Clinical Cullen blast past Lyre into Duhallow Junior A Football final

Cullen 4-13 Lyre 1-4 

A vastly-superior Cullen delivered a highly-impressive victory over Lyre to a one-sided Castlecor Potatoes Duhallow JAFC semi-final before a big attendance in Glantane.

The scoreline tells the tale to the superiority of the winners, Cullen controlled the game with a masterful performance, helped by excellent teamwork and well-taken scores. Not the best of outings for Lyre, never allowed to get any structure into their game, denied by the well-organised efforts of the opposition.

Rain descended early on and it took Cullen just a few minutes to adjust to the surroundings. However once they clicked into gear, Cullen signalled their intent to race into the lead from  a Luke Murphy goal.

That proved an ominous sign of things to come for Cullen dictated matters  through the solid play of Conor Hickey, Paul Fleming and Daire Twomey in defence; James O'Sullivan  and Colin Walsh commanded the centre with Murphy, Alan Regan and Gearóid Twomey thriving in the quality and the regularity of the ball received.

Though Alan Coughlan and Evan O’Brien opened Lyre’s account, more and more, it was Cullen that dictated the pace of the game highlighted on further goals from Murphy and Regan to surge ahead 3-7 to 0-2 at the interval.

Cullen took the liberty of introducing three substitutes at the interval and though Coughlan landed a pair of pointed frees for Lyre. In fairness to the outsiders, the play of Martin Kearney, Kevin Tarrant, Coughlan and Paudie Ryan attempted to rouse their colleagues and some old failings in terms of retaining the ball resurfaced and the initiative to last season’s runners-up.

Whatever chance, Lyre had of creating any degree of an impression evaporated when Jerry O’Connor blasted home Cullen’s fourth goal in the 40th min. Naturally, the contest fizzled out, Lyre rewarded with a goal blasted home by substitute Luke Philpott.

Clearly, Cullen are on a mission, seeking to erase the memory of a narrow defeat in the 2021 divisional final to eventual county champions Boherbue.

Scorers for Cullen: L Murphy 2-3, G Twomey 0-5 (0-2 f), A Regan 1-1 J O'Connor 1-1, C Walsh 0-2, M Twomey 0-1.

Lyre: L Philpott 1-0, A Coughlan 0-3 f, E O'Brien 0-1.

CULLEN: F O'Connor; C Hickey, S Fleming, M O'Riordan; P Fleming, D Twomey, C Moynihan; J O'Sullivan, C Walsh; C Kerins, L Murphy, P Murphy; J O'Connor, G Twomey, A Regan. 

Subs: D O'Riordan for L Murphy, D Murphy for C Kerins, F Cronin for P Fleming, B O'Connell for C Moynihan, M Twomey for A Regan.

LYRE: T Sheehan; C O'Keeffe, J McAulliffe, T McAulliffe; E O'Brien, C Coughlan, R O'Connell; C O'Keeffe, K Tarrant; C Crowley, M Kearney, A Coughlan; L O'Brien, P Ryan, B O'Keeffe. 

Subs: L Philpott for B O'Keeffe, D O'Donoughue for T McAulliffe, B Withers for L O'Brien, J Fogarty for C Crowley.

Referee: D O'Leary (Kiskeam)