Hurlers into Rackard Cup quarter-finals

Roscommon          2-21 Monaghan             0-14 Roscommon’s hurlers swept into the quarter-finals of the Nicky Rackard Cup when they had thirteen points to spare over Monaghan at Clones on Saturday last. With the team already through (prior to this fixture), the Roscommon team management chose to play some of the younger players on the panel.   Then it emerged on Sunday night that Roscommon will again have to play Monaghan in the quarter-finals of the competition! That game takes place on this Saturday in Athleague at 3 pm. It’s a game that Roscommon should win comfortably.   The full draw for the Nicky Rackard Cup quarter-finals is as follows: Roscommon v Monaghan; Louth v Warwickshire; Armagh v Tyrone; Donegal v Longford. All those games will be played on Saturday next.   Roscommon team manager David McConn is looking forward to Saturday’s meeting of the sides. ‘We will be treating this game seriously. Just because we won easily against the same opposition last weekend is no guarantee that we will do so again on Saturday – but we are very confident that if we play well we will win it.   ‘We looked at a lot of the younger players last weekend and we are happy that we have plenty of talent on our panel,’ he concluded. Roscommon: M. Miley; M. Keaveney, C. Moran, N. Cunniffe; L. Murray, M. Kelly, A. Cunniffe; M. Connaughton, T. Lennon; G. Fallon, T. Reddington, J. Moran; C. Kelly, L. Casey, S. Sweeney. Subs: K. Doolan, D. Loughnane, A. Craven, C. Kelly.   In the All-Ireland minor B competitions Roscommon beat Wicklow by 2-11 to 0-13 to advance to the All-Ireland semi-final. Roscommon led by 1-7 to 0-3 at half-time, with Niall Kilroy getting the Roscommon goal. Wicklow improved in the second half but Roscommon got an all-important second goal ten minutes from time through Andrew Lawlor.   Roscommon will play Kildare in the semi-finals of that competition this Saturday evening at 5 pm in O’Connor Park Tullamore. Roscommon: D. Dowd; M. Carty, J. Carty, A. Quigley; M. Rogerson, J. Donnelly, K. Boyle; P. Higgins, ET. Murray (0-6); C. Kelly (0-2), A. Lawlor (1-0), A. Purcell (0-1); J. McDermott, N. Connaughton, N. Kilroy (1-2). Subs: C. Egan, P. Donnelly, C. Dowd, N. Beirne.