Dunne penalty pushes Oulart towards ‘B’ semis
BILLY DUNNE drove home a 33rd-minute penalty which proved decisive as Oulart-The Ballagh went on to emerge with a hardearned five-point victory over a battling Rathgarogue-Cushinstown side in this Greenstar Under-21 hurling Premier ‘B’ championship quarter-final in Cushinstown on Monday of last week.
The goal edged the eventual winners into a three-point lead after the sides had been level at the break. It was an advantage that Oulart-The Ballagh were never subsequently to relinquish, with the losers’ goal coming in additional time, although they had missed out on a couple of giltedged goal opportunities earlier.
Oulart-The Ballagh had a dream start with a goal inside the opening minute from full-forward Murtha Doyle who finished a Robbie Dunne cross to the net from close range.
Two minutes later the home side opened their account through an Eric Cummins point, but with Billy Dunne firing over three points, one from a free, Oulart-The Ballagh edged clear by 1-3 to 0-2, with the second Rathgarogue Cushinstown point arriving courtesy of wing-forward Jason Dunne.
Oulart-The Ballagh led 1-7 to 0-5 by the end of the opening quarter, but Rathgarogue-Cushinstown took the initiative in a ten-minute spell in the lead up to half-time.
This resulted in fine points from Tadhg Cody, Daire Bolger, Eric Cummins and Evan Murphy which left the sides deadlocked (1-8 to 0-11) at the interval, with the fine accuracy of Bolger inspiring his team’s effort.
Within three minutes of the re-start following Oulart-The Ballagh pressure, Murtha Doyle was fouled as he broke in on goal, with Dunne slotting home the resulting penalty. With Dunne adding two further pointed frees, the eventual winners were now enjoying a period of dominance.
Credit to the home side though as they managed to withstand the pressure, responding with points from Paddy Murphy to leave just four (2-11 to 0-13) separating the sides at the end of the third quarter.
But when it looked as if the hosts had hauled themselves right back into contention, Oulart-The Ballagh struck for their third goal ten minutes from the end.
Billy Dunne sent a long ball inside the 20-metre line where Murtha Doyle collected to round his marker before firing low to the corner of the net, leaving his side leading by 3-11 to 0-13.
Jason Dunne and Billy Dunne went on to trade points, but it was only in additional time that the home side produced their goal, with substitute Jack McGrath connecting on a high Paddy Murphy free to the fringe of the square.
The ball nestled in the corner of the net, but the score arrived too late to alter the result, with the losers left to rue missed goal opportunities by Eric Cummins and Shane Delaney whose delayed shots were blocked and eventually cleared to safety.
Oulart-The Ballagh: Cathal Sinnott; Kevin Sinnott, Seán Murphy, Aidan Murphy; Conor Lawless, David Rossiter, Craig Davitt; Billy Dunne (18, 0-6 frees, 1-0 pen.), Cathal Kenny; Robbie Dunne, Darragh Nimmo, Barry Sinnott; Daryl Gray (0-2), Murtha Doyle (2-3), Jack Roche. Subs. - Bradley Collier (0-1) for Roche, Dylan O’Brien for R. Dunne.
Rathgarogue-Cushinstown: Thomas Murphy; Liam O’Shea, Ricky McGrath, Ian Kennedy; Peter Aspel, Bryan Cody, Paddy Barron; Tadhg Cody (0-1), Paddy Murphy (0-4, 3 frees); Daire Bolger (0-5, 2 frees, 1 ‘65), Evan Murphy (0-1), Jason Dunne (0-2); Aaron Ryan, Eric Cummins (0-2), Shane Delaney. Sub. - Jack McGrath (1-0) for E. Murphy.
Referee: John Tobin (Geraldine O’Hanrahans).