Five-star display from Millstreet’s Under-21 hurlers
Millstreet 5-23 Croke Rovers 3-13
MILLSTREET packed too much scoring power for Croke Rovers to record the most comfortable of wins in the Central Stores Duhallow U21HC played in Millstreet. The outcome was seldom in doubt once Millstreet got into their stride early in the contest, far stronger in most departments and their hurling possessed a greater fervour to it.
At times, the Castlemagner and Kilbrin combination delivered a decent account of themselves yet on this occasion, they can hardly complain on lacked a cutting edge. That contrasted to a more compact Millstreet outfit, a more direct hurling style that held a number of scoring aces with key men Thomas Walsh and Shane Hickey registering a whopping 5-15 tally between the pair.
From the outset, Millstreet controlled possession and Crokes were in a spin with Walsh showing his accuracy to point from all angles. Crokes hung in and availed of the solid workrate of Tuthail O’Brien, Ian O’Sullivan, Cillian Buttimer and Evan O’Sullivan to get back into the reckoning, their cause helped on a goal netted by Donal O’Mahony.
Still Millstreet remained the most dangerous looking outfit, midfielder Hickey pounced for a goal and a clear 1-15 to 1-6 advantage at the break. And from the restart, Millstreet moved forward with a menacing purpose as Walsh, Hickey and Neil Flahive popped over points.
The winners desire was typified by the industry of Tim Healy and Darren Kiely in defence, Flahive and Hickey mopped up possession at midfield with Walsh and Donal Sheehan impacting greatly in attack.
Indeed, Millstreet carved out the opening for Hickey and Walsh to add goals. Still Crokes signalled their intent on retrieving what looked a lost cause to respond with a brace of goals from full forward Evan Murphy with Buttimer and O’Sullivan adding points.
However Millstreet were quick to regain control, a capacity to deliver fast and more effective ball allowed Hickey complete a hat trick of goals. Their intensity never waned to pour forward at every opportunity and add to the tally where by the end of the hour, Crokes didn’t possess the necessary penetration to make the contest more interesting. MILLSTREET: C Crowley; A Murphy, D O’Donovan; T Healy, D Kiely 0-2, C O’Leary; N Flahive 0-4, S Hickey 3-2; T Walsh 2-12, P Dineen 0-1, D Sheehan 0-1; D O’Leary, E Barrett 0-1.
CROKE ROVERS: D Lucey; I O’Sullivan, D Murphy; G Lyons, T O’Brien, B Power 0-1; C Buttimer 0-2, M Buckley; J Corkery 0-1, E O’Sullivan 0-8, D O’Mahony 1-0; E Murphy 2-0, R O’Mahony 0-1. Subs: S Curtin.
REFEREE: E Walsh (Freemount)