Cooper chalks up super tally
Davidstown claim victory
D’TOWN-C’CUDDY 3-13 FAYTHE HARRIERS 0-13
A YOUNG man, whose father enjoyed a successful career preventing scores, showed exactly how to get them in fine style in the biting cold of Bree on Sunday when Davidstown-Courtnacuddy had nine points to spare over Faythe Harriers in Group B of the Permanent TSB Junior hurling championship.
John Cooper was a high-calibre netminder with Adamstown and Wexford for many years, and his son, Seán, was the chief figure here as he contributed an impressive tally of 1-11, including ten points from placed balls.
The wing-back punished the Harriers repeatedly as the victors pulled away following a first quarter which ended with the teams on level terms (0-4 each).
Cooper had accounted for the entire Davidstown-Courtnacuddy tally up to that point from frees, and he had chalked up 1-8 by half-time when his side led by 2-8 to 0-4 after adding a decisive 2-4 without reply.
The ground started to open between the teams after the Enniscorthy District men goaled for the first time in the 24th minute.
Harriers veteran Shane Howard was denied what looked like a cast-iron free at one end of the field, and within seconds county panel member David Dunne had kicked the sliothar to the net to stretch his side’s advantage to 1-7 to 0-4.
Goal number two arrived in the 29th minute when Seán Cooper was encouraged by mentors to go low from a 30-yard free. And while Adam McDaid saved his initial effort, the ball was only partially cleared into his zone and he made no mistake at the second attempt.
Both sides were reduced to 14 men after an incident in first-half added time, with Jack O’Leary of the Harriers walking on a second yellow while Stephen Sheridan received a straight red for what the Americans would refer to as ‘helmet interference’.
Davidstown-Courtnacuddy remained comfortable throughout the second period, although they did need goalkeeper Donal O’Shea to make a fantastic double save to deny David Gouldson and Conor Halligan at one stage.
Lively midfielder Walter Furlong joined the prolific Cooper on the list of marksmen with a brace of points, and their advantage was widened to 3-13 to 0-9 when Stephen Dunbar finished off some hard work by Johnny Delaney for their third goal in the 55th minute.
The Harriers did hit the last four points, but they never really stood a chance of bridging the gap as Davidstown-Courtnacuddy put their poor start to the football campaign firmly behind them with this encouraging win.
Darragh Cooper, brother of their chief scorer, was a forceful fullback, and the fact that they weren’t reliant on a relatively subdued David Dunne to do everything should be regarded as a positive rather than a negative from an overall team perspective.
Davidstown-Courtnacuddy: Donal O’Shea; Daniel Delaney, Darragh Cooper, T.J. Owens; Seán Cooper (1-11, 0-9 frees, 0-1 ’65), Mark Murphy, Barry Nolan; James Doyle, Walter Furlong (0-2); Stephen Sheridan, David Dunne (capt., 1-0), Stephen Dunbar (10); Kieron McCabe, Johnny Delaney, Eoin Keane. Subs. - Kevin Keane for E. Keane (21), Daniel Dempsey for Dunbar (58), David Shore for McCabe (58), Mark Kavanagh for J. Delaney (60+3).
Faythe Harriers: Adam McDaid; Cathal Kirwan, Cillian Lawlor, Jake Clancy; Emmet Keeling (capt.), Danny Walsh (0-1), Ross Lynch; David Gouldson, John Bridges (0-4, 1 free); Jack O’Leary, Conor Halligan (0-2, 1 ’65), Ryan Furlong; Chris Glover, Shane Howard (0-1), Glen Murphy-Butler (0-5, 2 frees). Sub. - Dáire Reville for Glover (40).
Referee: Aidan O’Brien (Cloughbawn).