Premier SHC: Matthew Bradley scores two goals as Muskerry progress to divsions/colleges final with win over UCC
Muskerry midfielder Aidan Murphy about to take a shot in the Co-op SuperStores Premier SHC Divisions/Colleges semi-final against UCC at Dungourney. Picture: Larry Cummins
Muskerry will contest the final of the divisions and colleges section of the Co-op SuperStores Premier SHC after they held off UCC at Dungourney on Sunday afternoon.
Leading by two points at half-time, Muskerry buttressed that advantage with an unanswered 1-4 on the resumption and led throughout the remainder. However, when UCC – who shot 21 wides in all – clawed their way back to within two points after Mark O’Dwyer netted a 52nd-minute penalty – Muskerry needed to summon a strong response and they did.
Points from Shane Tarrant and two-goal hero Matthew Bradley helped to immediately nullify any momentum that the college side had gained and when James Dwyer landed his fifth point of the game, the quantative benefits of the goal had been wiped out too and they saw out the game.
Having not played competitively since beating Carbery in the first phase of the competition in June, Muskerry will be encouraged going into the final against Imokilly, though they will be underdogs in terms of reaching the quarter-finals of the championship proper.
With Muskerry out of action for so long and UCC fielding a side playing together for the first time, the expectation of an open game, not short on errors, would have been a safe one and that’s largely what transpired.
While UCC led early through Brian Keating, who impressed in the first half, Muskerry had moved in front before Eoin O’Shea set up Bradley for the first of his two goals. Though UCC failed to take full advantage of the wind at their backs, shooting four early wides, they were able to hit the front on 11 minutes as Shane Kingston won a good ball and fed Charlie Grainger, whose diagonal pass was perfect for O’Dwyer to slot home for a 1-3 to 1-2 advantage.
The sides were neck and neck for much of the rest of the half, though Muskerry did look to have a greater goal threat – Odhran O’Driscoll drew a good save from Dan Mulholland early on and O’Shea, whose driving runs were a great assert, was also denied by the goalkeeper before John Ahern and Seán Daly cleared the danger.
On 25, Tadhg O’Connell – wearing 13 but successfully relocated to the half-back line after Muskerry lost Fenton Denny and David O’Sullivan in the lead-up to the game – had Muskerry 1-7 to 1-6 in front and, though Eddie Stokes replied for UCC, a second Muskerry goal was in the offing.
Seán Joyce was the provider for another O’Shea surge and he laid off to Aidan Murphy, whose low shot to the net put them into a lead that would, ultimately, never be lost.
It was 2-8 to 1-9 at half-time and O’Shea (two) and Joyce extended the advantage before the latter turned over a UCC puckout, allowing Bradley to land his second goal.
Dwyer, effective throughout at centre-forward, put nine between the teams with his fourth point before UCC’s Daniel Healy, Pádraig Hynes and the industrious Grainger had scores to suggest that they were still in the game.
Unfortunately for them, the wides continued to come – though Muskerry were suffering from a similar affliction and Bradley could have had a third goal but for a superb Keating block.
UCC sub Donnacha Desmond had a great point to bring them back to within five, 3-13 to 2-14, when they were awarded a penalty as Kevin O’Reilly was fouled under a dropping ball.
O’Dwyer finished smartly to bring the deficit down to just two but they could not come closer.
Muskerry pushed on again and late points from David Kirwan and O’Shea had them six to the good and leaving UCC chasing something miraculous. A final ball goalward was claimed by Muskerry full-back Matt Brady, capping a fine display from him and leaving them looking ahead with hope to the decider.
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