Blackburne fires Saints into contention

St Dominics 1-6 Charleville 0-8

ST Dominics gave themselves a great chance of reaching final when they defeated Charleville in a vital game at Charleville on Wednesday evening.

As it stands Clyda Rovers are already through to the final with St Domini’s, Buttevant and Charleville still in with a chance of reaching the decider or forcing a play off pending results.

In this game on Wednesday evening St Dominic’s with the aid of the strong wind in the first half did very well. They started at a hectic pace with John O’Sullivan, Eric O’Donoghue, Dylan Connolly and Stephen Condon influential figures as they raced into a 0-4 to no score lead by the eighth minute.

Charleville found scores hard to come by in this half and had to wait still the 17th minute to register their first score when Darren Butler and Aaron O’Connor combined well to set up James Kennedy for a point.

Darren Butler reduced the margin to two points three minutes later. Just when Charleville looked right back in the tie it was the Glanworth/Shanballymore combination that rallied once again before the half time whistle.

In the 27th minute wing back Edmond Roche got in on the scoring with a point. From the resultant kick-out St Dominics struck for the only goal of the game with John O’Sullivan setting up Jack Blackburne who netted and it helped them to a 1-5 to 0-2 lead.

On the changeover the winners finished where they left off late in the opening half with Jessie Walsh setting up D.J O’Flynn for a point in what proved to be their only score in this half.

Aided by the strong wind it was Charleville’s turn to work the elements in their favour. They surged forward at every given opportunity that yielded some well taken points by Darren Butler (4) Aaron O’Connor and substitute Ciaran Carey that reduced the margin to the minimum by the 56th minute.

In a close finish Charleville searched for the equalising score, but it was St Dominics that worked the short passing to great effect and they curtailed the Charleville attack from getting the levelling score.

In the end St Dominics held on for a close but deserved victory. ST DOMINICS: C Murphy, P Kiely, C Dennehy, D Mullins, D Connolly, D Curran, E Roche 0-1, E O’Donoghue, M Blackburne, J Walsh, J O’Sullivan 0-3f, J Fitzgibbon, S Condon 0-1, J Blackburne 1-0, DJ O’Flynn 0-1 Subs: J Fogarty for P Kiely, J Coughlan for J Walsh, J Walsh for D Mullins (inj) CHARLEVILLE: J Smith, K Cagney, J Doyle, C Collins, C Sheehan, J Barry, C O’Carroll, F Cagney, J Meade, T Hawe, C Buckley, S Buckley, A O’Connor 0-1, D Butler 0-5 (0-4f) J Kennedy 0-1 Sub: C Carey 0-1 for C Buckley

REFEREE: Brendan O’Regan (Doneraile)