of their 6.15pm clash with Galway at Croke Park on Saturday.

Despite not being at their best in the contest, Cormac Costello grabbed a dramatic equaliser to earn Dublin a draw against Mayo at Dr Hyde Park in Roscommon on June 15. This meant – instead of unexpectedly being in a preliminary quarter-final – the Sky Blues claimed top spot in the Group Two of the All-Ireland championship and guaranteed themselves a quarter-final place.

With multiple Celtic Cross winners Jack McCaffrey, Paul Mannion and James McCarthy all introduced off the bench in the Mayo game, it is clear that Dublin manager Dessie Farrell still has an array of options at his disposal. This – and another of other factors – makes them the current favourites with betting apps for another All-Ireland success.

Dublin’s chances of lifting the Sam Maguire Cup are currently rated at 6/4 with BoyleSports.

Kerry Second Favourites For All-Ireland Glory

As the only side remaining in the competition to have won all the games they have played – albeit after playing fewer games than some of their rivals for All-Ireland supremacy – Kerry are unsurprisingly viewed as the main challengers to Dublin’s crown in 2024.

This has been the case throughout the championship and after advancing from Group Four of the All-Ireland senior football championship with an average winning margin of 13 points from their encounters with Monaghan, Meath and Louth, the Kingdom more than merit being the second favourites for the Sam Maguire Cup.

While David Clifford clocked up an impressive tally of 2-14 across these fixtures, there has been a healthy spread of scorers to ensure Jack O’Connor’s side aren’t overly reliant on the Fossa ace. Yet his talents were needed when Kerry overcame Derry in last year’s All-Ireland SFC semi-final and it could come in handy when the two sides clash once again in Croke Park at 3.15pm on Sunday.

Despite the resurgence of their opponents, however, Kerry continue to feature strongly in the betting for the All-Ireland championship. Betting sites are currently placing a value of 9/2 on the Kingdom winning a second national football title in three years with Ladbrokes.

Armagh And Donegal Closely Ranked In Sam Maguire Betting

Thus far in 2024, Armagh and Donegal have met on no fewer than three occasions in league and championship fixtures.

After sharing the spoils in their round four meeting in National Football League Division Two, Donegal pipped the Orchard men in the competition’s final at Croke Park on March 31.

The teams also clashed in a gripping Ulster Senior Football Championship final with the O’Donnell County once again having the edge over Armagh – this time on penalties.

Given how little there has been to separate the two sides on the field of play, it comes as little surprise to see them neck and neck in the betting for the All-Ireland SFC.

Ahead of their quarter-final meeting with Roscommon at 4pm on Saturday, Armagh are available for All-Ireland glory at odds that range from 6/1 with William Hill.

There is a similar value being placed on Jim McGuinness’ Donegal – who take on Louth at 1.15pm on Sunday – but with BoyleSports going slightly longer at 13/2, they are currently just behind their Orchard counterparts as the fourth favourites for the Sam Maguire Cup.

Derry And Galway Also In The Running For All-Ireland Title

After coming into this year’s championship as the third favourites with bookmakers for the All-Ireland, consecutive defeats at the hands of Donegal, Galway and Armagh saw the odds on NFL Division One champions Derry lengthening substantially.

Recent wins against Westmeath and Mayo have offered them renewed hope and while their clash with Kerry on Sunday is a daunting one, the Oak Leaf are still seen as an enticing outside bet for a first All-Ireland title since 1993. Ahead of their second knockout showdown against the Kingdom in as many years, Derry are available at 9/1.

Whereas Derry are up against the second favourites for the Sam Maguire Cup, Connacht champions Galway are coming face-to-face with the leading contenders for the All-Ireland crown. This explains why they are slightly behind the Oak Leaf as the sixth favourites for top championship honours, with odds on the westerners now 10/1.

Roscommon And Louth Viewed As Unlikely Champions

Despite their heroics against Tyrone and Cork last weekend, the best odds available on Roscommon and Louth for shock All-Ireland championship victories are 33/1 and 66/1 respectively.

They will also be coming into their encounters with Armagh and Donegal this weekend as clear underdogs, but following their major scalps in the weekend just gone, this could suit both teams down to the ground.

Posted in Gaelic Football, Gaelic Games | Comments Off on Updated All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Odds Piece: Gambling.com – June 26 2024

The Big Interview: Claire Dunne (Sligo/St Farnan’s) – Media West Ireland – June 22 2024

Posted on June 24, 2024 by admin

‘The U16s and minors are putting it up to Galway and Mayo’ – Claire Dunne on the progress being made in Sligo

Daire Walsh

When Claire Dunne first came into the Sligo set-up back in 2018, she found herself thrown ‘right in the mix’ with a side that were regularly challenging at the business end of a host of competitions.

