The stakes will be very
high for reigning Allianz League champions, Kilkenny and runners-up, Tipperary
in their 1A Round 4 game next Sunday as the losers will be in real danger of
not reaching the quarter-finals.
Limerick are in a much
better situation, topping the table on six points, as they prepare to host Cork
while it’s Clare v Wexford in Ennis.
2019
ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 1A
Sunday: Clare v Wexford,
Ennis, 2.0; Tipperary v Kilkenny, Semple Stadium, 2.0; Limerick v Cork, Gaelic
Grounds, 2.30.
Having beaten Carlow,
Kilkenny, Cork and Galway in last year’s All-Ireland championship, Limerick have
taken the Wexford, Tipperary and Kilkenny scalps in the first three rounds of
this year’s Allianz League, leaving them bidding for an eighth successive win
when they take on Cork in the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday.
If last year’s
championships games (they didn’t meet in the League) are anything to go by, it
should be another cracking contest. Cork and Limerick drew (1-25 to 0-28) in
the Munster ‘round robin’ and the sides against finished level again in the
All-Ireland semi-final before Limerick pressed on in extra-time, winning by
3-32 to 2-31.
Limerick have won their
opening three League games by an average of over six points while Cork, who
recorded their first win when beating Clare last weekend, have a scoring
difference of -8 points.
Davy Fitzgerald takes
second-placed Wexford (4pts) to Ennis for a clash with Clare, for whom he
played and managed over many years. Clare have lost two of three games so far
and are bottom of the table on scoring difference behind Cork, Kilkenny and
Tipperary, all of whom are also on two points. Wexford beat Clare by four
points in last year’s League.
The losers of Tipperary v
Kilkenny will be in real danger of missing out on a place in the
quarter-finals, which makes their clash in Semple Stadium very interesting.
Kilkenny beat Tipperary twice in last year’s League, winning 2-22 to 2-21 in
the 1A campaign and by 2-23 to 2-17 in the final.
2019
ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 1B
Sunday: Offaly v Galway,
O’Connor Park, Tullamore, 1.0; Dublin v Waterford, Parnell Park, 2.0; Carlow v
Laois, Netwatch Cullen Park, 2.0.
Waterford are the only
team on full points after three rounds, but are now facing into their two
toughest games against Dublin next Sunday and against Galway on the following
weekend. Waterford are already guaranteed a place in the quarter-final but will
be anxious to build on that over the remaining two games before taking their
place in the knock-out stages.
Dublin experienced their
first defeat when going down to Galway last Sunday. Galway take on Offaly, whom
they beat easily in League (2-19 to 0-14) and Championship (5-18 to 2-15) last
year.
Offaly are the only team
in the group without a win, leaving them in relegation trouble ahead of their
last two games against Galway (home) and Carlow (away). The winners of Carlow
(1 point) v Laois (2 points) will be guaranteed to avoid relegation. They
didn’t meet in last year’s League but clashed in the Joe McDonagh Cup, with
Carlow winning by 2-25 to 2-15.
2019
ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 2A
Saturday: London v Kerry,
McGovern Park, Ruislip2.0
Sunday: Westmeath v
Meath, TEG Cusack Park, 12.30; Mayo v Antrim, Ballina, 1.0
Having missed out on
promotion last year after losing the final to Carlow, Westmeath have made a
great start to their bid this year, winning all three games, which leaves them
two points ahead of Kerry and three ahead of Meath.
They host the Royals,
whom they beat in both last year’s League and Joe McDonagh Cup.
London, who have yet to
pick up a point, host Kerry who beat them by 2-30 to 1-13 in last year’s
League. Mayo are still waiting for their first win but have a game less played
than Antrim, whom they host on Sunday.
2019
ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 2B
SUNDAY: Warwickshire v
Derry, Pairc na hEireann, 12.0; Down v Donegal, Ballycran, 2.0; Wicklow v
Kildare, Aughrim, 2.0.
Derry, who are on full
points after three games, are fancied to make it four wins in a row against
Warwickshire, who have lost their opening three games by an average of 20
points. Kildare, Wicklow and Down are all on four points while Donegal have yet
to win a game. Donegal beat Down in last year’s League before the Mourne men
recovered and reached the final where they lost to Mayo.
2019
ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 3A
Sunday: Louth v Armagh,
Darver, 12.30; Monaghan v Lancashire, Iniskeen, 2.0; Roscommon v Tyrone, Dr.
Hyde Park, 2.0
Roscommon (6pts), host
Tyrone (4pts) while Armagh (4pts) are also in the promotion mix. Tyrone beat
Roscommon by four points in last year’s League. Louth and Armagh didn’t meet as
the Orchard county were in 2B. Nor did Lancashire and Monaghan as the exiles
were in 3B where they won the title.
