MORNING HEADLINES

GAELIC GAMES

Tipperary manager Declan Ryan says they have no excuses for yesterday's 18 point loss to Kilkenny in the All Ireland semi final in Croke Park.

The Premier led by a point at the break but were outplayed in the second half with a final score of 4-24 to 1-15.

Holders Clonkill will face Castletown Geoghegan in the semi finals of the Westmeath Senior Hurling Championship in a repeat of last year's final.

Clonkill edged out Castlepollard by 1-19 to 4-6 at Cusack Park last night, the second quarter final saw St Oliver Plunketts win 0-14 to 1-7 against Lough Lene Gaels.

Plunketts will meet Raharney in the last four.

Borris in Ossory Kilcotton have booked their place in round three of the Laois Senior Hurling Championship, they were comfortable 2-22 to 0-10 winners over Ballyfin at O'Moore Park last night.

Clough Ballacolla defeated Ballinakill by 2-21 to 2-12 to win the hurling league title.

Donegal have reached their fourth Boston SFC final in a row

Westmeath's Dessie Dolan starred for Donegal in their 4-14 to 1-5 win over Galway in last night's semi final at Canton

Laois' Donie Kingston will also feature in the final, his Shannon Blue's side were 3-11 to 2-12 winners over Aiden McAnespies in the other last four clash

CAMOGIE

Wexford will face Cork in the All-Ireland Camogie Final

Cork defeated Galway by 3-10 to 0-12 in the opening game at Nowlan Park on Saturday while holders Wexford were 3-14 to 0-5 winners over Offaly

Katrina Parrock scored two goals, Ursula Jacob the other

Offaly's Under 16 Camogie team are through to play Kilkenny in the Leinster A Final on September 2nd

The Faithful defeated Dublin by 3-11to 2-9 yesterday

LADIES FOOTBALL

Offaly will face Louth in the All-Ireland Junior Semi Finals next month in a repeat of the Leinster Final

The Faithful had an 8-14 to 0-1 win over Kilkenny on Friday night at Gracefield

SOCCER

Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini faces a fitness test ahead of tonight's clash with Manchester United at Goodison park while Irish international Darron Gibson is struggling with a thigh injury.

Chris Smalling and Phil Jones are unavailable for the visitors while Rio Ferdinand is struggling with a leg injury but striker Robin Van Persie is expected to make his debut.

Kick off is at 8

Willow Park began the defence of their Combined Counties Football League Senior Division title with a 3-0 away win against Gallen yesterday

Clara Town defeated St Peters 3-0, Monksland were 4-0 winners over Arlington and it was a one all draw between Mountmellick and Kilavilla in the other games in the top flight.


Sean Skelly and Niall Scullion were sent off as Athlone Town lost 3-0 to SD Galway at Terryland Park on Friday night

It's Town's heaviest away defeat of the season


Delvin's Connor Smith made his Watford debut on Saturday afternoon

The Ireland Under 19 international was brought on in the second half by manager Gianfranco Zola in the Hornets 3-2 win away to Crystal Palace in the Championship

RUGBY UNION

Athlone's Rob Henshaw marked his first start for Connacht with a try in the Western Province's 45-11 friendly loss to Premiership champions Harlequins at the Stoop on Saturday

The Buccs' youngster who was part of the Interpro winning Connacht Under 20s side earlier this year got over the tryline after blocking down a kick

Birr duo Peter Dooley and Shane Delahunt were part of the Leinster Under 19 team that defeated Northampton on Saturday afternoon

GOLF

Sergio Garcia is one shot clear heading into the weather delayed final day of the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina.

Garcia is 15 under with 14 to play while Tim Clark and Jason Duffner are 14 under with 13 to play.

HANDBALL

Mullingar's Robbie McCarthy will face Dublin's Eoin Kennedy in the final of the All-Ireland 60 by 30 Softball Championship.

McCarthy defeated Mayo's Dessie Keegan 21-11, 21-6 at Abbeylara to set up a fourth final in a row against Kennedy.

8 times champion Kennedy won comfortably 21-0, 21-6 against Ger Coonan in the other semi

ATHLETICS

Laois club St Abbans have won the Womens' Division One title at the Woodies DIY National League Finals

Nessa Millet won the 200 metres as well as the 400 metres hurdles, Siobhan Nash took the 1500 metres walk, Sarah Buggy won triple jump and Shauna Daly was first in the shot putt as Abbans prevailed at the Tullamore Harriers Club

Representing the Crusaders Club Mullingar's Steven Colvert won both the 100 and 200 metres Men's Premier races.

It was a successful weekend for young Midlands athletes at the Community Games in Athlone

Emo Rath's Gillian Keenan won the Under 12 Girls Cycling

Ballyroan Abbey were second in the Under 10 Gaelic Football, losing out to Douglas of Cork in the final, while Banagher won bronze in the Under 12 Girls Gaelic Football

The Under 8 gold medals in gymnastics both went to Offaly, Tullamore's Samuel Burns and Kilcormac Killoughey's Aoibhe Murphy winning their events

Emer Flynn from Ferbane won bronze in the Under 16 Gymnastics

Emo Rath took gold in the Girls' Under 12 soccer

Westmeath's Erika Lowe was third in the girls under 8 freestyle swimming, Rebecca Lowe from took gold in the under 10 backstroke, Lisa Harrington was third in the Under 14 butterfly

Laois' Fionn Matthews took the Under 10 boys freestyle gold, Moate's Rhys Rowlands was the gold medalist in the Under 12 backstroke with Portlaoise's Sean Scannell in second

Bill Kelly of Westmeath was third in the Under 14 backstroke, Laois' Eoin Donoghue and Bryan Scully of Westmeath were inside the top 4 in the Under 14 butterfly

Clara's Sean Tierney won silver in the Under 14 freestyle

RACING

There's racing in the Midlands this evening as Roscommon hosts a seven-race mixed card

The highlight of the racing on the level is the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap at 6.10pm which features a clash between Beach of Falesa and Zariyna, both multiple recent handicap winners.

The Roscommonracecourse.ie Hurdle at 7.10pm is the best of three jumps races on the card and features a number of high profile hurdlers including last year's Guinness Galway Hurdle winner, Moon Dice, trained locally by Paul Flynn.

Experienced hurdlers Won In The Dark and Dancing Tornado will offer stiff resistance but Moon Dice's main threat could come from the lightly-raced Tarla from the Willie Mullins stable.

Posted in: