Fr O'Neill's dynamic duo Dunne and Dalton delivered key scores all season

BILLY Dunne and his teammate Declan Dalton know exactly where the net is for Fr O’Neill’s.

At crucial stages of last weekend’s AIB Munster Club Intermediate Championship final Dunne and Dalton weren’t found wanting. They both buried the ball into the Ballysaggart net, and those green flags raised were the difference in the end to give the East Cork side the silverware.

“They really put it up to us, let me tell you they were tough and they really tested us today all over the field and they kind of set their stalls and they gave us a couple of belts and stuff. It was great from our lads the discipline they showed because we didn’t retaliate or anything and in fairness we drove it on from there.

“We were only two points up at half time and we had to re-group and we had a few words amongst ourselves in the dressing room. To be honest I thought that the first half was 50-50 and when I scored my goal it probably made a difference alright.

“To be honest it was kind of against the run of play and they went for being ahead to being behind with the goal and Paudie’s (McMahon) earlier two points.”

They could have had another goal but Dalton was denied from a free.

“Deccie really should have put it over the bar just before half time but anyone who knows Deccie knows that he always goes for the jugular the whole time and the block down gave them a lift and their supporters roared them on till half time.

“In the second half it was very early but I think Deccie’s goal was probably the turning point in the game at that stage it really kind of opened up a gap.

“I thought when we went ahead by four or five points, surely we will push it on from here, but the Bennetts make an awful difference and trying to handle them was a tough task in itself and they came right back into it.”

Even though Ballysaggart threw everything they had at O’Neill’s in the closing quarter of the game the O’Neill’s were fantastic and really stood firm.

“The boys were great and faced everything head on and the players coming on the likes of Jason Hankard, Liam O’Driscoll and Cillian Broderick made a huge difference, like any of those lads would start in any other team and at O’Neill’s this year is has gone very competitive and that is the sign of any great team.

“Our subs were vital and if you don’t have subs in any championship you are going nowhere and our subs coming in and contributing to the score board was vital.

“We are just so delighted to get over the line this is the icing on the cake really and hopefully now we can go another step further in the All-Ireland club championships.”