The semi-final stages of three provincial championships took place today and there was plenty of excitement across the board to keep our thirst for further action quenched for another week.
Football
Ulster Club SFC semi-finals
Crossmaglen (Armagh) 0-12
Kilcoo (Down) 0-08
Crossmaglen Rangers battled there way to a four point victory against 14 man Kilcoo in Pairc Esler, clinching a spot in the Ulster Club final for the first time since 2012.
Despite the high stakes nature of the game and the continued rivalry between the two sides, the game never got into top gear as both sides played out a rather tepid affair.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Full time: Crossmaglen 0-12 Kilcoo 0-8. Congratulations to <a href="https://twitter.com/crossrangers">@crossrangers</a> <a href="https://t.co/7i8FYofr2B">pic.twitter.com/7i8FYofr2B</a></p>— Armagh GAA (@Armagh_GAA) <a href="https://twitter.com/Armagh_GAA/status/665920332432306176">November 15, 2015</a></blockquote>
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It was level at the break, with a low scoring first half seeing the sides go in 0-03 points apiece but Rangers came out firing in the beginning of the second, hitting five unanswered points in a 13 minute spell.
Kilcoo never recovered and their misery was compounded when substitute Dominic McEvoy was sent off after 53 minutes. Jamie Clarke also made his first appearance since his return from America.
Scotstown (Monaghan) 2-09
Trillick (Tyrone) 2-07
Scotstown set up a final date with Rangers after they disposed of the Trillick challenge in an entertaining game at Brewster Park.
Played in front of a crowd of 4,000 people, Darren Hughes once again excelled for the Monaghan side, scoring 2-2, providing the platform for a Scotstown victory.
Daniel McDonnell's goal gave Trillick the lead before Hughes' first cancelled it out and gave the Farney men a 1-05 to 1-04 lead at the interval. Niall Gormley then got a second after Hughes struck again and the game was in the balance right up until the end, with a single point separating the sides going into the final 10.
However, Trillick's profligacy in front of goal proved crucial as they failed to register a score in the final 20 minutes, paving the way for Scotstown to advance to the final.
Munster club SFC semi-finals
Nemo Rangers (Cork) 0-14
Killarney Legion (Kerry) 0-08
Nemo Rangers cruised into yet another provincial decider after they dismissed Legion in the Munster Club semi-final at Páirc Uí Rinn today.
The Corkmen went ahead early on and they never relinquished that lead as Luke Connolly, Paul Kerrigan and Barry O’Driscoll scored 10 points between them.
Kerry's James O'Donoghue found the going tough as nemo deployed an extra defender to close out the space, scoring just three points.
Nemo will be hoping to add another provincial title to their name, having failed to do so just the three times after winning their previous 18 county titles.
Clonmel Commercials (Tipperary) 1-13
St Joseph’s Miltown-Malbay (Clare) 0-03
Nemo will face Clonmel Commercials in the final, after the Tipp side had no trouble in getting past St Joseph’s Miltown-Malbay at the Sportsfield this afternoon.
They become the first Tipperary side to reach a Munster Club final since 2001 after a 13 point hammering of the Clare side.
Despite playing against a stong wind, Commercials led 0-08 to 0-01 at the break, and from there they were never going to lose, with Jason Lonergan netting in the second half.
It will be Commercials first appearance in a provincial decider since 1994.
Hurling
Leinster club SHC semi-finals
Cuala (Dublin) 3-12
Clara (Kilkenny) 0-17
Cuala kept their dream of provincial glory alive after withstanding a test of character from Kilkenny champs Clara at Parnell Park today.
Goals from Sean Treacy and Colm Cronin gave the Dublin side a 2-08 to 0-10 lead at the break in what was a very tight opening half.
Mark Schutte added another goal in the second half and Cuala moved seven points clear before they clinged on for victory, after Clara managed to reduce the gap to two points before late points from Cronin and David treacy sealed the result.
Clonkill (Westmeath) 0-08
Oulart-The Ballagh (Wexford) 0-16
Oulart-The Ballagh had little trouble in setting up a final date with Cuala after dismissing Clonkill with minimal difficulty at Cusack Park in Mullingar.
The Wexford side did the hard work in the opening 30 minutes, hitting eight unanswered points to lead 0-11 to 0-03 at the break before they saw out the game in the second half.
They now look forward to a seventh provincial final, and a fifth in six season, with Dublin's Cuala providing the opposition.
Munster club SHC semi-final
Na Piarsaigh (Limerick) 2-15
Thurles Sarsfields (Tipperary) 0-17
Na Piarsaigh reached their third Munster final in five years after beating Thurles Sarsfields in a cracking game of hurling at the Gaelic Grounds.
Second half goals from Peter Casey and David Dempsey proved vital as they sealed their route to the final. The game was finely poised at the the interval with Sarsfields leading by three but Casey's goal put Na Piarsaigh on the front foot and they never looked back.
They will face Waterford champions Ballygunner in the decider.
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