Nicky Rackard Cup 2005

The Nicky Rackard Cup 2005 began on Saturday, June 18, 2005. 2005 was the first time the Nicky Rackard Cup was introduced into the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. It was devised by the Hurling Development Committee to encourage some of the so-called "weaker" hurling counties and to give them the chance of playing more games. It is in effect a "Division 3" for hurling teams in Ireland. The final was played on Sunday, August 21 when London beat Louth at Croke Park, Dublin.

Format

Twelve teams participated in the "Nicky Rackard Cup 2005". The teams were divided into three groups of four based on geographical criteria. These groups were:

• Group 3A: Sligo, Tyrone, Donegal and Fermanagh
• Group 3B: Louth, Cavan, Armagh and Leitrim
• Group 3C: London, Warwickshire, Longford and Monaghan

Results

Group 3A Results

Game	Date	Venue	Winner	Score	Runner-Up	Score
Round 1	June 18	Carrickmore	Tyrone	3-17	Fermanagh	3-7
Round 1	June 18	Markievicz Park	Sligo	3-6	Donegal	5-13
Round 2	June 25		Donegal	3-12	Tyrone	1-11
Round 2	June 25	Brewster Park	Fermanagh	1-15	Sligo	3-10
Round 3	July 9	Carrickmore	Tyrone	4-16	Sligo	4-11
Round 3	July 9	O' Donnell Park	Donegal	6-18	Fermanagh	1-8

Table	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	Pts
Donegal	3	3	0	0	14-43	5-25	45	6
Tyrone	3	2	0	1	8-44	10-30	8	4
Sligo	3	1	0	2	10-27	10-44	-17	2
Fermanagh	3	0	0	3	5-30	14-45	-42	0

Group 3B Results

Game	Date	Venue	Winner	Score	Runner-Up	Score
Round 1	June 18	Crossmaglen	Armagh	1-16	Cavan	1-9
Round 1	June 18	Drogheda	Louth	3-19	Leitrim	0-15
Round 2	June 25	St. Tiernach's Park	Cavan	2-4	Louth	4-21
Round 2	June 25		Leitrim	3-6	Armagh	9-17
Round 3	July 9	Keady	Armagh	2-9	Louth	2-11
Round 3	July 9		Leitrim	OFF	Cavan	OFF

Table	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	Pts
Louth	3	3	0	0	9-51	4-28	38	6
Armagh	3	2	0	1	12-42	6-26	34	4
Cavan	2	0	0	2	3-13	5-37	-30	0
Leitrim	2	0	0	2	3-21	12-36	-42	0

Group 3C Results

Game	Date	Venue	Winner	Score	Runner-Up	Score
Round 1	June 18	Michael Fay Park	Longford	2-12	London	0-21
Round 1	June 18	Gavin Duffy Park	Monaghan	0-17	Warwickshire	1-11
Round 2	June 25	Emerald GAA Grounds	London	1-20	Monaghan	2-11
Round 2	June 25	Páirc na hÉireann	Warwickshire	2-7	Longford	1-15
Round 3	July 9	Michael Fay Park	Longford	3-11	Monaghan	2-8
Round 3	July 9	Emerald GAA Grounds	London	1-23	Warwickshire	1-6

Table	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	Pts
London	3	3	0	0	2-64	5-29	26	6
Longford	3	2	0	1	6-38	4-36	8	4
Monaghan	3	1	0	2	4-36	5-42	-9	2
Warwickshire	3	0	0	3	4-24	2-55	-25	0

Knock Out Stage

The runners-up in groups 3B and 3C played each other with the winner playing the runner up in group 3A. The winner of that match joined the three group winners in the semi-finals.

Game	Date	Venue	Winner	Score	Runner-Up	Score
Nicky Rackard Cup Quarter-Final Play off	July 16	Breffni Park, Cavan	Longford	2-14	Armagh	1-14 (AET)
Nicky Rackard Cup Quarter-Final	July 24	Breffni Park, Cavan	Tyrone	3-14	Longford	3-13
Nicky Rackard Cup Semi-Final	August 6	Drogheda Park, Drogheda	Louth	3-10	Tyrone	1-8
Nicky Rackard Cup Semi-Final	August 7	O' Donnell Park, Letterkenny	London	3-13	Donegal	1-10

The Final

Game	Date	Venue	Winner	Score	Runner-Up	Score
Nicky Rackard Cup Final	August 21	Croke Park, Dublin	London	5-8	Louth	1-5

The 2005 Nicky Rackard Cup final was used as a curtain raiser for the semi-final of the 2005 Liam McCarthy Cup. London ranout winners on the day by a margin of 15 points. London Manager Mick O'Dea described it as 'the best day' of his life as his captain Meath native Fergus McMahon lifted the inaugural Nicky Rackard Cup after a 5-08 to 1-05 victory.

The Exiles, who staved off relegation from Division Two in 2005, powered out to their 15-point victory after teenager Ger Smith's 53rd-minute goal had reduced the deficit for Louth back to three points.

Two goals in the space of a minute from Barry Shortall and Kevin McMullan set London up for a 2-04 to 0-05 half-time lead. Although the Leinster men had dominated possession, their inability to take scores, which was surprising given the 12-61 tally accumulated from their previous four games, blighted their play.

London were similarly guilty, hitting eleven wides in the opening half to Louth's six. London's goals proved crucial. Shortall swept home a brilliantly delivered sideline cut from Brian Foley on 14 minutes, while seconds later, Antrim man McMullan pounced on a mistake by Louth defender Aidan Carter to bulge the net.

Ten scoreless minutes into the second half, Gary Fenton re-opened the scoring for a 2-05 to 0-05 London lead. Louth's Declan Byrne then pulled a goal chance into the side-netting, but the Reds deservedly found a way past Exiles 'keeper JJ Burke when teenager Smith scrambled home their only goal, and also what proved to be Louth's only score of the second half.

In slippery conditions, Division Three side Louth were always up against it and London cut loose in the closing quarter.

On 57 minutes, substitute Sean Quinn drove through and flicked a superb handpass for McMullan to fire home his second goal of a 2-01 haul. Four minutes later, Quinn kicked in London's fourth goal and the result was put beyond doubt when corner forward Dave Burke scored a fifth on 67 minutes. Burke clipped over a 65 and Gary Fenton added another point before the final whistle.

London: JJ Burke; E Phelan, T Simms, B Forde; J Dillon, F McMahon, B Foley 0-1; M Harding 0-01 (1f), M O'Meara; D Smyth, J Ryan, J McGaughan; D Bourke 1-04 (3f), B Shortall 1-00, K McMullan 2-01.

Subs: E Kinlon (for Smyth 36 mins), G Fenton 0-01 (for O'Meara 36 mins), S Quinn 1-00 (for Shortall 55 mins), P Doyle (for Phelan 68 mins), P Finneran (for McMullan 70 mins).

Louth: S Smith; D Black, A Carter, S Darcy; R Byrne, P Dunne, D Mulholland; D McCarthy, S Callan 0-02; T Hilliard, J Carter, D Byrne; G Smith 1-01 (1f), D Dunne 0-01, N McEneaney 0-01.

Subs: G Collins (for R Byrne h/t), S Byrne (for J Carter 53 mins), A Mynes (for McEneaney 65 mins), N Byrne (for Darcy 71 mins).

Referee: T Mahon (Fermanagh).

See also