The whispers proved correct. In the run-up to the games, the word on the ground was that little separated any of the four protagonists involved in yesterday's AIB All-Ireland club hurling championship semi-finals. And any punters brave, or crazy, enough to have backed intuition with a double that both games would end in draws were left laughing all the way to the competition's sponsors' counters.
The odds on both Clarecastle-Birr and Dunloy-Sarsfields matches ending level was an outlandish 169 to 1. Yet, on another day which contrived to add further lustre to the club championship, no team managed to secure a ticket to Croke Park for St Patrick's Day. The Games Administration Committee is expected to announce dates for the replays today. Kenny Ralph, a player who knows the Semple Stadium sod as well as anyone, having played for Tipperary at minor and under-21 level, emerged as the saviour for Clarecastle. Ralph hit an injurytime point from a free to force a draw, 3-9 to Birr's 1-15.
Birr, aided by the wind in the first half, led by 1-8 to 1-3 at the break, but Clarecastle - with Danny Scanlan scoring two goals - edged into a two points lead approaching the end. However, Birr responded with two points from Gary Cahill and a massive 85-yards point from Gary Hannify to take a one-point lead in to injury time before Ralph kept his cool to level the match and ensure another meeting.
There was a similar story of late drama in Mullingar, where Ulster champions Dunloy equalised at the death through the efforts of Gregory O'Kane in a seven-goal thriller that finished Dunloy 4-11, Sarsfields 3-14. Dunloy's freetaker O'Kane and Aidan O'Donohue, who performed the same duties for Sarsfields, ended the game with 2-16 between them. Dunloy, finalists in 1995, seemed to be on their way back to GAA headquarters when leading the 1993-'94, back-to-back champions Sarsfields by four points inside the final quarter. And with three minutes left, Sarsfields benefited from a stroke of luck when an attempted point came back off an upright and Peter Kelly responded quickest to dispatch the sliotar to the net and give the Galwaymen a one-point lead which was cancelled out by O'Kane. Elsewhere, a full programme of Church and General National Football League brought interesting twists as teams shape up for play-offs and next season's divisions throw up the prospect of some of the so-called `big guns' playing their football in the lower depths.
All-Ireland and National League champions Kerry again discovered that life without Maurice Fitzgerald isn't so rosy as they fell to Tyrone in Killarney. The defeat effectively means that Kerry have no chance of successfully retaining their league title. Also in Section C, known as the `Group of Death', Dublin's new manager Tommy Carr discovered the harsh realities of management when his side lost to Monaghan at Parnell Park, admitting afterwards that the team faces the prospect of playing its league football in Division Three next season. "It wasn't the positive start I'd wanted," said Carr. "We'll have to find another starting point." Monaghan's win moved them into the play-off reckoning and hot on the heels of leaders Offaly, who lost their 100 per cent record by drawing in Sligo, and Tyrone.
In Section A, Laois (who had a one point win over Louth) and Mayo (who confirmed their superiority over Leitrim) remain unbeaten and level at the top of the table on nine points, with Galway a point adrift. Effectively, this group is now a three-way battle for the two play-off places. Donegal continued their impressive league form to stay at the top of Section B with a win over Westmeath in Ballybofey. Declan Bonner's team are on nine points, but Armagh leap-frogged over Meath thanks to their one-point win in Navan where a fine midfield performance from Jarlath Burns and Paul McGrane laid the foundations for their win.
"This win is a great lift for Armagh football. We had a lot of young players who responded to the challenge and did really well today. However, I thought Burns and McGrane were outstanding. They won the midfield battle which helped us enormously," said Armagh manager Brian Canavan.
Meanwhile, Cork, last year's beaten finalists, continued their fine form in Section D with a win over Roscommon to stay on course for a place in the knockout stages. Kildare's win at the expense of Clare enabled Mick O'Dwyer's men to jump clear of Down, who weren't in action yesterday.
