Senior hurlers ready for duel with league champions

Thu, 25th May 2017

With Cork, Waterford, Clare and Limerick through to the GAA hurling Munster senior semi-finals, it’s Leinster’s turn to clear the way to the last four when they stage three quarter-finals this weekend. Kilkenny received a bye to the semi-finals.

SATURDAY

Leinster SH quarter-final:

Westmeath v Offaly, TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar, 7.0

SUNDAY

Leinster SH quarter-finals:

Laois v Wexford, O’Moore Park Portlaoise, 2.0;

Galway v Dublin, O’Connor Park, Tullamore, 4.0

GALWAY v DUBLIN

This will be only the eighth championship match between the counties, with Dublin leading 5-1 while there was one draw in the previous seven.

Previous Dublin-Galway Clashes

2015: Galway 5-19 Dublin 1-18 (Leinster quarter-final) Replay

2015: Dublin 0-20 Galway 1-17 (Leinster quarter-final)

2013: Dublin 2-25 Galway 2-13 (Leinster final)

2011: Dublin 0-19 Galway 2-7 (Leinster semi-final)

1941: Dublin 2-4 Galway 2-2 (All-Ireland semi-final)

1924: Dublin 5-3 Galway 2-6 (All-Ireland final)

1920: Dublin 6-3 Galway 1-4 (All-Ireland semi-final)

This is Galway’s ninth season in the Leinster senior championship. Their record reads: Played 23; Won 13, Drew 3, Lost 7. Here’s how they fared against individual counties:

o Kilkenny: Played 7, Won 1, D1, Lost 5

o Laois: Played 4, Won 4

o Offaly: Played 4, Won 3, Drew 1

o Dublin: Played 4, Won 1, Lost 2, Drew 1

o Westmeath: Played 3, Won 3

o Wexford: Played 1, Won 1

Dublin were relegated from 1A of the Allianz League this year. After losing four of five games in the group stages, they were beaten in a relegation play-off with Clare.

Galway won the Division 1 title after finishing second to Wexford in 1B. They beat Waterford, Limerick and Tipperary in the knock-out stages.

This will be Galway’s sixth game in Tullamore since joining the Leinster championship in 2009, having won one, drawn one and lost three of their previous five. They lost to Kilkenny in 2009 (2-20 to 3-13) to Dublin in 2011 (0-19 to 2-7) and to Kilkenny in a replay in 2014 (3-19 to 1-17). They also drew with Kilkenny in Tullamore in 2014 (5-16 to 3-22). They beat Dublin in a replay (5-19 to 1-18) in 2015.

Ger Cunningham is in his third season as Dublin manager while Michael Donoghue is in his second season with Galway. Next Sunday’s winners will play Offaly or Westmeath in the Leinster semi-final on June 18

DID YOU KNOW?

Dublin haven’t been beaten in their first Leinster game of the season since losing to Wexford in 2007.

LAOIS v WEXFORD

This will be the first championship clash between the counties since 2005 when Wexford won a Leinster semi-final by 11 points in Croke Park.

LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES

2005: Wexford 0-24 Laois 1-10 (Leinster semi-final)

2001: Wexford 0-17 Laois 0-10 (Leinster semi-final)

1994: Wexford 4-24 Laois 4-6 (Leinster semi-final)

1993: Wexford 0-15 Laois 1-9 (Leinster semi-final)

1992: Wexford 4-8 Laois 1-11 (Leinster quarter-final)

Wexford were promoted from 1B in this year’s Allianz Hurling League, winning all five games before beating Kilkenny in the quarter-final. They lost the semi-final to Tipperary.

Laois finished bottom of 1B this year, winning one and losing four games. They survived in the group by beating Kerry (after extra-time) in a relegation play-off.

Laois won all three games in the Leinster ‘round robin’ as follows: Laois 1-23 Westmeath 2-17; Laois 3-25 Meath 2-13; Laois 2-21 Kerry 3-15.

Wexford beat Laois by 2-24 to 2-20 in the final round of 1B this year. Played in Innovate Wexford Park in late March, the sides were level at half-time. There was only a point between them late on but Wexford finished strongly, adding three more points.

Both managers, Davy Fitzgerald and Eamonn Kelly are in their first seasons as managers of Wexford and Laois respectively. Fitzgerald previously managed Waterford and Clare while Kelly had stints with Kerry and Offaly.

The winners will play Kilkenny in the Leinster semi-final on June 10.

DID YOU KNOW?

Ross King scored a total of 0-34 (0-26 frees, 0-2 ‘65’s) for Laois in

their three Leinster ‘round robin’ games. Patrick Purcell scored 4-9

from play.

OFFALY v WESTMEATH

They meet for a second successive year in the Leinster championship,

having gone 40 years without clashing prior to then.

LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES

2016: Westmeath 2-22 Wexford 1-11 (Leinster Round Robin)

1976: Westmeath 1-14 Offaly 1-11 (Leinster quarter-final)

1971: Offaly 1-20 Westmeath 1-15 (Leinster quarter-final)

1968: Offaly 3-15 Westmeath 3-8 (Leinster quarter-final)

1967: Westmeath 5-10 Offaly 4-8 (Leinster 1st round)

 This will be Westmeath’s fourth game in this year’s Leinster championship. They lost two and won one of the previous three in the ‘round robin’ as follows: Laois 1-23 Westmeath 2-17; Kerry 0-20 Westmeath 2-12; Westmeath 1-18 Meath 0-19.

 Westmeath beat Offaly by 2-22 to 1-11 in last year’s Leinster ‘round robin’ clash in Mullingar.

 Offaly finished fourth (one win, four defeats) in Division 1B of the Allianz League before losing a quarter-final to Tipperary. Westmeath finished fourth (three wins, two defeats) in 2A.

 Kevin Ryan is in his first season as Offaly manager while Michael Ryan is in his third term as Westmeath boss.

DID YOU KNOW?

Allan Devine scored 0-22 (0-15 frees, 0-1 ‘65’) in Westmeath’s three Leinster ‘round robin’ games.

2017 ALL-IRELAND HURLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

MUNSTER

May 21: First round: Cork 2-27 Tipperary 1-26, Semple Stadium.

June 4: Semi-final: Clare v Limerick, Semple Stadium.

June 18: Semi-final: Waterford v Cork, Semple Stadium.

July 9: Final

LEINSTER

April 23: Round Robin: Meath 3-20 Kerry 2-17, Pairc Tailteann;

Laois 1-23 Westmeath 2-17, O’Moore Park.