Kilkenny and Tipperary through to All-Ireland Hurling Championship semi-finals
Monday 15 July 2019 08:48, UK
Kilkenny and Tipperary are through to the All-Ireland semi-finals, after beating Cork and Laois respectively.
Kilkenny 2-27 Cork 3-18
Patrick Horgan scored 3-10, but ended up on the losing side as Cork were upset by Kilkenny at Croke Park.
The Glen Rovers man kept the Rebels in touch throughout, with timely goals but the Cats managed to keep them at arm's length. Indeed, only four other Cork players contributed to their tally of 3-18, as Kilkenny ran out six-point winners.
The first half was an even affair, with the Munster side leading 2-10 to 1-11 at the break.
However, Kilkenny flew out of the traps in the second half, out-scoring the Rebels 1-8 to 0-1 in the third quarter. Try as they might, Cork couldn't recover and Kilkenny held out for a famous victory.
Croker hasn't been a happy hunting ground for the Rebels in recent years, and it's Brian Cody's charges who progress to the All-Ireland semi-final against reigning champions Limerick.
Tipperary 2-25 Laois 1-18
Laois were the talk of the country following their shock win over Dublin last weekend. The challenge for the O'Moore County was to then back it up, when they took on Tipperary on Jones' Road.
Cheered on by their vocal support, they enjoyed a positive start, bursting into a 0-4 to 0-2 lead.
Tipp quickly steadied through a Jason Forde goal (from a penalty) in the 11th minute, and minutes later Seamus Callanan added another.
Although there were worries amongst the Laois fans that the game could get away from them, Eddie Brennan's charges battled on. A Ross King goal ensured they trailed by just four at the break, 2-11 to 1-10.
From there, Tipperary moved clear, but Liam Sheedy will know his side must dramatically improve if they are to reach the All-Ireland final.
Meanwhile, Laois' historic 2019 journey comes to an end, but they will keep their heads held high after a promising Division 1B campaign, a Joe McDonagh triumph and a famous victory over Dublin.
Sky Sports' live GAA coverage continues next weekend, with Tyrone vs Cork and Dublin vs Roscommon in the Super 8s.
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