Goals in either half from Brian Cunningham and Eddie Barrett gave De La Salle a 2-20 to 0-14 win over Tallow at Fraher Field on Sunday.
The Gracedieu side blitzed their opponents 1-13 to 0-4 in the second half. Reuben Halloran hit eight points (six frees), Barrett scored 1-2 from midfield while county man Jack Fagan and substitute Cormac McCann got two points. Jake Dillon returned from injury with a late white flag.
"It's a big win for that group considering the way we were last year in relegation," remarked manager Ian Flynn. "It's a massive lift for the boys."
Tommy Ryan totalled ten points (four from play) for Tallow including seven in the first half. The Western side didn't score from play in the second period however.
The teams were level five times in the first half. De La Salle raced five points up inside two minutes. Cunningham goaled when Eddie Meaney intercepted a Tallow puckout. Ryan rallied Tallow and they were back on level terms by the eighth minute. Mark Stewart sent over two first half efforts for the Bridesiders. Halloran accounted for four points for Salle as they went in deadlocked at the break (1-7 to 0-10).
Flynn's charges took over in the third quarter with nine wind assisted points into the country end. Halloran added four more including one from his own 65. Fagan, McCann and Cunningham also worked the umpires. Barrett found the far corner of the Tallow net with five minutes left.
Scorers for De La Salle: Reuben Halloran 0-8 (6fs), Eddie Barrett 1-2, Brian Cunningham 1-1, Cormac McCann, Eoin Madigan (1f), Jack Fagan 0-2 each, Jake Dillon, Tom Moran, Thomas Douglas 0-1 each.
Scorers for Tallow: Tommy Ryan 0-10 (5fs, 1 65), Mark Stewart 0-2, Kieran Geary, Ryan Grey (f) 0-1 each.
De La Salle: Shaun O'Brien; Lee Wall, Adam Farrell, Darren Kenneally; Eoin Madigan, Shane McNulty, Tom Moran; Eddie Barrett, Kevin Moran; Jack Fagan, Sam Flynn, Thomas Douglas; Brian Cunningham, Reuben Halloran, Eddie Meaney.
Subs: Cormac McCann for Flynn (27), Aiden Gannon for Cunningham (55), Jake Dillon for Fagan (56), Dean Twomey for Douglas (58), Colm Morris for Meaney (58).
Tallow: Dean Beecher; Eoin McGrath, Mark O'Brien, Kenneth Kearney; Tommy Daly, Robbie Geary, Jake Beecher; Jordan Henley, Kieran Geary; Darragh Mulcahy, Ryan Grey, Ian Beecher; Darah Buckley, Tommy Ryan, Mark Stewart.
Subs: Shane Martin for Stewart (51), Eoin Condon for Buckley (51).
Referee: Anthony Fitzgerald
