Tailteann Cup final beckons for Limerick as second-half onslaught puts Wicklow to the sword
Tailteann Cup semi-final: Limerick 2-18 Wicklow 1-17
A devastating 1-9 without reply in the final 20 minutes saw Limerick overturn a seven-point deficit into a scarcely believable five-point win.
Wicklow were coasting into the decider when Oisín McGraynor put them 1-16 to 1-9 up on 50 minutes, but when goalscorer Rob Childs pickpocketed Wicklow goalkeeper Mark Jackson two minutes later, a remarkable turnaround had been set in motion.
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Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Brian McLoughlin steps off bench to send lacklustre Kildare in Tailteann semi-final
Tailteann Cup semi-final: Kildare 1-13 (1-2-9) Fermanagh 0-9 (0-0-9) A fine display of shooting from Brian McLoughlin illuminated a Tailteann Cup semi-final that otherwise gave the viewing public flashbacks of the old sport of Gaelic football, the one that we all thought had been left behind. For a Kildare side that hadn't won in Croke Park since the 2022 Leinster Championship, recording just three wins in 23 games here since 2014, the underwhelming manner of the victory will be less memorable than the sense of relief at safely negotiating a hurdle that began to look increasingly hazardous as the contest progressed. There was no stage in the game when Fermanagh looked like the better side, but as the misses racked up, a group that have been pigeonholed as talented but unreliable was leaving a plucky underdog in the game. In the first half, it was missed goal chances that were the story. Kevin Feely slipped a pass to Colm Dalton, whose shot was blocked on the line by Ronan McCaffrey, then Feely himself crashed a thunderbolt of a shot off the woodwork, a few minutes before Daniel Flynn clipped a shot over the bar from 20 metres out when it looked like he might be in a position to advance on goal. With the heavens opening and handling increasingly difficult, it's not like Fermanagh were scoring freely either. Conor Love (two), Darragh McGurn and Ryan Lyons all took advantage of the drier ground to leave the game deadlocked at 0-4 each and warming up nicely with 15 minutes played, but as heavy rain drenched the players, the scores dried up. Alex Beirne and Joe McDade got the best of the scores to leave it 0-7 to 0-6 in Kildare's favour at half-time, and a poor game got even more sloppy after half-time, with just another point apiece registered in the next 15 minutes. For Fermanagh, a lack of possession was the issue, while Kildare had plenty of opportunities, but weren't long about adding ten second half wides to the four they shot in the opening 35 minutes. Enter McLoughlin to give an injection of attacking quality to a game where it was sorely lacking otherwise. The eventual man of the match got off the mark with a powerful strike at the end of a slow build up that saw Fermanagh lose their concentration and leave him wide open, then on the next attack he opted to rifle the ball over the bar rather than go for goal after being put through by a slick give and go with David Hyland. McLoughlin's decision to just put something on the board made sense when he followed up with a majestic two-pointer, and now Fermanagh needed a lifeline. Jonathan Cassidy picking up a breaking ball and driving through to set up Josh Largo Ellis was that lifeline, but instead of keeping the ball down along the slick surface, he fired his shot a foot over the crossbar, and that was as good as it got for the Erne men. Kildare continued to control the ball from then on, with McLoughlin adding one more point before James McGrath finished the game with a flourish, firing in his third goal in as many games to send the Lily Whites through to a final clash with Limerick. Scorers for Kildare: B McLoughlin 0-5 (1tp), J McGrath 1-0, K Feely 0-2 (tp), C Dalton 0-2, D Flynn 0-2, A Beirne 0-1, D Kirwan 0-1. Scorers for Fermanagh: C Love 0-2, R Lyons 0-1, D McGurn 0-1, J McDade 0-1, D McCusker 0-1, F O'Brien 0-1f, S Cassidy 0-1, Josh Largo Ellis 0-1. KILDARE: C Burke; D Hyland, M Dempsey, H O'Neill; K Flynn, B Byrne, J McGrath; K Feely, B Gibbons; T Gill, R Sinkey, C Dalton; D Kirwan, A Beirne, D Flynn. Subs: J McKevitt for Flynn (44), B McLoughlin for Sinkey (44), N Kelly for Kirwan (63), A Masterson for Gibbons (66), R Burke for McGrath (69). FERMANAGH: S McNally; L Cullen, J Cassidy, O Smyth; L Flanagan, D McCusker, S McGullion; J McDade, D McGurn; R McCaffrey, R Lyons, F O'Brien; C Love, G Jones, Josh Largo Ellis. Subs: S Cassidy for Jones (half-time), C McGee for McCaffrey (50), A Kelm for McCusker (56), Jack Largo Ellis for O'Brien (66), C Cullen for McGullion (67) Referee: Kieran Eannetta (Tyrone)
Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
Brian McLoughlin makes the difference off the bench as Kildare book Tailteann Cup final date with Limerick
Brian McLoughlin changed the course of a dire Tailteann Cup semi-final with his impressive 0-4 contribution off the bench booking Kildare's place in the final.
