Seandún hurlers impress with a 10-point victory over Muskerry
Shane Duggan on the ball for Seandún. Picture: Denis Boyle
Seandún 3-17 Muskerry 0-16
SEANDUN bridged a 62-year gap when they stunned Muskerry into submission in the Cork Senior hurling championship at Ballincollig on Wednesday night.
Muskerry were missing some key players from various clubs but take nothing away from Seandun they played some champagne hurling that made their hard-working coaching staff very proud from start to finish.
A lot of work went into Seandun over many months and manager Paul McCarthy and his backroom team were rewarded for their efforts in style.
It only took 30 seconds for Muskerry to get their scoring account up and running when Mark Verling drilled over a classy point. Credit to Seandun they responded in style and consecutive points from Michael Mullins and David O’Neill edged the city side ahead.
To be fair both sides were intent on playing free-flowing hurling but the free-taking of David O’Neill from the Mayfield club kept Seandun in front 0-4 to 0-2 in the 11th minute.
Muskerry were struggling to win possession but they missed a great opportunity to raise the opening green flag of the game.
A stunning solo run by Darragh Holmes saw him place a pinpoint pass to Mark Lucey but his ground stroke went wide of the left post.
It proved a six-point swing as the Muskerry defence was carved open on the Seandun’s next possession as former Cork Senior hurling star Cian McCarthy billowed the back of the net with a ferocious strike.
Leading 1-5 to 0-4 at the water-break Seandun were full value for their lead but it was Muskerry who drew first blood with a sublime sideline cut from Michael O’Riordan.
The water-break seemed to upset the Seandun rhythm as they squandered a good goal opportunity with Mark Verling dragging his shot wide of the post.
Cian McCarthy now playing his hurling with Passage West and he ended the Seandun drought with consecutive points as his side edged into a six-point lead.
It got worse for Muskerry two minutes from the interval when Nicky Kelly of Mayfield started a five-man move that ironically saw another Mayfield player Shane Duggan drill a clinical shot to the back of the net.
At the interval, Muskerry looked in deep trouble as they trailed 2-10 to 0-6 and they needed huge improvement to get back in the game.
The city division were first out of the blocks with a Shane Duggan point and the same player found the back of the net in the 33rd minute to chalk up his second green flag of the game.
Sadly the Mayfield player had to leave the field injured ten minutes into the half and despite the Muskerry substitute Matthew Bradley striking over consecutive points, they trailed 3-12 to 0-10 with 20 minutes remaining.
The Seandun scoring machine dried up but after an eight-minute drought and Nicky Kelly despite having a ferocious game took 48 minutes to register his first point.
In the closing minutes, it was a case of closing out the game for the city division side as this game was decided long before the final whistle.
S Duggan 2-1, D O’Neill 0-6 f, C McCarthy 1-2, M Mullins 0-3 D Malone 0-2, N Kelly, MJ Coffey, B Murphy 0-1 each.
M Bradley 0-3 f, B Keating 0-3, M Verling, K Murphy 0-2 each, S Burke, D Holmes, D Desmond, M O’Riordan, C O’Driscoll, M Lucey 0-1 each.
D Wyse (Mayfield); G Lehane (Mayfield), R Lynch (Mayfield); T Lawrence (Brian Dillons); R Harrington (Passage West), S O’Donovan (Mayfield), D Brosnan (Brian Dillons); K Ahern (Lough Rovers), D O’Neill (Mayfield); M Mullins (Whitechurch), D Malone (Mayfield), N Kelly (Mayfield); B Murphy (St Vincent’s), C McCarthy (Passage), S Duggan (Mayfield).
MJ Coffey (Mayfield) for S Duggan (inj 40). T O’Neill (Passage) for N Kelly (56), P Cumming (Lough Rovers) for C McCarthy (58), S Kelly (Mayfield) for D Malone (59).
D Desmond (Éire Óg); F Denny (Ballincollig), L Ryan (Inniscarra), S Healy (Donoghmore); S Healy (Donoghmore); E Maher (Dripsey), K Murphy (Ballinora); D Holmes (Ballinora), M Verling (Cloghduv), M Riordan (Dripsey); C O’Driscoll (Ballincollig), S Burke (Grenagh), M Lucey (Donoghmore).
Brian Keating (Ballincollig) for M Riordan (20), M Bradley (Aghabullogue) for A Murphy (inj 29), C O’Callaghan (Donoghmore) for M Bradley (inj 60).
Brian Murphy (Carrigtwohill).
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