Dungarvan’s Darragh Lyons surges past DLS players right to left, Tom Moran,Eddie Meaney and Daniel Lalor.
JJ KAVANAGH AND SONS COUNTY SENIOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 1
DLS DRAW CLEAR IN FINAL QUARTER.
DE LA SALLE 3-22 DUNGARVAN 2-17
Played at the Fraher Field last Friday evening, the majority of this well attended encounter was a free taking contest between Reuben O Halloran and Michael Kiely before the winners’ Thomas Douglas and Jack Twomey made the defining difference on the score board for the city side in the final quarter to run out deserving 0-8 winners.
Dungarvan had the first use of the strong breeze and they competed well to go in on level terms at the break at 0-12 to 1-9. Two of their best players on the night, Tristan Loftus and Michael Kiely(f) opened the scoring with Reuben O Halloran(f) and Sean Carton equalising by the 4th minute.
By the end of the first quarter, DLS led on double scores by 0-8 to 0-4 as O Halloran punished frees conceded by the home side with Gavin Power also being called upon to keep his net intact in the 9th minute. Brian Cunningham and Colm Morris were on target from play for the winners while midfielder Tristan Loftus had his second point from play on thirteen minutes.
DLS were also guilty of giving their opposition opportunities from placed balls and Michael Kiely kept Dungarvan in the game throughout the second quarter. The Blues reduced their deficit to 0-9 to 0-8 by the 22nd minute with Kiely accurate three times out of three while Colm Curran was Dungarvan’s only second player to score from play in this moiety.
The difference in quality and experience between the teams was portrayed in the 23rd minute when, at one end, Dungarvan should have worked the scoreboard while the cleared ball by the DLS defence was snapped up by Jack Twomey and he placed Thomas Douglas for the only goal of the half, 1-9 to 0-8.
Credit, Eoin Cadogan’s charges, they kept their opponents scoreless for the rest of the half and their hard grafting resulted in four Michael Kiely pointed frees , his only miss from a free in the game, coming in the third minute of added time.
Having the use of the breeze, Dungarvan would have required a four or five point advantage ahead of the second half and the views were that DLS would pull clear on the restart and so it transpired. DLS had four first half wides to Dungarvan’s two while the winners’ won seven frees to nine.
SECOND HALF
45 seconds into the new half, a quick free by Michael Kiely to Colm Curran gave Dungarvan the lead but inside a minute, DLS had their second goal by Jack Twomey, lead regained and maintained for the rest of the game despite the best efforts of the locals.
In the 33rd minute, Michael Kiely slotted over his tenth pointed free and the first card of the evening was distributed to DLS’s Sean Carton. Throughout the half, gaps were appearing up the centre of the Dungarvan defence and DLS made good use of them with their swift running on the ball ominous.
Dungarvan sub Kealan Daly made a vital interception on one such occasion while pressure on the Blues defence saw two players penalised for over carrying and Reuben O Halloran punished with a brace of pointed frees, 2-11 to 0-14 and 38 minutes on the clock.
Again in the 39th minute, Mikey Burke intercepted a goal scoring opportunity by a DLS forward division in full flow but the pressure was on the Dungarvan defence all the time and a misplaced pass saw Jack Twomey increase his side’s advantage to 2-12 to 0-14.
Dungarvan never threw in the towel at any stage, though, and when a long delivery by Darragh Lyons in the 43rd minute was picked up by Patrick Curran, now operating at full forward, his patiently worked goal in the country end had Dungarvan just 0-1 in arrears at 2-12 to 1-14.
However, this proved to be just a respite for the locals as DLS replied by scoring the next six points by the 52nd minute, three from play by the now in full flow Thomas Douglas and three from placed balls by Reuben O Halloran, 2-18 to 1-14.
These scores were the ones that sealed DLS’s win. Michael Kiely came back with three pointed frees either side of scores by Douglas and Jack Twomey as the margin between the sides was now expanding.
In the 58th minute, Douglas was on target once more with a contender for score of the match while at the other end, Dungarvan made a number of attempts in the same play to goal but the DLS defence stood firm. Punishment was exacted three minutes later when Jack Twomey placed Eddie Meaney for a goal and when Reuben O Halloran struck his eleventh and final pointed free in the second minute of added time, the winners lead now stood at 0-11.
Again, Dungarvan’s match long efforts were rewarded at the death when a close in free by Michael Kiely for goal was stopped by the DLS defence but Patrick Curran was quickest to react to score his second goal just before the final whistle.
DLS should make the last four with their capable scoring forwards but they conceded 2-17 which will not have gone unnoticed by their team management. Dungarvan are limited in numbers required for this level but Eoin Cadogan has installed a hard working and never say die attitude and they remain a side of senior standard with an opportunity to reach the quarter finals.
DLS Top Three : Thomas Douglas, Jack Twomey, Reuben O Halloran.
Dungarvan’s Top Three : Michael Kiely, Darragh Lyons, Tristan Loftus.
Observer’s Man of the Match : Thomas Douglas.
Number of Scorers : DLS : 7. Dungarvan : 5.
Scores From Play : DLS : 3-10. Dungarvan : 2-4.
Frees For : DLS : 13. Dungarvan : 15.
Wides : DLS : 6. Dungarvan : 4.
Score of the Match : Thomas Douglas’ 58th minute point from play for the winners.
Observer’s Championship Inspection :
Pitch Flagged : Yes. Pitch Lined : Yes: Grass Short : Yes. Field Railed : Yes. Scoreboard : Yes. Board Linesmen and Umpires : Yes Team Sheets for Attendance : Not Enough.
Scorers :
DLS : Reuben O Halloran 0-12(1’65), Thomas Douglas 1-5, Jack Twomey1-2, Sean Carton, Brian Cunningham and Colm Morris 0-1 each.
Dungarvan : Michael Kiely 0-13f, Patrick Curran 2-0, Tristan Loftus and Colm Curran 0-2 each.
Teams :
DLS : Shaun O Brien; Conor Keane, Adam Farrell, Daniel Lalor; Tom Moran, Jake Dillon, Edie Barrett; Colm Morris, Reuben O Halloran; Sean Carton, Jack Fagan, Jack Twomey, Eddie Meaney, Thomas Douglas, Brian Cunningham. Subs : Lorcan Dwyer for Eddie Barrett(inj, 30+3),Kevin Moran for Brian Cunningham(45), Cormac McCann for Colm Morris(57), Kieran O Sullivan for Tom Moran(inj,60).
Dungarvan : Gavin Power; Robbie Wall, John Curran, Cathal Curran; Gary Donnolly, Jack Lacey, Mikey Burke; Tristan Loftus, Darragh Lyons; Colm Curran, Patrick Curran, Joe Duggan; Jack Fitzgerald, Michael Kiely, Eoin O Callaghan. Subs : Kealan Daly for Gary Donnolly(20), Kyle Healy for Jack Fitzgerald(59), Conor Sheridan for Robbie Wall(inj, 63).
Referee : Tom Mansfield(Affane/Cappoquin).