2019
ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 3B
Sunday: Cavan v Longford,
Kingspan Breffni Park, 12.30; Leitrim v Fermanagh, Carrick-on-Shannon, 2.0
Sligo have won all three
games and are well-placed to book a place in the final. They have no game on
Sunday, which gives Longford (4pts) a chance to join them at the top of the
table. They play Cavan, who are on two points. Leitrim and Fermanagh have still
to win a game.
2019
ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE: RESULTS
& FIXTURES
ALLIANZ
HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 1A
Round 1: Tipperary 2-16 Clare 1-11; Limerick 1-17 Limerick 2-11; Kilkenny 2-18
Cork 0-17.
Round 2: Clare 2-20 Kilkenny 1-22; Wexford 1-18 Cork 0-17; Limerick 1-21
Tipperary 1-14.
Round 3: Cork 1-20 Clare 0-20; Limerick 2-18 Kilkenny 0-15; Wexford 1-15
Tipperary 1-14.
Round 4: Feb 24: Clare v Wexford; Tipperary v Kilkenny; Limerick v Cork.
Round 5: Mar 3: Clare v Limerick; Cork v Tipperary; Wexford v Kilkenny.
ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 1B
Round 1: Dublin 3-15
Carlow 0-18; Galway 1-27 Laois 2-15; Waterford 2-28 Offaly 0-7.
Round 2: Carlow
0-20 Galway 0-20; Waterford 4-22 Laois 1-15; Dublin 2-19 Offaly 0-12.
Round 3: Laois 3-17
Offaly 2-16; Waterford 3-15 Carlow 0-10; Galway 0-20 Dublin 1-11.
Round 4: Feb 24: Offaly v Galway; Carlow v Laois; Dublin v Waterford.
Round 5: Mar 3: Carlow v Offaly; Dublin v Laois; Waterford v Galway.
Quarter-finals: Mar 10:
Top 1A v 4th 1B; 2nd 1A v 3rd 1B; 3rd 1A v 2nd 1B; 4th 1A v Top 1B.
Semi-finals: Mar 16.
Final: Mar 24
ALLIANZ
HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 2A
Round 1: Mayo 0-17
Meath 0-7; Westmeath 2-17 London 0-15; Kerry 1-21 Antrim 2-16.
Round 2: Westmeath 4-13 Kerry 2-17; Antrim 3-13 Meath 2-15; Mar 9: London v
Mayo.
Round 3: Meath 3-16 London 0-10; Westmeath 1-17 Antrim 1-15; Kerry 3-18 Mayo
0-9.
Round 4: Feb 23: London v Kerry; Feb 24: Westmeath v Meath; Mayo v Antrim.
Round 5: Mar 4: Antrim v London; Kerry v Meath; Westmeath v Mayo.
Final: Mar 10
ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 2B
Round 1: Kildare 2-16
Donegal 1-13; Derry 1-16 Down 0-14; Wicklow 2-20 Warwickshire 0-11.
Round 2: Derry 3-18 Donegal 0-12; Down 1-23 Wicklow 0-15; Kildare 8-19
Warwickshire 0-6.
Round 3: Wicklow 2-13 Donegal 0-15; Derry 0-21 Kildare 1-16; Down 1-16
Warwickshire 0-11.
Round 4: Feb 24: Down v Donegal; Warwickshire v Derry; Wicklow v Kildare.
Round 5: Mar 3: Derry v Wicklow; Donegal v Warwickshire; Kildare v Down.
Final: Mar 10
ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 3A
Round 1: Roscommon 3-18
Louth 1-11; Armagh 4-11 Monaghan 0-5; Tyrone 2-17 Lancashire 0-10.
Round 2: Armagh 2-14 Lancashire 0-12; Roscommon 1-21 Monaghan 0-14; Tyrone 2-23
Louth 1-11.
Round 3: Louth 2-12 Lancashire 1-13; Roscommon 0-18 Armagh 1-11; Monaghan 4-12
Tyrone 0-13.
Round 4: Feb 24: Louth v Armagh; Monaghan v Lancashire; Roscommon v Tyrone.
Round 5: Mar 3: Lancashire v Roscommon; Louth v Monaghan; Tyrone v Armagh.
Final: Mar 10
ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 3B
Round 1: Cavan 2-9
Leitrim 1-11; Sligo 2-14 Fermanagh 1-16.
Round 2: Sligo 2-14 Leitrim 0-19; Longford 1-16 Fermanagh 2-7
Round 3: Longford 2-18 Leitrim 0-16; Sligo 4-19 Cavan 2-6.
Round 4: Feb 24: Cavan v Longford; Leitrim v Fermanagh
Round 5: Mar 3: Fermanagh v Cavan; Longford v Sligo.
Final: Mar 10
