Duhallow hurlers too strong for Courcey U-21s
Duhallow 4-18 Courcey Rovers 3-11
A strong Duhallow showing helped better Courcey Rovers in an entertaining County Premier U21 Hurling Championship opening round at Coachford on Tuesday.
The divisional side emerged full value for the win as they played the more compelling hurling through the hour and their ability to score goals at the most opportune times proverde pivotal.
Little separated the teams early on, the sides all square on four occasions before Duhallow broke the deadlock in the 13th min., ‘keeper Barry Kenneally found Tomás Howard and a probing delivery found Jack Murphy to net.
Courceys replied smartly for Seán Twomey to pounce for a goal. Still Duhallow held the upperhand and dictated the play through the encouragement of Matt O’Sullivan, Paul Walsh, Seán Howard, Conor O’Keeffe and Murphy.
Points from the Howard brothers and Jack Guiney helped Duhallow shade the outcome 1-11 to 1-8 at the break.
And an explosive start to the second spell saw goals added to the scoreboard, initially a great centre by Liam O’Keeffe allowed namesake Conor O’Keeffe find the net for Duhallow.
However Courceys remained a threat, Lordan, Tadgh O’Sullivan , James O’Neill and the alert Twomey pounced for two goals to complete his hat trick That left just a single point between the sides yet the Duhallow response was both positive and effective.
A fine individual goal and second strike from Conor O’Keeffe gave the divisional side some breathing space before Liam O’Keeffe added another major at the three quarter stage. That gave Duhallow a sufficient cushion and they duly kept their opponents at arms length for the remainder of the contest.
DUHALLOW: B Kenneally (Kanturk); C Coughln (Banteer), J Hayes (Robert Emmets), C Buttimer (Croke Rovers); M O’Sullivan (Croke Rovers), P Walsh (Kanturk), C O’Callaghan (Dromtariffe); S Howard (Dromtariffe) 0-9 (0-6f), J Guiney (Robert Emmets); C O’Keeffe (Robert Emmets) 2-0, J Murphy (Dromtariffe) 1-1, R Walsh (Kanturk) 0-2; T Howard (Dromtariffe) 0-3, L O’Keeffe (Kanturk) 1-1, T Murphy (Croke Rovers).
COURCEY ROVERS: T Keating; K Collins, B O’Donovan, B Mulcahy; M Dorman, D Coughlan, F Lordan 0-3 (0-2f, 0-1’65); T O’Sullivan 0-5 (0-3f), M Collins; B Ryan, C Maguire 0-1, R Sweetnam 0-1; J McCarthy 0-1, J O’Neill, S Twomey 3-0.
REFEREE: G Aherne (Canovee)