2018 Walsh Cup

2018 Walsh Cup

Tournament details
Province	Leinster
Year	2018
Sponsor	Bord na Móna
Winners
Champions	Wexford (16th win)
Manager	Davy Fitzgerald
Captain	Lee Chin and Matthew O'Hanlon
Runners-up
Runners-up	Kilkenny
Manager	Brian Cody
Captain	Cillian Buckley
Other
Matches played	14

The 2018 Walsh Cup was an inter-county hurling competition based mainly in the Irish province of Leinster. It took place between December 2017 and January 2018.[1][2]

For the first time, no third-level college teams took part. 10 Leinster counties, plus Antrim, competed.[3][4] Longford and Louth entered the second-ranked Kehoe Cup.

Wexford were the 2018 champions, beating Kilkenny 3–2 in a free-taking competition after the final ended level on 1-24 each after extra time.[5] This was the first inter-county hurling game to be decided by the taking of frees.[6]

Format

There are 11 teams, in three groups of 3 teams and one group of 2 teams. In the three-team groups, each team plays the other teams once. In the two-team group, the teams play each other twice. Two points are awarded for a win and one for a draw.

The four group winners advance to the semi-finals.

Group stage

Group 1

Team	Pld	W	D	L	Pts	Diff
Wexford	2	2	0	0	4	+44
Carlow	2	1	0	1	2	+9
Wicklow	2	0	0	2	0	–53

Group 2

Team	Pld	W	D	L	Pts	Diff
Kilkenny	2	2	0	0	4	+47
Laois	2	1	0	1	2	–18
Kildare	2	0	0	2	0	–29

Group 3

Team	Pld	W	D	L	Pts	Diff
Dublin	2	2	0	0	4	+27
Meath	2	1	0	1	2	-15
Antrim	2	0	0	2	0	–12

Group 4

Team	Pld	W	D	L	Pts	Diff
Offaly	2	2	0	0	4	+5
Westmeath	2	0	0	2	0	–5

Knock-out stage

Semi-finals

13 January 2018

2 p.m.

Semi-final

Offaly	3-11 – 1-20	Kilkenny
Shane Kinsella 1-3, Shane Dooley 1-1 (1-0 pen, 0-1f), Eoin Cahill 0-3 (0-3f), Conor Mahon 1-0, Thomas Geraghty 0-2, Oisin Kelly (0-1f), Liam Langton 0-1 each.	Report	Alan Murphy 0-7 (0-6f), Richie Reid 0-5, Richie Leahy 0-3, Ger Malone 1-0, John Donnelly 0-2, John Walsh, Bill Sheehan and Conor Martin 0-1 each.

O'Connor Park, Tullamore

Referee: Gearóid McGrath (Dublin)

14 January 2018

2 p.m.

Semi-final

Dublin	0-16 – 1-20	Wexford
Paul Winters 0-6 (5f), Donal Burke 0-4 (4f), Fergal Whitely 0-3, Cian McBride, Johnny McCaffrey and Danny Sutcliffe 0-1 each.	Report	Paul Morris 0-6 (4f), Cathal Dunbar 1-1, Paudie Foley (0-1f, 0-1 65), Kevin Foley and Jack Guiney 0-3 each, Conor McDonald and David Dunne 0-2 each, Harry Kehoe 0-1.

Parnell Park, Donnycarney

Referee: Gavin Quilty (Kilkenny)

Final

Kilkenny v Wexford

20 January 2018 2 p.m. GMT Final

Report

Kilkenny	1-24 (27) – (27) 1-24 (a.e.t.) (2–3 fk)	Wexford
Gls: Alan Murphy 1pen Pts: Alan Murphy 13 (6fs, 1 '65'), Ollie Walsh 2, Walter Walsh 2, Martin Keoghan 2, Eoin Murphy 2fs, Conor Fogarty 1, Richie Reid 1, Conor Martin 1		Gls: Kevin Foley 1 Pts: Paul Morris 9 (7fs), Jack Guiney 5 (3fs), Harry Kehoe 3, Mark Fanning 1f, Eoin Moore 1, Cathal Dunbar 1, David Dunne 1, Jack O'Connor 1, Lee Chin 1, Conor McDonald 1
Free-taking competition
Eoin Murphy Conor Martin Lester Ryan Alan Murphy John Walsh		Paul Morris Lee Chin Conor McDonald Jack Guiney Mark Fanning

Nowlan Park, Kilkenny Referee: John O'Brien (Laois) Attendance: 3,554

References

1. "2018 O'Byrne & Walsh Cup Groups Decided". dublingaa.ie.
2. "Kilkenny hurling: Brian Cody's men will start in Walsh Cup on January 3".
3. "Bord na Móna Walsh Cup S.H. 2018 - Leinster GAA".
4. "2018 Bord na Móna Walsh Cup Draw". 19 November 2017.
5. "WATCH: Wexford crowned Walsh Cup champions after thrilling game is decided by free-taking contest". Irish Independent. 20 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
6. "Wexford edge Cats in hurling's first ever free-taking competition to settle pulsating Walsh Cup final". The 42. 20 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.