GAA Digest: Big Walsh cup win for Laois over Dublin

Red Bulls linked with cheeky summer move for Stephen Ireland

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Tyrone Wins

 

Tyrone came from six points down to win the McKenna Cup for the first time in four years thanks to Saturday night’s 1-14 to 2-8 win over Derry at the Armagh Athletic Grounds.

Goalkeeper John Devine captained Tyrone on the night and said, “You always love to captain your county. I was very fortunate to captain the club last year, and that was a proud moment.

“To captain my county was great. But I have to be realistic, it could have been any one of us who could have captained the team on this occasion, but I was lucky I suppose.”

Derry midfielder James Conway protested his innocence after he was sent off in the game following an incident involving Colm Cavanagh close to the sideline. Conway will now miss the opening two games in the league campaign.

“I did nothing. I hardly touched him,” said Conway. “I pulled his jersey. I was expecting a yellow card at worst. The linesman on the far side called it.

“I can’t believe it. Hopefully it’ll be overturned and I can play in the league because there was nothing in that.”
 
Cork Wins

Goalkeeper Ken O’Halloran was the star of the show as Cork scored a seven point win (0-13 to 0-6) over Tipperary in the McGrath Cup football final in Clonmel on Sunday.

Tipperary manager Johnny Evans led the praise for O’Halloran. 

“Ken O’Halloran made superb saves. He was man of the match from a Cork point of view. It doesn’t mean we’d have won the game if we had got one or two goals,” said Evans.

“It just goes to show that we can create chances. The breaks didn’t go our way. We need to be taking the points -- there were a couple of point chances from frees that you’ve got to be putting over the bar.”

Cork boss Conor Counihan said afterwards, “It’s a competition we decided to enter this year and, having entered it, we wanted to win it.

“We’ve had good ground up to this in our games but that pitch was very tough to play on. We had a number of new players out there again today and it was an opportunity to have a look at them. It was pleasing.”
 
Clare Wins

New Clare boss Davy Fitzgerald marked his first game in charge with a win as the Banner crushed Waterford IT by 29 points in the Walsh Cup clash in his home village of Sixmilebridge.

“It was great to play the first competitive game in Sixmilebridge. Any time you win is good,” said Fitzgerald.

“Waterford IT were very much under-strength because they are playing Fitzgibbon Cup on Thursday which I totally understand but we were given a team to play and we had to play them. But we still have a lot of work to do.

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