Hurling round-up: Cole fires Meath past Derry as London and Wicklow draw
Two razor-tight battles between Christy Ring Cup contenders ended with Meath picking up a crucial victory over Derry and gaining ground on the Oak Leaf County and both London and Wicklow, who played out a 2-17 each draw in Aughrim.
A pair of Mikey Cole goals in the first half, both from long deliveries out of defence, were the difference at the end of 35 minutes in Celtic Park, when Meath led their hosts by 2-9 to 0-9.
A blistering start to the second half saw Derry hit three points in a row before Damien Healy netted for Meath and Shéa Cassidy replied in kind for the home side, but they could never quite get on level terms and with the scores at 3-17 to 1-22, Cormac O'Doherty and Ruairí Ó Mianáin both missed late opportunities that would have ensured a share of the spoils.
London's Donnacha Leahy didn't waste his chance to tie up the teams in Aughrim, as the former Blackrock (Limerick) man split the uprights in the second minute of stoppage time to deny Wicklow a third consecutive win in this competition.
The Exiles held an early lead after David Devine and Jack Morrissey found the net midway through the first half, but Luke Evans netting for Wicklow reduced the gap to five by the interval, and they were clearly the better team in the second half.
Evans' second goal on 41 minutes made it a nip and tuck contest and with 13 Wicklow players getting on the scoresheet by the end, it looked as if they had done enough when Warren Kavanagh nudged them into the lead with the first minute of added time played.
It was much more straightforward at Carrickmore where Josh Connolly McGee (3-2), Declan Coulter (1-4), Luke White (1-1) and Gerry Gilmore (0-5) all filled their boots in a comprehensive 3-18 to 0-10 win for Donegal over Tyrone.
It was a Connacht double in the two Nickey Rackard Cup games played this afternoon, with Mayo accounting for Louth by 2-24 to 2-18 in Castlebar while Sligo crushed Fermanagh by 7-20 to 2-18 in Enniskillen.
Leon Fox scored two goals for Louth with Darren Geoghegan scoring freely from dead balls while Kieran McDermott and Sioman Thomas were Mayo's goalscorers in a game that was in the balance, 2-18 each, with 67 minutes played.
Ryan Duffy, Shane Boland, Eoin Delaney, Daniel Huane and McDermott contributed to a run of six points in a row at the end of the game however, ensuring Mayo's third win of the campaign from three starts.
Fermanagh actually led by two points (2-10 to 2-8) at half-time in Brewster Park but Andrew Kilcullen bagged 4-7 for Sligo including three second half goals, with Conor Griffin also striking a brace and Fergal O'Kelly Lynch adding a seventh late on for the rampant Yeats County.
In the Lory Meaghar Cup, Cavan continued their excellent run of form with Liam O'Brien (0-10), Seán Keating (1-4) and Nicky Kenny (1-3) topping the scoring charts in their 3-24 to 2-14 win over Lancashire, while Monaghan beat Warwickshire 4-22 to 2-15 and it finished level in Pearse Park between Leitrim and Longford, 1-14 apiece.
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