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
Substitute Brian McLaughlin lights up semi-final slugfest as Kildare prevail
Substitute Brian McLoughlin rolled back the years with another huge Croke Park display to help Kildare reach the Tailteann Cup final. Seven years after hitting 1-02 in the 2018 All-Ireland U-20 final win at GAA HQ, Clane man McLoughlin this time registered a crucial 0-05 to turn a tight game into a landmark win. The scores were tied at 0-08 to 0-08 with 15 minutes to go when McLoughlin reeled off two single points and then a two-pointer to give them a vital cushion. He added another point in the closing minutes to set the seal on Kildare's first win at Croke Park in three years - securing their return for the July 12 final against Limerick. Kildare 0-12 Fermanagh 0-08: A second two-pointer for Brian McLaughlin, whose introduction has proven an inspirational change for Kildare 📺 @RTE2 & @RTEplayer 📱 Updates - — The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 22, 2025 It wasn't a classic encounter, mainly due to the torrential rain that fell in spells, though Kildare won't care with so much on the line for them. A golden ticket back to the All-Ireland SFC in 2026 awaits the winners of the final. James McGrath set the seal on Kildare's win with a trademark 69th minute goal, a left-footed blast similar to the one he scored against Offaly just last weekend. Full-time - Kildare 1-13 Fermanagh 0-09: James McGrath scores at the death as Kildare advance to the Tailteann Cup final 📺 @RTE2 & @RTEplayer 📱 Updates - — The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 22, 2025 The seven-point win in front of 13,960 probably flattered Kildare though with four goal chances created overall, aside from the one that McGrath took, and 14 wides registered, they were good value for the win. Fermanagh will rue their inability to grab a vital goal. They had chances in the final quarter hour but a combination of Brian Byrne and Kevin Feely cleared off the line for Kildare in the 60th minute, and Josh Largo Ellis fired just over two minutes later for the Ernesiders. Kildare were desperate to finally grab a win at Croke Park having lost their previous five games there, a tale of woe that stretched back to 2022. In complete contrast, their preliminary quarter-final win over Offaly last Saturday was their sixth victory from six outings at the freshly redeveloped Cedral St Conleth's Park in Newbridge. They hoped to ride that wave of momentum on the bigger stage and did hit the interval with a 0-07 to 0-06 lead though conditions were difficult and mitigated against any sort of free flowing encounter. Both sides did their best but with rain spilling down for much of the opening half, avoiding handling errors and just retaining possession was a job in itself. Kildare captain Kevin Feely kicked the team's 29th two-pointer of the season in the sixth minute. Fermanagh goalkeeper Sean McNally argued that he got a glove to the ball before it went over the crossbar, which would have reduced it to a single pointer, though the orange flag was raised. That one went Feely's way but he winced five minutes later when he gobbled up a loose ball after a high delivery into the danger area and smashed it back off the Fermanagh crossbar. Earlier, Colm Dalton had a shot at the Fermanagh goal blocked by Ronan McCaffrey while Daniel Flynn slalomed through the Ulster side's defence and fired just over in the 16th minute. Dalton struck two points and Darragh Kirwan was on the mark too as the Lilywhites held the lead for the majority of the opening half. Conor Love was Fermanagh's most potent attacker. He came into the contest with 2-13 from four games and added two first-half points. He was a constant threat, jinking this way and that and always trying to get a shot away off his left boot. He displayed a terrific piece of skill just before half-time when he gathered up a loose ball with his foot and Declan McCusker finished off the move with a point. Both sides struggled with the conditions in a forgettable third quarter. Kildare dominated the possession stakes but struck just a single point, from Daniel Flynn, in the first 15 minutes of the second-half, compared to seven wides. Kildare 0-08 Fermanagh 0-07 : Daniel Flynn registers the first Kildare score of the second half 📺 @RTE2 & @RTEplayer 📱 Update - — The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 22, 2025 One of those wides came from the boot of Tommy Gill who capitalised on a great fetch earlier by Feely, creating a goal chance that he couldn't convert. Fermanagh sub Sean Cassidy levelled it up at 0-08 apiece in the 51st minute, leaving Lilywhite fans wondering if another Croke Park loss awaited them. But they finally found a way to turn possession into points, a little like Limerick did in the earlier semi-final with a similar strong finish. McLoughlin stole the show having only come on in the 44th minute and he will hope to stay in the team for the final. Kildare: Cian Burke; Harry O'Neill, Mark Dempsey, Kevin Flynn; Brian Byrne, David Hyland, James McGrath (1-00); Kevin Feely (0-02, tp), Brendan Gibbons; Tommy Gill, Alex Beirne (0-01), Colm Dalton (0-02); Ryan Sinkey, Darragh Kirwan (0-01), Daniel Flynn (0-02). Subs: Brian McLoughlin (0-05, 1 tp) for Sinkey 44, Jack McKevitt for Kevin Flynn 44, Niall Kelly for Kirwan 63, Aaron Masterson for Gibbons 66. Fermanagh: Sean McNally; Luke Flanagan, Lee Cullen, Oisin Smyth; Shane McGullion, Declan McCusker (0-01), Jonathan Cassidy; Joe McDade (0-01), Darragh McGurn (0-01); Fionan O'Brien, Ryan Lyons (0-01), Ronan McCaffrey; Josh Largo Ellis (0-02), Garvan Jones, Conor Love (0-02).
