Murphy’s majors seal shield
UNDER-AGE GAA ROUND-UP Rathgarogue-Cushinstown hit Ballinastragh for six
RICHARD MURPHY was the four-goal hero as Rathgarogue-Cushinstown put in a splendid performance to take the New Ross Standard Under-14 hurling Division 3 shield in Monageer.
The talented corner-forward proved he had a real eye for goal, scoring the only major of the first-half before adding three more in the second to help his side past a hard-working, young Ballinastragh Gaels team.
For a lot of this game there was very little between the sides. It was a real battle in the middle third of the field where several players from both teams put in serious performances on a heavy but well-prepared pitch.
That said, arguably the best performers were in the Rathgarogue-Cushinstown full-back line.
The trio of Harry Kehoe, Luke O’Dwyer and Seán O’Neill were exceptional throughout, allowing only a special Cian Hughes major and a late Cillian Byrne penalty.
The Gorey District side actually got off to the quicker start and played some quality hurling in the process.
Eoghan Doyle did get Rathgar- ogue-Cushinstown off the mark with a ‘65 but it was followed by a brace from Seán Hughes, plus a tidy Micheál McGonigle score.
Murphy started the heroics by hauling in Gary Porter’s pass and drilling past Dylan Nash in the 20th minute. Porter added a score of his own moments later and it was enough to give his side a 1-2 to 0-3 interval lead.
After an even first-half, it was Rathgarogue-Cushinstown who staked their claim for victory after the break.
Diarmuid Somers floated in from distance in the 27th minute and mere seconds later Murphy pulled home his second from close range.
Mark Byrne did a lot of the hard work for his side’s third goal of the half but it was Murphy who got the final touch. Porter was involved in pretty much every goal his side scored and he was creator again when Byrne sent a rasping pull to the net (5-2 to 0-3).
Cian Hughes’ cracking goal with five minutes left was soon followed by a classy Cillian Byrne penalty, but any hopes of a dramatic comeback were ended when Murphy fittingly rounded out the victory with his fourth major.
Rathgarogue-Cushinstown: Shane Cullen; Harry Kehoe, Luke O’Dwyer, Seán O’Neill; Diarmuid Barry, Eoghan Doyle (capt., 0-1 ‘65), Seán Barry; James Quinn, Oisín Mac Eochaidh; Daniel Heaphy, Gary Porter (0-1), Diarmuid Somers (1-0); Richard Murphy (4-0), Mark Byrne (1-0), Seán O’Brien. Subs. - Oisín McAuliffe for Somers (60+1), also Oisín Brennan, Conor Kavanagh, Liam O’Neill, Dylan Moran, Peter McGrath, Jess Keavy, Shane Clifford, Shaun Hearne.
Ballinastragh Gaels: Dylan Nash; Kyle Kinsella, Conor Jones, James Higgins (capt.); Daniel Bolger, Cillian Byrne (1-0 pen.), Hugh Fahey; Cian Hughes (1-0), Simon Campbell-Carthy; Micheál McGonigle (0-1), Seán Hughes (0-2, 1 free), Brendan Bolger; Gearóid Boland, J.J. Harnett, Pádraig Jones. Subs. Oisín Byrne for Boland (30), Ben Rothwell for Harnett (40), Ultan O’Donovan for P. Jones (43), also Shane Kelly, Craig Grannell, David Neville.
Referee: John O’Loughlin (Monageer-Boolavogue).