Cullen brace put Rapps on road
RAPPAREES FERNS ST. AIDAN’S
TWO FIRST quarter Diarmuid Cullen goals gave Rapparees a serious foothold in Sunday’s first round Permanent TSB Junior hurling championship Group D duel on the sun-drenched home turf of Ferns St. Aidan’s.
Recent Ferns Senior star Tommy Dwyer attempted to snatch the spoils from a placed ball six minutes into added time before Paddy O’Leary was denied from the follow-up seconds shy of the final whistle.
In what transpired to be a low-scoring affair, there was a sense even from an early stage that ‘ Dee’ Cullen’s couple of early majors would eventually have a considerable bearing on matters.
Lee Quigley pointed Ferns in front from a fifth minute free before Cullen made his goal-scoring presence felt on six minutes, when a delivery from Peter O’Sullivan was quickly shifted on by Joe Cullen for ‘Dee’ to rattle the town end net.
This teak, tough high-noon contest packed plenty of intensity. But amid the robust challenges the Rapps were banking serious credit as Diarmuid Cullen stuck his second goal on 14 minutes after a long delivery from Seán Breen found the poacher to the left of goal.
Consequently, the Rapps led by 2-0 to 0-1 at the first water break.
Poor finishing troubled Ferns – they notched eight more wides than the Rapps over the hour – but they were within 2-4 to 0-7 at half-time with the aid of doubles from both P.J. O’Neill and Tommy Dwyer.
The effort again certainly wasn’t lacking during the second-half but the scores remained at a premium, with the sides exchanging points three times across the first 26 minutes, before substitute Paddy O’Leary had Ferns within a couple of points with three minutes to go.
Rapps’ substitute Aaron Ronan had a solid effort on goal denied before Ferns added three costly wides.
Regardless, the home side remained spirited as they pressed right to the finish, and six minutes into added time Tommy Dwyer saw his powerful free blocked before Paddy O’Leary also met a wall of defiance from the rebound. The end quickly followed as the hosts were left to ponder their troubled finishing.
Rapparees: David Doyle; Matthew Balfe, Tom Wall, Cathal Ryan; Seán Breen, Eoin Quigley, Michael Delaney; Peter O’Sullivan, Conor Farrell; Diarmuid Cullen (2-1), Ed Tobin (0-4, 2 frees, 1 ‘65), John Ryan; Mikey McVeigh, Joe Cullen (0-1), Michael Dempsey (0-1). Subs. - Caolan Carty for Dempsey (35), J.P. Farrell for McVeigh (51), Anthony Peare for C. Farrell (51), Ronan Kirwan for Wall, temp. (52-58), Aaron Ronan for J. Cullen, inj. (56).
Ferns St. Aidan’s: Michael Walsh; Peter Nolan, Patrick O’Hagan, Christopher Davitt; Seán Walsh, Declan Breen, Barry O’Toole; Tommy Dwyer (0-2, 1 ’65, 1 free), Derek Thorpe; Peter O’Toole (0-1), Pádraig Walsh (0-1), P.J. O’Neill (0-4); Lee Quigley (0-1 free), Edward Walsh, Anthony Dwyer. Subs. - Brian O’Neill (Ferns) for B. O’Toole (16), Paddy O’Leary (0-2) for E. Walsh (HT), Páraic Kinsella for A. Dwyer (HT), Brian O’Neill (Clone) for P. Walsh, inj. (44), Jack O’Hagan for Davitt (51).
Referee: Eddie O’Sullivan (Kilanerin).