Sports

Rock Rovers 2   Lifford A 0 ROCK Rovers marked their arrival in the premier league with an impressive win over fellow Ennis side Lifford A who have been strong challengers for the title in the past two seasons.They took the lead shortly before the break when a Barry Woods cross deflected off Lifford defender Hamak Kuku and into the net. Early in the second half, Lifford were hit a double blow. Niall White picked up a second yellow card which ended his participation in the game and shortly afterwards, Daryl Eade goaled for the winners to give them a winning start to the new season.

AFTER 18 months on the sidelines, six-time champion jockey, Kieren Fallon makes his eagerly awaited return to race-riding at Lingfield on Friday. Arguably, one of the greatest jockeys of all time, the Crusheen man has served his time for a lengthy ban he picked up when a second positive test for a prohibitive substance emerged following a routine dope test in France.

Clare 3-23 Galway 5-15 WHEN the time comes to review the 2009 hurling season, this All-Ireland U-21 semi-final will be in any shortlist for the title of game of the year. Neighbours Clare and Galway produced a truly memorable contest at Semple Stadium in Thurles on Saturday before 5,741 people and, while there would have been few complaints had the match ended in stalemate, such was the quality of the game, the newly-crowned Munster champions just about deserved the victory. They now qualify for a tilt at the defending All-Ireland champions Kilkenny on September 13.

SATURDAY’S victory over Galway in the All-Ireland U-21 hurling championship semi-final at Semple Stadium in Thurles showed the quality of the team. That’s the view of team coach Cyril Lyons. Standing in the middle of the famed Tipperary venue where he had lined out on many occasions with the Banner county in the ’80s and ’90s, the Ruan man’s immediate reaction after the game was, “What a match, my goodness, what a match.”

CLARE manager John Minogue said he was concerned on many occasions during Saturday’s thrilling All-Ireland U-21 hurling championship semi-final. “In a game like that, you have to be concerned but the spirit of this team stood out. We had a lot of heroes on the day. They stood up. Some guys played well for 20 minutes, got cramp and others then stood up.

THE week leading up to last Saturday’s All-Ireland hurling was an extremely hard week for Galway coach Pat O’Connor. “To be against Clare and, more particularly with Patrick’s involvement, made it twice as hard,” said the Tubber man as he reflected on Saturday’s thrilling contest.

CRATLOE and Ennistymon’s rate of progression on the underage football field will be in evidence again this Thursday evening, when the clubs meet in the 2009 U-21A county final in Cusack Park. The clubs met in last year’s minor A final in Cooraclare, with Cratloe winning their first ever title, at that level, on a 0-11 to 1-6 scoreline. Twelve months before that, Ennistymon defeated the South-East Clare club by a point in the 2007 minor semi-final. They subsequently defeated Kilmurry Ibrickane in the minor A decider.