Counsel too good in derby
O’Sullivan grabs vital goal
GOOD COUNSEL 1-13 ST. PETER’S 0-9 A COLMAN O’Sullivan goal midway through the opening period fired Good Counsel to an eventual comfortable seven-point victory over St. Peter’s in this Top Oil Leinster Post-Primary Schools Juvenile hurling semi-final in Taghmon on Friday.
The New Ross college always seemed the more motivated side as they dominated this game for lengthy periods, and with a little more accuracy their winning margin could have been greater.
This was in stark contrast to their opponents who struggled in attack, particularly in the full-forward line, being unable to create the goal they so badly needed to seriously test their opponents.
In the opening quarter Good Counsel gradually edged in front after Colman O’Sullivan and Liam Cassin had exchanged opening points.
Good Counsel followed with three unanswered points from Jack Mullally, Conor Foley and Eoin Lennon as they began to assert their authority on the game, leading by 0-4 to 0-1 after twelve minutes.
St. Peter’s strove to build attacks of their own, getting some reward when wing-forward Aidan Murphy pointed to reduce the deficit.
But then came the goal after 16 minutes when Colman O’Sullivan created space to the right of the posts before sending a low shot across ’keeper Cian Byrne into the opposite corner of the net.
They went on to add three further points through Mullally, Jack Redmond and a fine O’Sullivan effort from way out on the wing, while Peter’s could only manage two further points before the break from Paul Hearne frees to leave the eventual winners leading by 1-7 to 0-4 at the interval.
Good Counsel just kept the pressure on the opposition on the resumption as they added three quick-fire points through Cian Byrne, Luke Byrne-Doyle and Eoin Lennon to stretch into a 1-10 to 0-4 lead.
St. Peter’s had to wait until the 42nd minute for their opening second-half score, a Paul Hearne pointed free. When Hearne followed almost immediately with a further pointed free a St. Peter’s fightback looked possible, but this was not to be as Good Counsel quickly re-asserted control, adding two points apiece through Cian Byrne and O’Sullivan to run out the most comfortable of winners.
Good Counsel: Michael Kirwan; Eoin O’Brien, Simon Kennedy, Barry Hassey; Cathal Cummins, Emmet Cullen, Rory Flanagan; Eoin Lennon (0-2), Luke Byrne-Doyle (0-1); Colman O’Sullivan (1-4), Jamie Power, Cian Byrne (0-3, 1 free); Conor Foley (0-1), Jack Mullally (0-2), Jack Redmond (01). Subs. - Killian Griffin for Redmond, Donal Murphy for Mullally, Billy Reid for Power.
St. Peter’s: Cian Byrne; Jack Redmond, Kealan Fikentscher, James Berry; Conor Roche, Justin Moran, Alex Boggan; Luke Kavanagh, Diarmuid O’Leary; Aidan Murphy (0-1), Liam Cassin (0-2), Tiarnan Malone; Brian Og Curran, Paul Hearne (0-6 frees), Cillian Byrne. Subs. - Loughlin McCormack for Curran, Bertie Finn for Byrne.
Referee: John McCormack (Kilkenny).