Still a member of the underage ranks within the Yeats County back then, Dunne started at left corner-back on June 24 of that year as Sligo lost out to Roscommon in a TG4 Connacht Intermediate Football Championship decider held at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park in Castlebar.

She also played a significant part in their march to the semi-final stage of the TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Football Championship in 2018 and was a regular fixture in defence when Sligo also reached the penultimate round of the second-tier competition 12 months later.

2019 also saw Dunne and the Yeats women making it all the way to the Lidl National Football League Division 3 final. That particular game ended in a 4-11 to 1-7 reversal at the hands of Meath, who fielded 14 players that saw action in the Royal County’s breakthrough TG4 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship showpiece success just two years later.

“You were right in the mix of it then coming in. I only came into the championship in 2018, but we made it to the Division Three league final against Meath the following year just before they got on their road for winning. There was a good couple of years there where you were getting to All-Ireland semis against teams like Tipp,” Dunne said.

“It was such an experience to be thrown in at the deep end. Getting bits of game time as well and playing alongside all those players that are just great to have there coming in as a young girl. Looking up to them and then playing with them. Trying to develop into a player like them as you go on.”

Fast forward to 2024 and Dunne — a member of the St Farnan’s club that are based in her home parish of Templeboy — is now in the middle of her second season as captain of a Sligo team that are aiming to get back to the level they were at when she first made her debut as an adult inter-county footballer.

In the TG4 All-Ireland Junior Football Championship for the second year in succession, the Connacht outfit also suffered relegation to Division Four of the Lidl NFL following a difficult run of results this spring. There have certainly been set-backs for the team in recent times, but with the county currently competing to a high standard at underage level in the province, Dunne is confident league and championship promotion is within their grasp over the next few years.

“You always have to have a high goal and want to reach it. It’s just a case of building now up through junior and hopefully getting that title at some stage and into Division Four next year, just go from there. Definitely it would be nice to get back to that position and further if we can push it,” she said.

“All the underage in Sligo are doing so good. When I was underage, it was quite different. We were competing in ‘C’ and maybe ‘B’, but now the last couple of years, the U16s and minors are competing in ‘A’ and putting it up to those teams like Galway and Mayo.”

While consecutive Group A defeats against Carlow and Fermanagh puts them in a precarious position, Sligo aren’t necessarily out of contention for a spot in the knockout rounds of the All-Ireland junior championship.

If Cormac Reape’s side manage to overcome London later on today at McGovern Park in Ruislip (throw-in 7pm), it would put them level on points with the group’s respective second and third place teams Derry and Fermanagh – albeit the former will have a game in hand and the latter pay a visit to table-toppers Carlow tomorrow afternoon.

Despite the result going against them, Dunne saw plenty of positives in Sligo’s one-point loss (2-10 to 3-6) away to Fermanagh last Sunday and feels the team are now primed for two big performances in their upcoming clashes with London and Derry.

“I was delighted with our performance against Fermanagh. We really worked for it, we really improved on the things we needed to improve on since the Carlow game. Putting in a performance like that against Fermanagh definitely has boosted us. Hopefully it stands to us going into these last two games against London and Derry.”

2024 has also already been a big year for Dunne, who recently completed a four-year course in athletic therapy and training at DCU.

Currently doing some work at a clinic close to her home in Sligo, she has also expressed an interest in being a sideline presence for sporting teams now that she is fully qualified as an athletic therapist.

Of course, Dunne will continue to be an active presence within the white lines of a football pitch and left an indelible mark on the colleges football scene during her time in DCU.

After starting at right corner-back when the Metropolitans defeated UL in the O’Connor Cup final in 2023, she was in the same position when a star-studded DCU side defended their third-level title with an extra-time victory over UCC at MTU Cork in March of this year.

Thanks to her excellent performances over the course of these campaigns, Dunne was honoured with back-to-back Ladies HEC All-Stars for 2023 and 2024.

The likes of Niamh Crowley (Dublin), Emma Duggan (Meath) and Kate Kenny (Offaly) joined her in being honoured for their displays in the DCU colours this year and Dunne took great confidence from lining out alongside a host of established inter-county figures.

“I was lucky enough to get that position in corner-back for the last two years or so. You learn so much from other players, especially them being the top players in their county. It was an amazing experience to be part of that,” Dunne added.

“It is nice to be recognised as well. Especially when you’re coming from a smaller county. It wouldn’t have been possible without the team doing as well as it did. There was a lot of individuals that I couldn’t even pick out. Everyone was deserving of them.”

Posted in Ladies GAA | Comments Off on The Big Interview: Claire Dunne (Sligo/St Farnan’s) – Media West Ireland – June 22 2024