Tony Ryan reports
In this quarter-final Munster Intermediate club hurling championship game in Cusack Park, the teams were level on seven occasions in all and at 0-11 each for the final time in the 50th minute. Dunhill won the competitive battle between themselves and the Clare champions, Smith O Briens in the last fourteen minutes of the action to advance to the semi-final of the championship with a home venue to look forward to.
The Dunhill defence was magnificent in this final period of time with such as Davin Phelan, Walter Hally and Micheal Harney preventing certain scores while the heroes upfront at the death proved to be Darragh Murray who struck the lead score from a pass by sub Eoghan Casey and then Shane Casey sealed their place in the last four with a pointed ‘65’ in the fourth and final minute of added time.
Dunhill wore the Bunmahon jerseys as both clubs’ colours were very similar but it was Smith O Briens who got the better start with scores by Tommy Reddan(f) and wing forward Micheal O Shea in the 5th and 8th minutes respectively. Dunhill were very slow to settle and up to this point, their full-forward line didn’t see any sign of the ball in the early stages.
Earlier, Dunhill corner-forward Dylan Power was the victim of a nasty head tackle and amazingly, the lineman who was within covid distance of the incident didn’t call the referee’s attention. It was poor officiating at the very best.
The Clare champions could have been further ahead but for a couple of wides and before Dunhill eventually settled somewhat, they too were off target with efforts from Eamonn Murphy and Man of the Match Conor Quinn.
Dunhill hadn’t scored for the first thirteen minutes and then they scored 0-2 within a minute per Conor Quinn and the first of Shane Casey’s five pointed frees. At the other end of the field, Dunhill cornerback Johnathan Fenton made a timely hook on a potential score by Tommy Reddan and it was the Waterford champions who led going into the water break when Eamonn Murphy struck his first minor in the 17th minute, 0-3 to 0-2.
Murphy gave one of his best displays in a Dunhill jersey despite being targeted for a number of late tackles but his influence on proceedings lasted until the final whistle.
Dylan Power had not recovered sufficiently from the dangerous tackle to his head and he was replaced at the start of the second quarter by Mike Hally. Smith O' Briens had the better start to the second quarter with Tommy Reddan striking a left-sided free over the bar in the 19th minute and full-forward John Cusack regaining the Clare sides lead from play one minute later.
The see-saw nature of the half continued with Shane Casey(f) and Eamonn Murphy, both in the 23rd minute, edging the visitors back in front with the potential also of a goal from the latter’s effort. Mike Hally was also in on goal when the ref called the play back for a free to Dunhill and the teams were level for the fourth occasion in the 28th minute and Killaloe were ahead in the same minute after fine scores from play by midfielders Mark O Halloran and Micheal Ryan. 0-6 to 0-5.
Dunhill finished the first half the stronger, though, with Michael Murphy, who had a really good hard-working game overall and Shane Casey(f) giving Tom Casey’s charges the minimum of leads into the dressing rooms after 33 minutes of play.
Second Half
The second half was only three minutes old when the teams were level, yet again, for the fifth time. Tommy Reddan was the player to get Killaloe off to a flying start with a score from a free and one from play, Conor Quinn scored his second minor to level again in the 35th minute while Smith O Brien’s began to show flaws with their centre back Cathal Stritch striking wide and Tommy Redddan registering his first wide from a placed ball.
Eamonn Murphy was again targeted for foul play and Shane Casey pointed the resulting free, 0-9 to 0-8 in the 38th minute. Dunhill got the rub of the green one minute later when Conor Quinn was judged to have picked the sliotar of the ground but Tommy Reddan was again wide from the resulting free.
A yellow card was at last given for a hefty foul on Eamonn Murphy with Shane Casey punishing this latest indiscretion, 0-10 to 0-3 and 43 minutes on the clock. Though Marc O Halloran popped over his second score from midfield, a Ben Gallagher point had Dunhill 0-2 to the good heading for the second water break, 0-11 to 0-9.
Shortly into the final quarter, the teams were level for the final occasion when Tommy Reddan scored two out of three free attempts. The best hurling was reserved for this period of time with the play swinging from end to end. Both sets of defences were competent but Dunhill more so than their opposition.
Micheal O Shea picked out Eddie Burke for an attempted point from play but Dunhill’s full-back Davin Phelan affected a timely block down. Micheal Harney, whose clever distribution of the ball throughout started many a Dunhill scoring attempt, was wide in the 57th minute with an effort from a free inside his own ‘65’.
The game’s defining score came in the 58th minute when sub Eoghan Casey worked really hard to retain possession and then pass to midfielder Darragh Murray who dissected the posts from his left hand side, 0-12 to 0-11.
Defensive heroics by Davin Phelan, Walter Hally and Micheal Harney were sandwiched between costly wides by Marc O Halloran and Micheal O Shea for the home side. Four minutes of added time had been announced and in the last one of these, Shane Casey pointed a pressure ‘65’ and this eventually settled a very close contest between the teams.
That Dunhill won without playing to their best and without regulars, Cillian Bonner and Daryl Swift speaks volumes for their resolve and they can now look forward to a home venue for the semi-final on the weekend of the 11th /12th of December.
The winners’ defence was its strongest sector over the hour, they have work to do at midfield, while Eamonn Murphy, Shane Casey and Michael Murphy were the leaders up front.
Dunhill’s Top Three: Conor Quinn, Eamonn Murphy, Michael Murphy.
Smith O Brien’s Top Three: Tommy Reddan, Micheal Ryan, Cathal Stritch.
Man of the Match: Conor Quinn.
Number of Scorers: Dunhill: 6. Smith O Briens : 5.
Scores From Play: Dunhill: 0-7. Smith O Brien’s : 0-6.
Frees For: Dunhill: 12. Smith O Brien’s: 13.
Wides: Dunhill: 5. Smith O Brien’s: 7.
Score of the Match: Dunhill’s 58th-minute point was engineered by Eoghan Casey and executed by Darragh Murray.
Scorers:
Dunhill: Shane Casey 0-6(5f, 1’65’), Conor Quinn and Eamonn Murphy 0-2 each, Michael Murphy, Ben Gallagher and Darragh Murray 0-1 each.
Smith O Briens: Tommy Reddan 0-6(5f), Micheal Ryan 0-2, Marc O Halloran, Micheal O Shea and John Cusack 0-1 each.
Teams :
Dunhill: Donal Carey; Walter Hally, Davin Phelan, Johnathan Fenton; Sean McDonald, Micheal Harney, Conor Quinn; Darragh Murray, Cian Hally; Michael Murphy, Tomas Casey, Ben Gallagher; Dylan Power, Shane Casey, Eamonn Murphy. Subs: Mike Hally for Dylan Power(17, inj.), Eoghan Casey for Tomas Casey (inj, 28), Gearoid Murphy for Cian Hally(56).
Smith O Briens: Mark McInerney; David Gough, Cian Nolan, Mark Stritch; Dwayne Sheedy, Cathal Stritch, Eddie Burke; Micheal Ryan, Marc O Halloran; John Cusack, Micheal O Shea, Evan Connolly; Tommy Reddan, Micheal Gough, David O Shea. Subs: Kevin Walsh for Evan Connolly(41), Cian Moloney for Mark Stritch (64).
Referee: Kevin Jordan (Tipperary).
