GAA Preview 30/04/2023 – Sunday from 2:00pm
Waterford pushed All Ireland champions Limerick to the pin of their collar last weekend and will fancy their chances of upsetting Cork on Leeside in a crucial Munster Hurling tussle on Sunday.
Kilkenny also go into action again this weekend, welcoming Galway for a blockbuster in Nowlan Park, while the Ulster Football Championship will have its final pairing set by Sunday evening.
Selections
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Football – Armagh can ease past Down
Armagh vs. Down, Clones, Sunday 30th April 4.00pm
– Live on BBC2 NI
Armagh and Down contest the second of the Ulster Football Championship semi-finals at St Tiernach’s Park in Clones on Sunday afternoon and Kieran McGeeney’s side should be good enough to book a spot in the Anglo-Celt decider back there next month.
Armagh’s league form tailed off in disappointing fashion but they’ve recorded successive Championship wins over Antrim and Cavan already.
Last time out they had five points to spare over a decent Cavan outfit in Breffni Park, with Conor Turbitt’s movement and slick finishing a real asset as he scored 0-7 in that contest.
Cavan rallied either side of half-time but the Orchard men put their stamp on the contest via a hat-trick of scores from Greg McCabe and ran out convincing winners.
Down, too, had something to spare last weekend in their win over Donegal in Newry but that had plenty to do with a wasteful visiting side that was clearly low on confidence.
Conor Laverty’s men face a more potent beast on Sunday and their interest in the All Ireland series may end in Clones.
Hurling – Waterford can storm Páirc Uí Chaoimh
Cork vs. Waterford, Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Sunday 30th April 4.00pm
– Live on RTE2
Waterford gave Limerick a real scare in Semple Stadium last weekend, the 14-man All Ireland kingpins having to dig deep into their reserves to eke out a two-point win in the end.
Waterford, after a very poor start to the game, really tore into Limerick once they found their rhythm, but the Deise will probably have found themselves reflecting this week on some poor finishing when the game was there to be taken by the scruff of the neck.
They trailed by five midway through the first half but roared back into contention despite Tadhg de Burca being carried off the field.
At one stage either side of the interval Davy Fitzgerald’s side hit seven of ten scores and they had Limerick rattled by that stage.
Stephen Bennett’s accuracy saw him convert ten frees in a 13-point haul, while Austin Gleeson came off the bench and hit two points from play.
Cork’s promising league campaign ended with a six-point loss to Kilkenny at the semi-final stage and they come into this after a month off. Waterford will be razor-sharp after that game last weekend and highly driven by the feeling they let Limerick off the hook. They can atone for that on Leeside.
Hurling – Cats can take care of Galway
Kilkenny vs. Galway, Nowlan Park, Sunday 30th April 2.00pm
– Live on RTE2
A pivotal Leinster Championship collision here as Kilkenny welcome Galway to Nowlan Park.
Kilkenny showed no ill-effects from their recent league final defeat to Limerick as they ran out very comfortable winners over Westmeath in a one-sided clash at this venue last weekend, as manager Derek Lyng opened his Championship account by welcoming back the likes of TJ Reid into the side.
Little enough was learned from that game and Lyng will have been focused on this collision with the Tribesmen for some time, no doubt.
The Cats had a decent spring, only losing in the league against Limerick and Tipperary.
Despite conceding two goals in the first four minutes, Galway still cruised to a convincing win over Wexford in Salthill last weekend. A repeat of that sort of slow start will surely prove fatal in Nowlan Park.
Either side of half-time Galway came from three behind to score 12 out of 13 points as Wexford completely lost their way.
This should be a close battle and Kilkenny home’s advantage may swing things their way.
GAA Preview 30/04/2023
