Dripsey bow out to Douglas

Douglas 3-17 Dripsey 2-13

BIDDING to string a couple of championship wins together for the first time since 2015 after accounting for Na Piarsaigh last time out, Dripsey must have fancied their chances of advancing in a county IHC round 3 clash with Douglas in Páirc Uí Rinn last Saturday.

They found the city club’s second team just a little too hot to handle, however, and they could have no complaints after they finished the match five points in arrears.

In a mediocre contest, the essential difference between the protagonists was that Douglas carried a more widespread threat in attack where Dylan Murphy, Conor Russell, James Moylan and Mark Dolan all made noteworthy contributions.

Dripsey, for their part, relied primarily on Michael O’Riordan’s free-taking expertise for penetration, although Eoghan Maher notched 1-2 from play and late substitute Eoin O’Connell chipped in with a point.

O’Riordan, who gave his all at centre-forward, posted a brace of points from play as well, while Mark O’Sullivan grabbed Dripsey’s first goal after expertly plucking a John O’Riordan delivery from the clouds in the eighth minute. That made it 1-1 to 0-3, leaving Dripsey flatteringly in front after poor shooting had limited the winners’ progress early on.

In fairness, Dripsey showed steady improvement after that, but they fell behind again, 1-5 to 1-3, in the 26th minute when Mark Dolan completed a slick Douglas raid with a well-taken goal.

Eoghan Maher quickly replied with a point for Dripsey, but they were rather harshly treated two minutes later when Mark O’Sullivan appeared to be fouled after making another great catch at full-forward.

The referee awarded a free out, however, and the resultant counter-attack led to Mark Dolan converting a placed ball for Douglas. It amounted to a two-point turnaround, which meant that Dripsey had reason to feel a little aggrieved after they went in at halftime 1-8 to 1-5 in arrears.

O’Sullivan obviously had the potential to pose problems for Douglas under the high ball, but it wasn’t delivered into the danger-zone often enough, and his input was minimal in the second half.

For all that, Dripsey gave as good as they got in the third quarter when John O’Riordan and John Carey kept their end up well in the half back line, and Shane O’Riordan also resisted stoutly at full back.

They gained parity after Michael O’Riordan completed a hat-trick of points with a fine effort from play in the 38th minute, and the sides remained deadlocked after Eoghan Maher made it 1-9 apiece three minutes later.

The main turning-point arrived in the 43rd minute, however, when Conor Russell fired in a goal for Douglas, to which Dylan Murphy and James Moylan added points in rapid succession.

In light of their limitations in attack, it was always going to be difficult for Dripsey to erase the five-point deficit in the last quarter, and, in truth, their hopes remained shrouded in futility on the run-in.

To their credit, they never gave up the fight, and Eoghan Maher rekindled their aspirations with a goal that left them trailing by 2-16 to 2-13 in the final minute of regulation time.

Any lingering doubts about the outcome were firmly dispelled, however, when Dylan Murphy, who finished with a personal tally of 1-5 from play, rattled the net at the other end seconds later.

The prize for Douglas is a quarter-final showdown with another Mid-Cork side Aghabullogue in Ballincollig on Saturday, while Dripsey – involved in a relegation play-off for the last three seasons having contested a county final against Charleville in 2015 – must come to terms with the fact that their fortunes didn’t take a significant turn for the better in this campaign.

DOUGLAS: A Cullinane: S O’Donoghue, R Keating, D Sheehan; J O’Mahony, B Collins, L Dineen (0-1); D Hanrahan, K Doyle; B O’Connor (0-1), D Murphy (1-5), M Dolan (1-4, 4f); A O’Connell (0-1), J Moylan (0-3), C Russell (1-2) Subs: B Hartnett for Keating (injured), 15, B O’Neill for O’Connor, 41.

DRIPSEY: D O’Riordan; D Buckley, S O’Riordan, B Kelleher; Dean O’Sullivan; J O’Riordan, J Carey; A Murray, David O’Sullivan; M O’Connell, M O’Riordan (0-10, 7f 1 ‘65), S Murphy; E Maher (1-2), M O’Sullivan (1-0), K Kelleher Subs: J Buckley for Murphy, 41, E O’Connell (0-1) for O’Connell, 53

REFEREE: M O’Mahony (Kilbrittain)