Leitrim Stuns Sligo

A Roundup Of The GAA Championship Action From Jackie Cahill

Leitrim 1-10 Sligo 0-10

Mickey Moran's Leitrim pulled off the first major shock of the 2011 championship season by dumping last year's beaten finalists Sligo out of the Connacht senior football championship last Sunday.

Conor Beirne's second half goal proved decisive as Leitrim secured a 1-10 to 0-10 victory at Markievicz Park.

Hosts Sligo were left stunned as Leitrim, with seven championship debutants in their side, showed absolutely no fear and were full value for their win.

This was Leitrim's first senior football championship victory in three years as both teams finished the game with 14 men when Leitrim's Emlyn Mulligan and Sligo's Eamonn O'Hara were dismissed at the death.

Kerry 2-16 Tipperary 0-11

Kerry star Tomas O'Se could find himself in hot water with GAA disciplinary chiefs following his sending-off in last Sunday's Munster SFC quarter-final against Tipperary. 

The former footballer of the year was dismissed before half-time following an off the ball incident with Tipperary's Hugh Coghlan.

O'Se was sent off for striking and will miss out on Kerry's provincial semi-final showdown with Limerick on June 4 at the Gaelic Grounds.

O'Se will be suspended for a month after receiving a straight red card but the punishment could be increased, depending on the content of referee Maurice Condon's report.

Despite losing the services of the An Gaeltacht stalwart, Kerry cruised to a comfortable eleven-point victory against the visitors at Killarney's Fitzgerald Stadium.

Kerry had eight players on the scoresheet as Bryan Sheehan top-scored with 2-1, including a penalty.

Laois 0-10 Longford 0-9

Laois will meet Dublin in the quarter-finals of the Leinster SFC after coming through a drab preliminary round encounter with Longford at O'Moore Park, Portlaoise.

Daithi Carroll kicked four points for the hosts against the Division 4 National League champions but vast improvement is needed to compete with Pat Gilroy's Dublin.

Niall Donoher and Billy Sheehan added a brace of points each for Laois while Sean McCormack finished as Longford's top scorer with a six-point haul.

Cork 1-23 Clare 0-11

All-Ireland champions Cork walloped Clare by 15 points in the Munster SFC quarter-final at Pairc Ui Chaoimh last Sunday.

But despite the emphatic nature of the scoreline, Rebels manager Conor Counihan believes that his side still has plenty of work to do ahead of a semi-final showdown against Waterford on June 5.

Cork's full-forward line tormented Clare as Daniel Goulding, Donncha O'Connor and Ciaran Sheehan finished with a combined total of 1-16.

Cork's scoring spread was quite impressive as nine players got on the scoresheet as Clare finished the game with 14 men when Graham Kelly was sent off at the end.

This game was effectively over as a contest at half-time as Cork led by 1-9 to 0-4.

Derry 1-18 Fermanagh 1-10

Derry cruised to an eight-point win against Fermanagh in a disappointing Ulster SFC clash at Celtic Park.

At half-time, the Oak Leaf County led by 1-12 to 0-2 with nine different players registering scores from play before the interval.

Eoin Bradley was Fermanagh's tormentor in chief during the first half as the ace full-forward registered 1-2 for the winners.

Derry's place in the next phase of the competition was never in doubt but Fermanagh did rally in the second half to cut Derry's winning margin back to eight points.

Carlow 1-14 Westmeath 4-10

Westmeath upset the odds to clinch a Leinster SHC quarter-final showdown with Galway on June 4.

New manager Brian Hanley, a native of Athenry in county Galway, masterminded an impressive 4-10 to 1-14 victory against Carlow at Dr. Cullen Park.

Hanley is only in the job a matter of weeks after replacing Kevin Martin, who had previously questioned the attitude of some Lake County stars, but still managed to plot a superb victory in a short space of time.

Westmeath lost all seven of their outings in Division 2 of the National Hurling League but that counted for nothing as Carlow were sent packing.

Derek MacNicholas scored two first half goals for Westmeath before Andrew Mitchell and Brian Smith added further goals in the second half.

Kildare, beaten All-Ireland semi-finalists in 2010, cantered to victory against Wicklow in last Sunday's Leinster SFC clash at O'Moore Park, Portlaoise.

Former Mayo forward Austin O'Malley was sent off on his championship debut for Wicklow as manager Mick O'Dwyer suffered a heavy defeat against one of the teams he used to manage.

Kildare's remarkable captain John Doyle hit 0-4 for the Lilywhites against a Wicklow team that failed to register a point in the second half until the fourth minute of injury time.

And there was good news for Kilkenny's hurlers as Henry Shefflin returned to the black and amber in a challenge match against Waterford.

Shefflin bagged 0-9, including three points from play, as the Cats defeated the Munster champions by 0-26 to 3-9.

Shefflin had not played for Kilkenny since last year's All-Ireland final against Tipperary, when he aggravated a cruciate knee ligament injury initially sustained in the semi-final victory over Cork.