Round Up: Go-Ahead Ireland Senior 2 & 3 Hurling Championship Round 4

Picture Courtesy Niall O'Connell

Thomas Davis continued their impressive form in the Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin Senior 2 Hurling Championship when overcoming Ballyboden St Enda’s by 3-19 to 2-20 at Páirc Uí Mhurchú on Saturday evening.

There was little to separate the teams initially with three points by Seán Reilly and further scores from Anthony Barrett and Adam Waddick leaving the visitors on level terms.

However, they finished the half on the front foot as two points apiece by the influential Reilly, Kevin Ward and Davy Keogh helped build a 0-14 to 0-9 interval lead.

The hosts struck back after the break with a quick-fire 1-1 but the momentum swung back in Thomas Davis’ favour as Davy Byrne pounced for two goals in quick succession.

Byrne completed his hat-trick with ten minutes remaining and three Ward points left the Tallaght outfit with a sufficient buffer to withstand some late Ballyboden scores.

The other match in Group 1 saw Kilmacud Crokes prove too strong for Raheny, prevailing by 1-28 to 2-10 in St Anne’s Park.

In Group 2, Faughs delivered another strong defensive display as they defeated Castleknock by 1-19 to 1-15 at Somerton Park.

The visitors struggled initially as they fell 0-7 to 0-2 behind by the end of the first quarter but they gradually clawed their way back thanks to the free-taking of James O’Brien and a Scott McConnell goal in the 22nd minute saw them leapfrog their opponents.

The teams entered the break deadlocked at 0-10 to 1-7 but a trio of points from play by Carl O’Mahony put daylight between the teams while Liam Mostyn chipped in with a brace of scores.

The hosts replied with a goal of their own but with O’Brien landing three second-half points, Faughs ran out deserving winners as Jake Moore popped over an insurance point late on.

It proved even tighter at Páirc Barróg as twelve points from Joe Flanagan proved telling as Naomh Barróg edged Naomh Mearnóg by 1-19 to 0-20.

Paddy Doyle scored the solitary goal of the game and with wing-back Adam Rooney excelling with four points, the hosts did just enough to prevail thanks to further scores by Sean Gallagher, Evan O’Brien and substitute Luke Nolan.

In SHC3, Fingallians raced out of the blocks on their way to an emphatic 6-24 to 2-15 victory over St Vincent’s at Lawless Park.

The hosts netted on no less than four occasions in the opening ten minutes through Oisín Johnson, Killian Johnson, Michael Rock and Dan King.

Matters deteriorated for Vinnies as they scored an own goal later in the half and a Sean Hickey goal and points by Oisín Johnson, Darragh Power and Killian Johnson pushed Fins 6-10 to 0-6 clear by half-time.

The visitors struck back after the break through a brace of Stephen Williams goals but three points by midfielder Donagh Williams and further scores by Hickey, Oisín Johnson, Power and Ian Kennedy saw the hosts home comfortably.

There was another clearcut success in Poppintree as Setanta proved far too strong for O’Toole’s, winning by 4-27 to 1-5.

Eric Fallon impressed at the back for the hosts, who dominated around the middle third through the efforts of Lee Richardson and Fionntán MacGib.

Their control allowed the likes of Ryan Clarke to weave his magic up front with his personal tally of 1-14 including 1-8 from open play.

John Casey also shone with six points over the hour with the remaining Setanta goals scored by Seán Ó Riain, Cian Fallon and Dean Memery.

Go-Ahead Ireland SHC2 Group 1: Ballyboden St Enda’s 2-20 Thomas Davis 3-19; Raheny 2-10 Kilmacud Crokes 1-28.

Go-Ahead Ireland SHC2 Group 2: Naomh Barróg 1-19 Naomh Mearnóg 0-20; Castleknock 1-15 Faughs 1-19.

Go-Ahead Ireland SHC3 Group 1: Fingallians 6-24 St Vincent’s 2-15; Na Fianna 1-18 St Sylvester’s 0-19.

Go-Ahead Ireland SHC3 Group 2: Setanta 4-27 O’Toole’s 1-5; Erin’s Isle 3-13 Clontarf 1-19.