Cuala make winning start in Leinster SHC

CUALA 2-20 DICKSBORO (Kilkenny) 1-16

Defending Leinster and All-Ireland champions, Cuala, made a successful opening defence of their provincial crown when overcoming Kilkenny champions, Dicksboro, in Parnell Park on Sunday afternoon.

Cuala will now face Wexford's St Martin's in two weeks' time in Parnell Park in their AIB Leinster club SHC semi-final.

The Dalkey side were the more potent side throughout but had to fend off a late Dicksboro fightback with keeper Seán Brennan busy over the close of the game and backed up by some clever defence by Paul Schutte and the influential Seán Moran.

Dicksboro applied a lot of late pressure with former Dublin senior hurler Shane Stapleton converting two '65s' with side of a 56th minute goal from Stephen Farrell but it was too little, too late to upset the reigning champions.

After leading by five points at the interval a scoring burst by Cuala at the midpoint of second half gave them a comfortable lead heading into the closing minutes.

Con O’Callaghan fired a superb point off his left, David Treacy hit two in quick succession, one a free, with Nicky Kenny also on target to lead 1-14 to 0-11 by the 41^st minute

Then came the crucial score – a Con O’Callaghan goal following excellent interplay between Colm Cronin, Seán Treacy and Jake Malone.

Further points from Con and Cronin had the Dalkey men 2-16 to 0-13 clear by the 48^th minute and they never really looked in trouble.

Cuala held a 1-10 to 0-8 half-time advantage with the only goal coming in the 16^th minute when Jake Malone whipped the sliotar to the net after Con O’Callaghan had made the original incision into the danger area.

Mattie Kenny’s men started well with two early points from David Treacy, for fouls on Con O’Callaghan and Colm Cronin, and then one from play from Con to go 0-3 to 0-0 up inside the opening five minutes.

David Treacy converted six first half frees with Colm Cronin adding a point from play in the 17^th minute when for a split-second aiming for goal must have passed his mind as he angled through on goal.

SCORERS - Cuala: D Treacy 0-9 (0-8f), Con O'Callaghan 1-3, J Malone 1-0, C Cronin 0-3, N Kenny, N Carty 0-2 each, D O'Connell 0-1. Dicksboro: S Stapleton 0-8 (0-5f, 0-3 '65'), S Farrell 1-0, O Gough, E Gough, R Murphy 0-2 each, M Gaffney, O Walsh 0-1 each.

CUALA: S Brennan; S Timlin, Cian O'Callaghan, O Gough; J Sheanon, S Moran, P Schutte; D O'Connell, S Treacy; C Sheanon, D Treacy, J Malone; C Cronin, Con O'Callaghan, N Kenny. Subs: N Carty for Kenny (52), C Waldron for C Sheanon (55).

DICKSBORO: D Holohan; C Doheny, E Cody, M Fagan; T Kenny, C Buckley, A Nolan; O Walsh, R Fitzpatrick; R Murphy, E Gough, S Stapleton; O Gough, M Gaffney, B Sheehan. Subs: K Kenny for E Gough (44), S Farrell for Murphy (44), P O'Flynn for Nolan (52).

REF: P Murphy (Carlow).