Bishopstown fend off a battling Duhallow to set up date with Newtown

from play to reduce the deficit 0-8 to 0-5.

Though losing Michael Vaughan and Garret Linehan to injury, Duhallow restarted the second half with renewed vigour, another brace of Hannon points had the deficit down to the minimum. And an exchange of further points to Murray and Kevin Tarrant left the issue wide open.

Now hurling with purpose, Duhallow gathered confidence from the strong presence of Brendan O’Sullivan, William Egan and young Jack Murphy. The move of Lorcan McLoughlin, carrying an injury into the game, to full forward created an impression as did the play of substitute Seán Howard.

A Hannon pointed free gathered parity only for Cronin to nose the city boys ahead again. Bishopstown read the potential danger in the Duhallow attack and switched former inter county player Shane O’Neill to stem the danger of McLoughlin.

Still Duhallow plugged away, the impressive Howard bisected the uprights three times to answer Bishopstown points from Cronin, Tomás Murray and Michael Power for stalemate for the fifth occasion 0-12 apiece with 47 minutes elapsed on the clock.

Just when it seemed the momentum was with Duhallow, Bishopstown kept their heads, their assault on the win typified from a marvellous point by Cronin out on the right wing with Conor Luttrell adding another white flag.

Not an afternoon for the faint-hearted, Bishopstown free-taker Murray held his cool despite a lightning flash and loud thunder to despatch a placed ball between the uprights. Wasteful shooting limited a potential Duhallow comeback on a series of misdirected wides recorded.

At the opposite end, Murray added another free as Duhallow hung in, on trailing by four, Egan elected to point a close in free. And while Duhallow battled gamely right to the end in search of an equalising goal, their efforts failed to prevail on a disappointing outcome.