One Point Separates Top Four In Dublin’s Allianz Hurling League Division 1B

Wed, 2nd March 2022

The Allianz League action continues in all divisions this weekend, with the final round of group games on March 20.

ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 1: GROUP A: CORK AND WEXFORD TO CLINCH SEMI-FINALS PLACES?

Saturday: Wexford v Offaly, Chadwicks Wexford Park, 2.0; Cork v Galway, Pairc Ui Chaoimh, 7.0.

Sunday: Clare v Limerick, Ennis, 1.45

Cork and Wexford will secure places in the semi-finals ahead of the final round if they beat Galway and Offaly respectively. Wins would take them to eight points and out of reach of their pursuers.

Wexford will be well-fancied to achieve their first target for the season (Div 1 semi-finals) when they face Offaly, who have lost their opening three games to Galway, Cork and Clare. It has been a difficult return to Division 1 for Michael Fennelly’s men and it will get no easier against the in-form Wexford men. This will be the first League clash between the counties since 2017 when Wexford won by five points.

Cork have won their first three games (Clare, Offaly, Limerick) by an average of 12 points, leaving them in a very positive frame of mind ahead of the visit by Galway on Saturday. Wexford ended Galway’s winning run last weekend and now Henry Shefflin’s men are battling for survival in the race to clinch a semi-final place. Galway beat Cork by five points in last year’s League.

Clare and Limerick meet in the group League games for the first time since 2019 when they finished level. Clare need to win to have any chance of remaining in contention for a semi-final place.

ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 1 GROUP B: ONE POINT SEPARATES TOP FOUR

Saturday: Dublin v Kilkenny, Parnell Park, 5.0.

Sunday: Waterford v Tipperary, Walsh Park, 1.45; Laois v Antrim, MW Hire O’Moore Park, 1.45

It was always likely to be a competitive race among the leading four and so it’s proving with only one point separating Waterford, Dublin (five each), Kilkenny and Tipperary (four each). Antrim and Laois are cut adrift, with either yet to take a point.

Dublin host Kilkenny in Parnell Park on Saturday, hoping to avenge two defeats last year. Kilkenny beat them by five points in the Allianz League and by nine points in the Leinster final.

Waterford v Tipperary is one of the highlights of the weekend programme and will draw a big crowd to Walsh Park. Waterford beat Tipp by 2-29 to 3-21 in last year’s League.

Antrim have been quite unlucky to far, losing their opening three games against Kilkenny, Dublin and Waterford by three, four and two point margins. Laois tested Tipperary all the way in the first round, losing by four points, but have since suffered 33 and 17-point defeats against Waterford and Kilkenny.

Their clash with Antrim will decide who finishes bottom of the table and faces a relegation play-off. Antrim beat Laois by four points in last year’s League.

ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 2A: ONLY TWO POINTS SEPARATE THE SIX CONTENDERS

Sunday: Kerry v Meath, Tralee, 1.0; Westmeath v Down, TEG Cusack Park, 2.0; Kildare v Carlow, Newbridge, 2.0.

It couldn’t be much tighter in the race to reach the final, with only two points separating the six teams, heading into the final two rounds. Westmeath, Kerry and Down are all on four points, with Carlow, Kildare and Meath on two points.

Kerry host Meath in Tralee, having beaten the Royals by three points in last year’s League. Down’s unbeaten run ended at home against Kildare last weekend and they now face a tough ‘away’ test against Westmeath, who got back to winning ways against Meath. This will be the first League meeting between Carlow and Kildare for four years, with Carlow having won by 3-15 to 1-6 in 2018.

ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 2B: DERRY AND DONEGAL SCORCH CLEAR OF THE REST

Sunday: London v Wicklow, McGovern Park, Ruislip, 2.0; Donegal v Derry, Letterkenny, 2.0; Mayo v Sligo, Ballina, 2.0.

Derry and Donegal (both on six points) have opened a big lead on the rest, four points clear of Sligo and London, who are a point ahead of Wicklow and Mayo. It means that the Donegal v Derry game on Sunday is, more likely than not, a warm-up for another meeting in the final early next month. Derry beat Donegal by a point in last year’s League.

ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 3A: TYRONE AND ROSCOMMON MAKING GOOD PROGRESS

Saturday: Warwickshire v Louth, Pairc na hEireann, 2.0.

Sunday: Armagh v Roscommon, Athletic Grounds, 2.0; Monaghan v Tyrone, Inniskeen, 2.0.

Wins for Tyrone and Roscommon last weekend saw them move to the top of the table (five points each), followed by Armagh and Monaghan on four each.

This will be the first League meeting between Armagh and Roscommon since 2019, when Roscommon won both the 3A group game (four points) and the final (three points). Tyrone beat Monaghan by nine points in last year’s League while the last Warwickshire-Louth game was in 2018 when Warwickshire won both the 3A group game and final.

ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 3B: LEITRIM AND FERMANAGH LEAD PROMOTION DRIVE

Saturday: Fermanagh v Lancashire, Brewster Park, 1.0

Sunday: Longford v Leitrim, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, 2.0.

Leitrim and Fermanagh are both on four points after two games; Longford are on two points are two games. Lancashire (2pts) and Cavan (0pts) have both played three games. Lancashire beat Fermanagh by seven points in their last League game two years ago, while Longford beat Leitrim by eight points in their last League meeting three years ago.

ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE 2022: FIXTURES & RESULTS

ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 1 GROUP A

Round 1: Cork 2-30 Clare 2-21; Wexford 1-11 Limerick 0-11; Galway 4-22 Offaly 0-17

Round 2: Galway 0-27 Limerick 1-18; Wexford 2-20 Clare 1-20; Cork 4-25 Offaly 1-15.

Round 3: Wexford 2-15 Galway 0-15; Clare 4-20 Offaly 0-16; Cork 2-19 Limerick 1-13.

Round 4: Mar 5: Cork v Galway; Mar 6: Clare v Limerick; Wexford v Offaly.

Round 5: Mar 20: Galway v Clare; Limerick v Offaly; Wexford v Cork.

ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 1 GROUP B

Round 1: Tipperary 0-21 Laois 1-14; Kilkenny 2-15 Antrim 3-9; Dublin 0-21 Waterford 2-15

Round 2: Dublin 2-19 Antrim 2-15; Waterford 7-31 Laois 0-19; Tipperary 1-19 Kilkenny 1-18.

Round 3: Dublin 2-16 Tipperary 0-21; Waterford 3-21 Antrim 2-22; Kilkenny 2-28 Laois 0-17.

Round 4: Mar 5: Dublin v Kilkenny; Mar 6: Waterford v Tipperary; Laois v Antrim.

Round 5: Mar 20: Kilkenny v Waterford; Laois v Dublin; Tipperary v Antrim.

ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 2A

Round 1: Westmeath 3-15 Kerry 1-15; Down 2-10 Carlow 1-12; Meath 0-18 Kildare 0-15

Round 2: Carlow 1-20 Westmeath 1-14; Kerry 4-18 Kildare 2-16; Down 2-18 Meath 1-19.

Round 3: Kerry 0-20 Carlow 0-13; Kildare 2-17 Down 0-22; Westmeath 4-23 Meath 1-15.

Round 4: Mar 6: Kerry v Meath; Kildare v Carlow; Westmeath v Down.

Round 5: Mar 19: Down v Kerry; Mar 20: Kildare v Westmeath; Meath v Carlow.

ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 2B

Round 1: Derry 2-14 Sligo 1-14; Donegal 3-16 London 0-8; Mayo 2-15 Wicklow 2-15.

Round 2: London 4-11 Mayo 1-10; Derry 2-24 Wicklow 0-12; Donegal 1-19 Sligo 2-14.

Round 3: Sligo 1-24 London 1-15; Derry 4-24 Mayo 1-14; Donegal 2-16 Wicklow 3-8.

Round 4: Mar 6: London v Wicklow; Donegal v Derry; Mayo v Sligo.

