Premier SHC: Douglas prevail against Fr O'Neills to make it two from two

Douglas 1-16

Fr O’Neills 0-16

Douglas are within touching distance of the knockout stages of the Co-op SuperStores Cork Premier SHC after holding off Fr O’Neills at Páirc Uí Rinn on Saturday evening.

Leading by five points at half-time, 1-9 to 0-7, Douglas twice pushed ahead to lead by six in the second half a fightback from their Ballymacoda/Ladysbridge opponents made for a nervy ending.

When Douglas sub Mark Dolan got his second point for Douglas on 40, immediately followed by Alan Cadogan’s third, it was 1-13 to 0-10 and there was a sense that they would be able to hold off their opponents.

But O’Neills wouldn’t yield. Rob Cullinane saw a goal effort well blocked by Kevin McSweeney and, when play was brought for a free, Dalton went for goal too, Cillian O’Donovan getting the vital touch to deflect the ball over.

Dalton’s fifth point, from his own 65, left it 1-13 to 0-12, and though Cadogan’s fourth – after Shane Kingston had gone for goal from a free – gave breathing space, the men in red and green were building up a head of steam.

The indefatigable Kevin O’Sullivan scored one and set up another for Broderick while Dalton landed a pair of big frees from the left sideline, on each occasion after he himself had been fouled. The second of those had the margin down to just a single point with six minutes of normal time left but Douglas were able to settle.

Dolan, following great work by Cadogan, had his third and Cian Baldwin sent over another but they wasted chances too and there was still just a goal between the teams as injury time began. A scramble ensued from a long Paudie O’Sullivan free but nothing came of it and, unfortunately for O’Neills, another chance could not be engineered and Douglas held out.

The first half can essentially be distilled down to the fact that Douglas scored the only real goal opportunity while O’Neills were unusually wasteful with their opportunities for points. Those things combined for Douglas to take a 1-9 to 0-7 advantage in at half-time, having played with the substantial wind. The city side settled far better than their East Cork opponents, scoring the game’s opening five points inside 14 minutes, set on their way with early efforts from Alan Cadogan and Cillian O’Donovan.

Shane Kingston made it 0-3 to 0-0 on four minutes but thereafter O’Neills were well in the game, with brothers Mike and Ger Millerick carrying out good marking jobs on Cadogan and Kingston respectively. Dan Harrington was a towering figure at centre-back too but, as strong as their play was up to the Douglas 65, the end product was lacking.

After Brian Turnbull got Douglas’s fifth following great work from Conor Kingston and Brian Hartnett, Declan finally opened the O’Neills account. Further efforts from Mark O’Keeffe and Billy Dunne kept pace with Douglas and it was 0-7 to 0-3 after 21 minutes only for Douglas to strike a blow.

Cork U20 star Mark Howell, influential in defence for them, launched a long-range point attempt which looked to be creeping over but Paudie O’Sullivan was able to get his hurley to the ball and bring it down. Unfortunately for him, Hartnett was quickest to react, firing to the net and, though there was a question as to whether or not he had been in the square when the ball was played, the goal stood.

A 1-7 to 0-3 lead had the potential to grow but O’Neills were resolute from there to half-time, with Cillian Broderick, John Millerick and Kevin O’Sullivan scoring good points as they cut the gap to five.

Scorers for Douglas: A Cadogan 0-4, B Hartnett 1-1, S Kingston (0-1f), M Dolan 0-3 each, C Baldwin 0-2, C O’Donovan, C Kingston, B Turnbull 0-1.

Fr O’Neills: D Dalton 0-7 (0-6f), C Broderick, K O’Sullivan 0-3 each, M O’Keeffe, John Millerick, B Dunne 0-1 each.

DOUGLAS: D Maher; M Howell, B O’Neill, M Harrington; K McSweeney, D Murphy, S Donegan; C O’Donovan, S Moylan; C Kingston, B Turnbull, C Baldwin; A Cadogan, B Hartnett, S Kingston.

Subs: E Dolan for Harrington (35, injured), S Bourke for Turnbull (38), C Lucey for Donegan (44), C Lucas for Hartnett (54).

FR O’NEILLS: P O’Sullivan; G Millerick, E Motherway, M Millerick; T Millerick, D Harrington, M O’Keeffe; K O’Sullivan, Joe Millerick; R Cullinane, D Dalton, J Hankard; C Broderick, B Dunne, John Millerick.

Sub: L O’Driscoll for Cullinane (51).

Referee: M Maher (St Finbarr’s).