2018 Walsh Cup

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

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

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

20 January 2018

2 p.m. GMT

Final

Kilkenny	1-24 – 1-24 (a.e.t.)	Wexford
Alan Murphy (1-13, goal penalty, six frees, one 65); Ollie Walsh, Walter Walsh, Martin Keoghan (0-2 each); Eoin Murphy (0-2, frees); Conor Fogarty, Richie Reid, Conor Martin (0-1 each)	Report	Paul Morris (0-9, seven frees); Jack Guiney (0-5, three frees); Harry Kehoe (0-3); Kevin Foley (1-0); Mark Fanning (0-1, free); Eoin Moore, Cathal Dunbar, David Dunne, Jack O'Connor, Lee Chin, Conor McDonald (0-1 each)
Penalties
Eoin Murphy Conor Martin Lester Ryan Alan Murphy John Walsh	2–3	Paul Morris Lee Chin Conor McDonald Jack Guiney Mark Fanning

Nowlan Park, Kilkenny

Attendance: 3,554

Referee: John O'Brien (Laois)

• decided by free-taking contest

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. http://www.wexfordgaa.ie/2017/11/2018-bord-na-mona-walsh-cup-draw/
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.