Ballymun Kickhams finally put to bed the lingering charge of underachieving by dismantling reigning champions Ballyboden St Enda's in yesterday's Dublin senior football final. Read Sean Moran's report from Parnell Park: Ballymun Kickhams 1-19 Ballyboden St Enda's 0-8. In arguably the biggest upset of the season to date, football kingpins Corofin, who earlier this year became the first club to win three successive All-Irelands, suffered a first defeat in 50 matches in the Galway semi-finals against Mountbellew-Moylough. Ballyhale were simply awesome as they secured a three-in-a-row of Kilkenny hurling titles, their 18th in total, with the minimum of fuss against Dicksboro, while Sixmilebridge put back-to-back Clare Senior hurling title wins together by defeating underdogs O'Callaghan's Mills by eight points. The GAA intercounty championships are just 33 days away now and Malachy Clerkin explains why we need a button for the buzz of the GAA crowd: "Five weeks, lads and lassies. If there aren't whole departments in RTÉ and Sky beavering away on this already, Croke Park need to have a word."
John Catlin, a globetrotting American who has broadened his horizons to reach new boundaries, did what has become normal for him: he has discovered the art of winning during lockdown, and he added the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open to his curriculum vitae with a fine performance at Galgorm Castle. For the home contingent, it proved to be a hugely disappointing weekend. The honour of finishing as leading Irishman went to Jonny Caldwell, but he was a distant tied-54th. Catlin earned a greatly diminished cheque for €199,750 for his win. From 2017 to last year, it was a Rolex Series event and the hope is that the DDF Irish Open will, next year, return to its rightful place as one of the European Tour's showpiece tournaments.
A Jamie Vardy hat-trick that made Manchester City appear half-paced also meant Leicester City gained their first league win at City for 31 years. James Maddison's 20-yard curler and Youri Tielemans' third penalty for them completed a 5-2 victory. Earlier another controversial handball decision saw Tottenham concede a last-gasp equaliser against Newcastle. Ken Early, however, believes the handball 'crisis' is a timely distraction from the grim bigger picture: "this game, suddenly bathetic, deprived of the crowds that lend its aura of heroism, this game that's been reduced to a parody of itself, clinging to its place in a decaying culture, amidst a collapsing economy, on a burning planet... this is the game that is now apparently in danger of being killed by the handball rule." Airtricity League leaders Shamrock Rovers were 4-0 winners over Dundalk last night at Oriel Park, exposing the reigning champions who fielded a makeshift team with their focus on the Europa League qualifiers.
Meanwhile, in Premier League action this evening Fulham take on Aston Villa at 5.45pm before champions Liverpool host Arsenal at 8pm. Thiago Alcântara is a doubt for the game after missing training, as is Alisson, but Jurgen Klopp hopes to have Joe Gomez back fit and available. In the French Open today Rafael Nadal is in first round action at 2.30pm (Irish time), with newly crowned US Open champion Dominic Thiem underway at 11.15am against Marin Cilic. Serena Williams faces fellow American Kristie Ahn at 1.15pm.
