Five wins from five for Spa

FIVE out of five for Spa in terms of County League wins but this was one of the stiffest tests their unbeaten start could have got in the form of Dingle as points from Evan Cronin and Mike ‘Stam’ O’Donoghue in seven additional minutes at the end gave them their victory. Although Dingle led by 0-3 to 0-2 early on, Spa would lead by 1-5 to 0-3 after the first quarter with a save by Gavin H Curran the Dingle goalkeeper leading to a ‘45’ Ryan O’Carroll converted, the start of a run of 1-4 without reply.

The goal came from Cronin right on the 15 minute mark as Dingle managed three points from Tomas Sheehy in going in trailing by 1-9 to 0-6 at half-time. It was Dingle’s turn then to hit 1-3 without reply at the start of the second period to level the game at 1-9 apiece, Gareth Hickey Brosnan the goalscorer as two Conor Geaney points and another Sheehy point had the match level. Geaney then hit a further three points in Dingle going ahead by 1-14 to 1-10. However Spa punished a careless pass out of the Dingle defence with Mike ‘Stam’ scoring their second goal and Michael McCarthy levelling the game up.

Geaney’s sixth point (five coming from frees) made it 1-15 to 1-14 entering injury time before Cronin and O’Donoghue made the most of the length of injury time in giving Spa their win. Spa host their Intermediate Championship conquerors Templenoe yet as Dingle remain with no points and really in need of something ahead of their trip to take on Glenbeigh/Glencar. DINGLE: Gavin H Curran (0-1, 1fr); Micheál Flannery, Tom Leo O’Sullivan, Mikey Boyle; Aidan O’Connor (0-1), Brian O’Connor, Breandán Kelliher (0-1); Eoin Murphy, Patrick O’Connor; Mikey Boland, Gareth Hickey Brosnan (1-0), Brian Devane, Tomás Sheehy (0-5); Conor Geaney (0-6, 5fr), Brian O’Connell (0-1). Subs: Ruadhán McCarthy and John B Brosnan

SPA: James Devane; Conor Stack, Dan O’Donoghue, Eric O’Donoghue; Shane Lynch, Eoin Fitzgerald, Eoin Cronin; Andrew Garnett, Michael O’Donoghue (1-3, 1fr); Niall McCarthy (0-2), Ryan O’Carroll (0-1), Michael McCarthy (0-2); David Spillane (0-2), Dara Moynihan (0-1), Evan Cronin (1-2). Subs used: Michael Shannon and Hugh O’Donoghue