Seán O’Brien looks ahead to this weekend’s action in the Allianz Hurling League including Roscommon’s meeting with Monaghan on Saturday.
Picture credit: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE
There’s a break in the action in Division 1 of the Allianz Hurling League this weekend but it will be busy in the other divisions, with finals on the agenda in Divisions 2 and 3. All four finals will be played on Saturday. The Division 1 quarter-finals and various relegation play-offs will be played on the weekend after next.
Roscommon face Monaghan in the Division 3A Final on Saturday at 4pm in Ballyshannon.
Roscommon won all five games in the divisional series while Monaghan won three of five, losing lost to Roscommon and Tyrone. Roscommon beat Monaghan by 1-12 to 0-10 in their Round 2 clash in Athleague.
How They Reached The Final:
Roscommon
Roscommon 1-16 Louth 1-14
Roscommon 1-12 Monaghan 0-10
Roscommon 1-14 Fingal 0-16
Roscommon 1-21 Warwickshire 3-12
Roscommon 4-13 Tyrone 1-14
Monaghan
Tyrone 2-18 Monaghan 2-13
Roscommon 1-12 Monaghan 0-10
Monaghan 2-19 Louth 1-12
Monaghan 3-14 Fingal 1-18
Monaghan 2-13 Warwickshire 2-6
Elsewhere, here is how the rest of the Divisions stand
Allianz Hurling Leagues Division 1
Quarter-finals
Apr 2 (Saturday): Dublin v Limerick, Parnell Park, 6.0
Apr 3 (Sunday): Kilkenny v Offaly, Nowlan Park, 3.45; Clare v Tipperary, Ennis, 3.45; Wexford v Waterford, Innovate Wexford Park, 3.30
Semi-finals
Apr 17: Semi-finals: Kilkenny/Offaly v Clare/Tipperary; Dublin/Limerick v Waterford/Wexford.
Final
May 1
Play-offs
Apr 3: Division 1A relegation play-off: Galway v Cork, Pearse Stadium
Apr 2: Division 1B relegation play-off: Kerry v Laois, Tralee, Tralee.
Allianz Hurling Leagues Division 1B
Promoted – Clare; Relegation play-off: Kerry v Laois (losers to play 2A winners to decide divisional placings for 2017)
Allianz Hurling Leagues Division 2A Final
Carlow V Westmeath, Tullamore, Saturday at 4pm
They meet for the second time in six days, with Carlow having won the group game by 0-20 to 1-15 in Netwatch Cullen Park last Sunday. It was Westmeath’s only defeat while Carlow also lost one game, going down to London in the second round.
Westmeath are in the final for a second successive year, having lost to Kerry last year. Carlow were last in the final two years ago when they lost to Kerry. Westmeath led Carlow by four points at half-time last Sunday but the home side won the second half by 0-12 to 0-6.
How They Reached The Final
Carlow
Carlow 2-13 Kildare 0-14
London 5-16 Carlow 1-11
Carlow 2-25 Derry 0-9
Carlow 1-17 Antrim 1-11
Carlow 0-20 Westmeath 1-15
Played 5, Won 4: Lost 1
Westmeath
Westmeath 2-16 Louth 0-13
Westmeath 2-11 Derry 0-13
Westmeath 2-11 Antrim 0-10
Westmeath 0-21 Kildare 0-10
Carlow 0-20 Westmeath 1-15
Played 5; Won 4, Lost 1
Allianz Hurling Leagues Division 2B Final
Armagh V Down, Dowdallshill, 2pm
Both won four of five games in the group series. Armagh’s only defeat was against Down in the Athletic Grounds first round while Down’s only defeat came against Mayo.
Down beat Armagh by two points in the opening round (2-16 to 2-14).
How They Reached The Final
Armagh
Down 2-16 Armagh 2-14
Armagh 2-14 Donegal 1-8
Armagh 2-17 Wicklow 2-15
Armagh 0-26 Meath 1-10
Armagh 1-17 Mayo 1-10
Down
Down 2-16 Armagh 2-14
Down 4-12 Wicklow 0-11
Mayo 0-20 Down 0-16
Down 3-22 Donegal 0-14
Down 2-17 Meath 1-14
Allianz Hurling Leagues Division 3B Final
Fermanagh V Longford, Markievicz Park, 2pm
How They Reached The Final
Both won two of three games. Fermanagh’s defeat came against Sligo in the first round while Longford’s defeat was against Fermanagh (3-17 to 3-13).
Fermanagh
Sligo 1-14 Fermanagh 1-9
Fermanagh 3-17 Longford 3-13
Fermanagh 2-16 Leitrim 1-11
Longford
Longford 3-12 Leitrim 0-13
Fermanagh 3-17 Longford 3-13
Longford 5-21 Sligo 5-13