Round 5: Mar 20: Derry v London; Mayo v Donegal; Wicklow v Sligo.

ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 3A

Round 1: Armagh 2-16 Louth 3-12; Monaghan 1-12 Warwickshire 2-8; Roscommon 0-20 Tyrone 1-17.

Round 2: Tyrone 4-29 Warwickshire 0-7; Roscommon 2-21 Louth 0-14; Armagh 4-22 Monaghan 0-13.

Round 3: Monaghan 2-8 Louth 0-7; Roscommon 4-20 Warwickshire 0-6; Tyrone 2-21 Armagh 1-14.

Round 4: Mar 5: Warwickshire v Louth; Mar 6: Armagh v Roscommon; Monaghan v Tyrone.

Round 5: Mar 20: Roscommon v Monaghan; Tyrone v Louth; Warwickshire v Armagh.

ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 3B

Round 1: Fermanagh 1-20 Cavan 0-13; Leitrim 4-16 Lancashire 2-8.

Round 2: Lancashire 0-23 Cavan 0-12; Fermanagh 1-10 Longford 0-11.

Round 3: Leitrim 1-13 Cavan 0-9; Longford 1-26 Lancashire 3-11.

Round 4: Mar 6: Fermanagh v Lancashire; Longford v Leitrim.

Round 5: Mar 20: Cavan v Longford; Leitrim v Fermanagh.

PLAY-OFFS

Mar 26/27

Division 1 semi-finals: 1st Group A v 2nd Group B; 2nd Group A v 1st Group B.

Division 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B semi-finals: 2nd v 3rd

Division 1 Relegation: 6th Group A v 6th Group B

Division 2B Relegation: 5th v 6th.

Apr 2/3

Finals – all Divisions

ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE SHORTS

*Cork have made the best start to the Allianz League for many years, winning their first three games in Group A by an average of 12.3 points. Wexford have matched them with three wins (average of four points).Cork and Wexford meet in Round 5 on March 20, by which stage both may have qualified for the semi-finals.

*Waterford’s good run in Group B continued with a narrow win over Antrim, leaving them with five points and a scoring difference of +35 after three rounds. Dublin (also on five points) are the only other unbeaten team in the group.

*Limerick have been the highest-scoring team in the country in recent years, but haven’t been able to maintain the momentum so far this year. They have averaged just 1-13 per game against Wexford, Galway and Cork. Their points difference is -18.

*Laois have lost their three games by an average of 18 points while Offaly have lost their three by an average of 17 points.

*Cork, Wexford (Division 1), Derry Donegal (2B). Leitrim, Fermanagh (3B) are the only counties on full points after three rounds. Offaly, Antrim, Laois (Division 1), Louth , Warwickshire (3A) and Cavan (3B) are the only counties without a point.

*Darragh Egan remains the only unbeaten manager of the new crop in Division 1. Henry Shefflin (Galway) and Colm Bonnar (Tipperary) had their good runs ended last weekend but Egan took his strike rate to three after Wexford beat Galway in Pearse Stadium.

Top Scorers

Allianz Hurling League Division 1 Group A

Eoghan Cahill (Offaly).........1-30 (0-26 frees)

Shane Kingston (Cork).......4-17 (0-11 frees, 0-1 ‘65’)

Mark Rodgers (Clare)........1-17 (0-13 frees, 0-1 ‘65’)

Conor Cooney (Galway)......0-19 (0-15 frees, 0-1 s/l)

Tony Kelly (Clare)................2-12 (0-7 frees, 1-0 Pen)

Allianz Hurling League Division 1 Group B

Stephen Bennett (Waterford)....5-24 (0-20 frees, 4-0 pens, 0-1 ‘65’)

Donal Burke (Dublin)..................1-30 (0-25 frees, 1-0 pen, 0-1 ‘65’)

Jason Forde (Tipperary)..............0-33 (0-23 frees, 0-1 pen, 0-1 s/l)

Neil McManus (Antrim)..............3-22 (0-15 frees, 2-0 pen, 0-1 ’65))