Hollow record fine tally
HOLLOW ROVERS outlined their potential as serious score-getters when they dismantled Dunbrody Gaels by 3-19 to 1-13 in Tuesday’s Greenstar Under-20 hurling Division 2 championship semi-final in Coolree.
The prize for the Duffry Rovers/Marshalstown-Castledockrell combination is an intriguing county final against near neighbours HWH-Bunclody.
With the services of Liam Pender, Diarmuid Doyle and Cian Fitzhenry, Rovers were always going to be a difficult unit to keep quiet, and so it proved as that trio alone contributed an impressive 3-17 between them.
Doyle struck for two goals after the break, and Fitzhenry rounded off an eye-catching performance with an injury-time goal.
But perhaps even more crucial to their victory was their curbing of the influence of opposing dangermen Seán Nolan and Jamie Myler, who were limited to just a goal from play over the hour.
That said, the game was evenly-balanced in the early passages, as the accuracy of Jack Kehoe from frees and Fitzhenry and Colm Redmond from play had the sides level at 0-5 each by the eleventh minute.
Kehoe had added two more frees for the Gaels by the start of the second quarter, but the hosts started to open up some daylight with eight of the last nine points of the half to forge a useful 0-14 to 0-8 interval advantage, with all their scores in that period coming from either Doyle (two, one free), Pender (two frees, one ‘65) or Fitzhenry (three).
And when Doyle sped away with his searing pace before planting into the far top corner three minutes into the new half, the gap had swollen to 1-16 to 0-8.
Gaels’ struggles were summed up by the fact that they only scored once from play in the second period, with Seán Nolan pulling home a late consolation goal.
Meanwhile, Rovers finished at a canter as Doyle broke through again and stitched the net with venom, while Fitzhenry whacked home their third goal on the turn two minutes into injury-time.
Hollow Rovers: Mark Quigley; Ken Doyle, John Dunne, Jamie Roban; Alan Doyle, Mark Morris, Colm Redmond (0-1); Seamus Doyle, Michael Kinsella (0-1); Barry Doyle, Gavin Watchorn, Liam Pender (0-5, 4 frees, 1 ‘65); Tom Lambert, Diarmuid Doyle (2-7, 0-6 frees), Cian Fitzhenry (1-5). Subs. - Eric Nolan for Lambert (49), Michael Doyle for Roban (49), Jack Bates for A. Doyle (53), Conor Coleman for B. Doyle (54), Barry Redmond for S. Doyle (57).
Dunbrody Gaels: Nigel Dunne; John Chapman, Eamonn O’Sullivan, Dean Roberts; Danny Byrne, Darragh Lyons, David Murphy; Thomas Walsh (0-1), Jamie Myler (0-2 frees); Jack Kehoe (0-9, 7 frees, 1 ‘65), James Fitzgerald, Devin Walsh; Seán Hunt (0-1), Seán Nolan (1-0), James Walsh. Subs. - Robbie Delaney for J. Walsh (44), Conor Dalton for Hunt (44).
Referee: Martin Quigley (Rathnure).