Mr Motivator Fitzgerald working the oracle again
SPORTS addicts like myself are pretty much spoiled for choice at the moment with the amount of action that is currently available.
One of my favourites, the Hurling Championship, has had some fantastic games already this summer, none more so than Cork’s surprise defeat of current Munster and All-Ireland champions Tipperary.
But Davy Fitzgerald’s Wexford really threw the cat amongst the pigeons on Saturday night when they beat Kilkenny in a rip-roaring encounter at a packed Wexford Park.
Like him or loathe him, there is no denying that the diminutive Clare man has great powers of motivation.
After little more than seven months in charge Fitzgerald has transformed the underachieving yellow bellies as they head for their first Leinster final since 2008.
While Kilkenny are not the same force as they were in previous years, this was still a famous victory and thoroughly enjoyed by the 20,000 crowd.
Kane spoils party
ALTHOUGH the Irish nation has been lauded in recent years for our maturity in how we now embrace our English neighbours, it doesn’t quite extend to the Three Lion’s soccer team.
I was going out on Saturday evening for a meal while England were playing Scotland in a World Cup qualifier game. I heard earlier on the radio that England had taken the lead at Hampden Park so I immediately lost interest in the contest and more or less expected an England victory.
Upon entering the restaurant however I met a fellow patron who informed me gleefully that Celtic’s Leigh Griffiths had just equalised.
There was no TV visible from my location at the bar but raised murmurings around the establishment told you something positive had occurred.
The young barman’s beaming smile announced that the same player had put the Scots 2-1 in front with the 90 minutes played.
There was a definite uplift in the general mood of the patrons as we all assumed Scotland had got one over on the old enemy.
But alas, the victory didn’t materialise. Unfortunately Harry Kane, whose people hail from Connemara, equalised in added time to snatch a draw. The atmosphere returned to standard Saturday night tone and volume. Maturity me eye!
Serious coverage
THE British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand is receiving some serious coverage on Sky TV but the warm up games so far have been a mixed bag. An opening 13-7 win against a provincial Barbarians selection was followed up by a 22-16 defeat to the Blues in Auckland.
Then on Saturday morning an outstanding display from Conor Murray inspired the Lions to victory over the Crusaders in Christchurch. There are three more matches to come before the first test in Eden Park on Saturday 24th. I can’t wait.
Stuttered
IRELAND stuttered and stumbled in the opening half of their World Cup qualifier against Austria at the Aviva on Sunday and found themselves behind 1-0 at the break.
Eamon Dunphy’s ‘love child’, Wes Hoolohan, was introduced for the final 20 minutes and suddenly we began to unlock the, at best, average Austrian rearguard.
Gyles Quay holidaymaker Jon Walters equalised with five minutes remaining and we were then denied a late winner when Shane Duffy was adjudged to have fouled a defender in the act of scoring.
Former Dundalk player Daryl Horgan was an unused substitute.
The result means we remain joint top of Group D alongside Serbia on 12 points followed by Wales and Austria both on 8 points. There are four matches remaining but it will all likely come down to our final game in the group against the Welsh in Cardiff on October 9th.
On the ropes
CORK, Kerry and Monaghan were all on the ropes at various stages in their All-Ireland Football championship matches over the weekend but all three eventually progressed to the next stage.
Tipperary really should have come away from Pairc Ui Rinn with the spoils but the hosts somehow clung on for victory. They now face old foes Kerry in the Munster decider at a redeveloped Pairc Ui Chaoimh after the Kingdom survived the challenge of a plucky Clare side in Ennis.
Conor McManus was yet again the hero as Monaghan beat Cavan by a goal in Breffni Park but the home side could have equalised with the final shot of the game only for Ryan Connolly’s piledriver to smash against the post.
I fancied Galway to cause an upset in Salthill against Mayo and Kevin Walsh’s charges duly delivered which adds €40 to our charity total.
A final word for the Louth juniors who lifted the mood mid-week with a win over Wicklow to set up a Louth/Meath provincial decider in Croke Park on June 25th. The final will be played as a curtain raiser to Dublin’s Leinster semi-final against Westmeath or Offaly.
Irish smiling?
THIS week sees the start of the US Open at the Irish sounding Erin Hills course in Erin, Wisconsin. The local town was given its name by an Irish immigrant John Whelan who emigrated to the US from the Aran Islands in the 1840s.
The clubs logo is emblazoned with a shamrock and further shamrocks are displayed around the course and on every tee box.
And there’s an Irish pub onsite just for good measure.
Could Shane Lowry compete again like he did last year? We’ll take an each-way chance on him at 60/1.