1-13 0-10
IT was a winning start to the Dacia Cars Senior Hurling Championship for St. Patrick’s as they bested Éire Óg in Bray on Monday evening.
As always, Andy O’Brien was a key figure for Pat’s and the sharp-shooter bagged the contest’s only goal and it arrived at a crucial time.
It was a two-point game when O’Brien blasted to the net 12 minutes into the second period and Pat’s were never going to let the lead slip after that against a Greystones side that played the closing 10 minutes with 14 men following Andrew Walsh’s dismissal.
The contest is probably best described as tepid, neither side showed their full hands but Pat’s will be delighted to have earned a winning start without having to be at their best.
Éire Óg didn’t register their first score until the 15th minute when Anto Byrne won a free that James ‘Pooch’ Cranley converted.
Pat’s had two points on the board by that stage - an Andy O’Brien free and an effort from play for Chris Kavanagh - both inside the opening three minutes.
A tactic Éire Óg frequented in the early stages was the long, high ball in on top of Andrew Walsh but Pat’s dealt with it well in the most part. Full-back Gerry Connors did pick up a caution from John Keenan though after a bit of afters following one such excursion.
Patrick Murphy had a sniff of goal when Andy O’Brien’s free was beaten away to the half-forward but Dan O’Neill denied him.
Some neat play from Andrew Walsh almost saw him lay on a goal for a team-mate but he couldn’t quite grasp the sliotar and the goal chance - and Walsh’s hopes for an assist - were gone.
Éire Óg levelled through Cranley on 19 minutes and but that would be the last time the sides were all square and Pat’s had pulled three points clear by the interval.
Pat’s remained on the pitch at the break whilst Éire Óg retreated to the changing rooms where they remained camped for as long as John Keenan’s patience would allow them but the mind games did not work.
Keenan was kept busy in the early stages of the first period. He booked Ricky Quinn after 30 seconds and then Andrew Walsh collected his first yellow for an off-the-ball incident with George O’Brien Jr.
Four minutes later, O’Brien Jr. also made an appearance in Keenan’s notebook after pulling his hurl across Walsh’s chest. Revenge is a dish best served with a hurl it would seem.
Anto Byrne reduced the gap to two points and Éire Óg had a chance to cut it to the minimum when Byrne found Andrew Walsh who might have pointed instead tried to set up a goal chance for Michael Walsh.
Unfortunately for the latter
John Dee O’Brien; Dale Quinn, Gerry Connors, George O’Brien Jr.; Eddie Kelly, Andy O’Brien, Shane Doyle; Christy Moorehouse, James Byrne; Chris Kavanagh, Ricky Quinn, Patrick Murphy; George O’Brien, James O’Brien, James Bonner O’Brien.
Dan O’Neill; Kristin Flynn, Billy Cuddihy, Daniel O’Connor; Shaun Hughes, Peter Keane, Eoghan Potts; Brian Lawless, Sean Lawless; Michael Walsh, Anthony Byrne, Leon Browne; Danny Nolan, Andrew Walsh, James Cranley.
Éire Óg: Referee: Venue:
John Keenan. Old Conna, Bray.