AHL 1: Game of the week - Crumlin v St. Judes

ADULT HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION ONE

CRUMLIN: 2-21

ST JUDE’S: 1-12

Crumlin produced an emphatic display at Tymon North on Saturday afternoon to defeat St Jude’s in Division One of the Adult Hurling League.

The Pearse Park men had nine different scorers throughout the course of the contest, and even though Mark Maguire led the way for their opponents, Crumlin finished with 12 points to spare over their southside rivals.

Crumlin had suffered three consecutive losses following their May 20 victory over St Vincent’s, and needed a win to move them away from the bottom end of the table. Jude’s began the weekend at the summit of the top-tier, thanks in no small part to recent successes against St Brigid’s and Naomh Fionnbarra.

With both teams missing inter-county stars (Crumlin’s Ben Quinn and Jude’s defender Fionn O Riain Broin were selected in the Dublin starting line-up against Tipperary on the same day), it took a while for the game to settle.

Crumlin were wide of the mark from some early scoring chances, before full-forward Darren Whelan broke the deadlock with a seventh-minute free. This effort was quickly cancelled out by the lively Maguire, and despite conceding a long-range point to Conor Murphy, another Maguire single from a tight left-hand angle moved Jude’s back on level terms.

Yet, a brace of Whelan points helped Crumlin to create some daylight between the sides, and though Eddie Kelly found the target for Jude’s, the first goal of the tie arrived in the 16th-minute. Mark Hannon picked out Stephen Cullen after getting the better of his direct opponent, and the centre-forward shot beyond the reach of Jude’s netminder Martin Hartnett in clinical style.

Whelan and midfielder Diarmuid McLoughlin (free) subsequently traded scores, but on the stroke of 20 minutes, Crumlin were presented with another opportunity to raise a green flag. They were awarded a penalty for a foul on Whelan by Jude’s full-back Ger McManus, but much to the relief of the home side, Whelan’s placed-ball attempt floated over the bar.

With Crumlin registering 12 first-half wides, Jude’s were hoping to keep themselves in contention. John Ryan (two) and Donie Fox added to their tally, but thanks to additional contributions from Whelan (free), Conor Foley and Kevin Byrne, Crumlin nevertheless brought a 1-9 to 0-7 cushion into the break.

This was certainly not an insurmountable deficit for Jude’s to negotiate, and with Maguire causing numerous problems for the Crumlin defence, anticipation was high when the action resumed. It was Crumlin who were the sharper team during the third-quarter, though, and unanswered points by Whelan and Adam McGreal (two) opened up an eight-point lead.

The first of McGreal’s scores in this sequence was a superb sideline cut from the left-wing, but at the end of a long barren spell in front of the posts for Jude’s, McLoughlin grabbed a 46th-minute score.

His routine free two minutes later cancelled out a Kevin Elliott point for Crumlin, but with Elliott and the outstanding Byrne finding their range, Jude’s were on the brink of a second league reversal of 2017.

The reliable Maguire claimed his third point nine minutes from the end of normal time, but following a flashpoint from a resulting attack, both sides were forced to complete the action with just 14 men.

Jude’s wing-forward Joe McManus and Crumlin corner-back David Kellett were red-card after clashing in an off-the-ball incident, and this opened up extra space on the pitch in the closing moments.

Foley and Lee Coleman points kept Crumlin in control, but a 1-1 salvo by the exceptional Maguire ensured that Jude’s had a glimmer of hope heading into five minutes of stoppage-time. However, it was Crumlin who found an extra gear, as three points in succession, courtesy of Foley, Whelan and Byrne, placed the outcome beyond doubt.

A 1-1 haul from substitute David Maher was the icing on the cake for the away side, and although Fox (a former Galway underage star) secured his second point, it proved to be a mere consolation for St Jude’s.

They will seek a return to form when they face Parnell’s at Chanel on July 22, while Crumlin will host St Brigid’s at Pearse Park on Thursday week.

Scorers - Crumlin: Darren Whelan 0-8 (0-4f, 0-1 pen, 0-1 ’65’), David Maher 1-1, Stephen Cullen 1-0, Kevin Byrne, Conor Foley 0-3, Adam McGreal (1 s/line), Kevin Elliott 0-2 each, Conor Murphy, Lee Coleman 0-1 each. St Jude’s: Mark Maguire 1-4, Diarmuid McLoughlin 0-3 (2f), John Ryan (2f), Donie Fox 0-2 each, Eddie Kelly 0-1.

CRUMLIN: Adam Doyle; David Kellett, John Cullen, Alan Byrne; Paul Devlin, Conor Murphy, Luke Blood; Lee Coleman, Kevin Byrne; Shane Ryan, Stephen Cullen, Conor Foley; Adam McGreal, Darren Whelan, Kevin Elliott. Subs: David Maher for S Cullen (45), Eoin Cotter for Elliott (60), Paul O’Brien for McGreal (61).

ST JUDE’S: Martin Harnett; Conor O’Keeffe, Ger McManus, Kevin Tracey; Tom Divilly, Alan O’Byrne, Paul Kiernan; Diarmuid McLoughlin, Paul Kennedy; Joe McManus, Donie Fox, Eddie Kelly; Mark Hannon, John Ryan, Mark Maguire.

Referee: Gerard Delaney (Faughs).

By Daire Walsh