Round-Up: Go-Ahead Senior 1 Hurling Championship Round 4

Image courtesy Grainne Mc Kinney

Round 4 of the Go-Ahead Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship took place across Friday and Saturday with 13-man St Vincent’s getting the weekend’s action started with a hard-earned 1-18 to 0-18 victory against St Oliver Plunkett/Eoghan Ruadh at Parnell Park on Friday night.

There was little to separate the teams in the first-half with the free-taking of Ger Ryan from Plunkett’s and John Hetherton of St Vincent’s the key feature but a string of five points on the bounce saw Vinnies take a marginal lead.

Image courtesy Grainne Mc Kinney

Conor Burke, Rian McBride and Darach McBride all added points late in the half to ensure the Marino side held a slim 0-12 to 0-10 interval advantage. 

A goal from Hetherton within three minutes of the resumption edged St Vincent’s further ahead but points in reply from Cian Boland and Sean Clerkin kept Plunkett’s in the hunt.

The dismissal of Diarmuid Connolly added to Plunkett’s hopes of a comeback but they struggled to make an impression up front as Vinnies held on thanks to late points from Sean Lambe and Darach McBride, with the former receiving a second yellow in added time.

On Saturday afternoon, holders Kilmacud Crokes confirmed their place in the knock-out stages as they cruised to an emphatic 5-30 to 0-14 victory over a weakened St Brigid’s at Parnell Park.

Crokes opened up brightly through early points from Michael Roche, Fergal Whitely and Sean Purcell and their lead was enhanced through a brace of sublime goals in the 15^th minute from Conal Ó Riain and Sean Purcell.

Whitely and Oisin O’Rorke added points in the second quarter to extend Kilmacud’s lead, while six frees at the opposite end from Cian O’Sullivan saw St Brigid’s enter the break facing a 2-15 to 0-7 interval deficit.

Goals in the third quarter from Roche and Mark Grogan heaped further misery on the Blanchardstown side and with their centre-back Brian Moran dismissed in the 42^nd minute, they conceded a fifth goal to Fionn Ó Ceallaigh five minutes from time.

The second match of the Donnycarney double-header proved similarly one-sided as Na Fianna pulled away in the second-half to complete a resounding 4-30 to 1-10 win against Faughs.

Colin Currie, Sean Currie and Shane Barrett chipped in with points as Na Fianna seized early control, with Faughs hanging onto to their coattails thanks to scores by Carl O’Mahony, James O’Brien and Sean McDonald.

A John Tierney goal in the 27^th minute extended Na Fianna’s lead but Fergal Heavey tapped home two minutes later to reduce Faughs’ deficit to 1-15 to 1-7 by the break.

Peter Feeney doubled the Na Fianna goal tally in the 34^th minute as last year’s beaten finalists reaffirmed their dominance through late goals from substitute Sean Baxter and Ciaran Stacey. 

Across the city in O’Toole Park, Lucan Sarsfields completed their group campaign on a positive note as they claimed their fourth successive win when overcoming a battling Whitehall Colmcille by 3-19 to 1-20.

The damage was done in the first-half as goals by Ben Coffey, Chris O’Leary and Charlie Keher pushed Lucan six points clear with Eoghan O’Donnell netting for Whitehall to leave his side trailing by 3-8 to 1-10 at half-time.

O’Donnell finished with 1-3 from play but his efforts and those of Niall Carroll, Derry Noonan, Daire Gray and Sean Kellett proved in vain for Colmcille by the final whistle.