Craobh turn on the style to see off Whitehall in SHC ‘A’

Craobh Chiaráin turned on the style to defeat Whitehall Colmcille, 3-25 to 2-12, in Sunday afternoon's Go-Ahead Dublin SHC 'A' Group 1 Round 3 at Parnell Park.

The Donnycarney side now progress to the quarter-finals in second place from their group behind Na Fianna, who overcame Ballinteer St John's 1-18 to 0-12 at O'Toole Park.

Craobh led at half-time by two points, 2-7 to 1-8, and despite losing Jason Higgins to a red card in the 42nd minute they outclassed their opponents in the second half.

After two opening half goals from Billy Ryan, James Finn grabbed their third goal in the 52nd minute after being fed by Darren Kelly as Craobh cut loose.

Whitehall's second half goal arrived in added time when sub Paddy Spellacy was on hand to apply the finish following Enda O'Donnell's initial effort.

But the second half, particularly the fourth quarter, belonged to Craobh with Cian Derwin leading the way with some sublime scores.

Derwin finished with 0-9 (0-2 '65', 0-1f) but it was Billy Ryan who ended up as the game's top scorer with 2-5 (0-2f) while Eoin Forbes and Robbie Mahon also contributed some excellent long-range scores.

Stephen Kelly was introduced as a first-half sub and after doing well in a defensive role against the wind in the first half he joined up with his attack on a number of occasions in the second half and fired over two fine points.

Craobh had moved 2-14 to 1-11 clear by the three-quarter mark before upping their game another level in the concluding quarter to run out comprehensive 16-point victors.

Two Billy Ryan goals late in the opening half had helped Craobh Chiaráin to a 2-7 to 1-8 interval lead.

His first goal arrived in the 26th minute when he rifled to the net from a very tight angle and when he added a point immediately after, after being picked out with a crossfield pass from Keith Cooling, the sides were level, 1-7 each.

Two minutes before the break Billy Ryan raised his second green flag when he dived to bat the sliotar past Jack D'Arcy following good battling by Darren Kelly to secure possession.

Just before the interval Whitehall Colmcille's Niall O'Connor struck his third fine point of the half to leave his side trailing by two points at the interval.

Earlier in the half Craobh started well with the opening three points courtesy of Cian Derwin, only eight seconds into this contest, James Finn and Derwin again when he converted a '65' into the breeze.

In the eighth minute pressure on the Craobh defence saw them cough up possession and Enda O'Donnell was on the end of a Whitehall move to finish to the net after sidestepping keeper Stephen Chester.

Whitehall lifted their game with points from Gary Howard, Daire Gray, a free from 80 metres, a massive Niall O'Connor point from his own '65', to lead 1-3 to 0-3 after 11 minutes.

By the first water break Billy Ryan (free) and Niall O'Connor, another long range strike, to make it 1-4 to 0-4.

The hard-working Seán Foran extended Whitehall's lead on the restart and by the 25th minute Whitehall were 1-7 to 0-6 clear with Cian Derwin ('65'), Mikey Noonan (free), Eoin Forbes from long range and Enda O'Donnell, who used his pace to telling effect, got on the scoresheet for their respective sides.

Then came Craobh's late flurry of scores to put themselves in front, 2-7 to 1-8, at the half-time break.