The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Saints firepower sees them home
COUNTY SHC ROUND 2B
St Brendans 0-17 Abbeydorney 0-11
MORE inventive and productive, with a superior cutting edge in attack St Brendans progressed to the quarter finals of this year’s County Senior Hurling Championship at the expense of an Abbeydorney combination who, for periods, monopolised matters territorially, but couldn’t transfer that superiority into scores.
A final tally of fifteen wides sums up a performance which initially looked as if it might produce a match winning formula, but their inaccuracy from all angles and distances meant that they were always playing catch up from the end of the first quarter onwards.
St Brendans, by contrast, were more resourceful with more individual aces in attacking situations. It wasn’t entirely a vintage performance from them, but it was sufficient and, while O’Dorney were always within striking distance they needed a goal to lift their challenge, it rarely looked likely given the input and impact both individually and as a unit by St Brendans rearguard unit.
Boosted by the return of Michael O’Leary, Abbeydorney got to grips with the situation from the outset and were in front inside the opening minute of play courtesy of a Michael Slattery point from play.
They were two to the good (0-3 0-1) after just seven minutes and were playing with a lot of confidence with Brian O Leary prominent at wing-back. However, with Fionan Mackessy operating in a withdrawn role and getting his name on the score-sheet Brendans were level on three points apiece after thirteen minutes.
Deadlocked for the third time one minute later Brendans edged themselves in front (0-5 0-4) for the first time in the game at the end of the first quarter with a point from Tom Moloney, a score which initially wasn’t signalled by the umpires having it seemed come back into play via the upright.
However, after some deliberation the match referee adjudicated it to be a score, a decision which was disputed by the Abbeydorney goalkeeper who was shown a yellow card for his reaction.
With David Griffin providing the impetus with some surging runs Brendans registered three unanswered points to increase their advantage (0-8 0-4) by the twenty first minute, with John Egan scoring two in typical fashion.
However, with Brendan O’Leary providing a lot of leader- ship from the pivotal centre halfback berth O’Dorney kept pace with a Michael Slattery pointed free reducing the deficit to three points (0-10 0-7) at the half-time break, with seven different players having contributed to the St Brendans tally.
Similar to the first half Abbeydorney restarted with greater urgency with Michael O’Leary winning a lot of possession in midfield. However, it wasn’t reflected in the scoring stakes, which was due in part to Abbeydorney’s inability to combine effectively as a unit up front, the level of their inaccuracy in scoring situations and the defensive endeavours of St Brendans which produced a number of timely tackles, blocks and interceptions.
At the other end Brendans were a lot more economical and a point from Brendan O’Connor followed by a brace in quick succession from the impressive Cian Hussey meant they had opened up a pretty significant scoring gap (0-13 0-7) by the thirty ninth minute.
O’Dorney responded with points from PJ Keane and Stevie Sullivan and being just four points adrift (0-13 0-9) going into the fourth and final quarter they still retained a chance of salvaging the situation.
However, their spiralling tally of wides made it difficult for them and with Brendans having increased their lead to seven points (0-16 0-9) with six minutes of normal time remaining the end result had somewhat of an air of inevitability about it.
Michael O’Leary with his second point kept O Dorney’s fading hopes alive, but Brendans were never going to relinquish their advantage at that particular juncture with the win being sealed by a Fionan Mackessy point in the sixtieth minute.
A result which was generally predicted, and one, which revives their championship ambitions with a performance which won’t exactly make them a short odds bet for outright honours.
However, given the quality of the personnel at their disposal they are a team, who if playing to their full potential has the capability to go all the way.
ST BRENDANS: Darren Delaney, Killian Woulfe, Rory Horgan, Stephen Leen, Padraig Kearney (0-1), Kevin Hanafin, Kevin Orpen, Darren Dineen, Eric Leen, Cian Hussey (0-4), Tom Moloney (0-1), David Griffin, (0-2), Brendan O Connor (0-2), Fionan Mackessy (0-2), John Egan (0-5 0-2 frees) Subs: Michael Davis for P Kearney, Jerry Wallace for B O Connor, Daniel Finnegan for K Orpen ABBEYDORNEY: Brian O Donovan, Niall O Connell, Stephen Egan, Ronan Donovan, Kieran Dineen, Brendan O Leary, Brian O Leary, Michael O Leary (0-2), Stevie Sullivan (0-1), Niall Mahony, P.J. Keane (0-1), Aidan Healy (0-1), David Egan (0-1), James O Connor (0-1), Michael Slattery (0-4 0-1 free, 0-1 ‘65’) Subs: Michael Hannafin for N Mahony, Nigel Roche for A Healy
REFEREE: Jason Mullins (Limerick)