Premier SHC: Early goals put Imokilly in control against UCC
Imokilly's Jack Leahy crashes the ball to the UCC net despite the efforts of Chris Delaney during their Divisions/Colleges Premier SHC clash at Midleton. Picture: David Keane.
While a good deal of the personnel may have changed, Imokilly showed they remain the hurling standard-bears among the colleges and divisions of Cork with a 19-point win over UCC in Midleton on Wednesday night.
Featuring just five of the same starters from the team that had lost to St Finbarr’s in last year’s Co-op SuperStores Premier SHC – a number of players have retired, while others, like Séamus Harnedy, were unavailable – the east Cork divisional side were against the stiff breeze in the first half but were more clinical in front of goal.
A 2-11 to 0-12 half-time lead – green flags from Dungourney duo Cillian O’Callaghan and Jack Leahy, exorcising some of the ghosts of the defeat to Cloyne at the same venue on Sunday evening – gave them a platform on which they built in the second period.
Some excellent long-range shooting from the side now under the charge of Ronan Dwane and Seánie O’Farrell saw them add six unanswered points on the resumption and O’Callaghan’s second goal extinguished any doubts about the outcome. They will now await the winners of Sunday’s clash between Muskerry and Seandún before playing off for a place in the championship proper.
They will benefit from the opportunity to integrate further, but the raw materials are strong. Leahy’s goal, set up by his clubmate, put them in a 1-1 to 0-2 lead in the sixth minute and while points fom Fionn Desmond and Liam O’Riordan (two) did help UCC back to parity in the wake of that, Imokilly led thereafter.
They had a second goal on 17 minutes as O’Callaghan latched on to a dropping ball before finishing well for a 2-5 to 0-7 lead. While Cork’s Hugh O’Connor led the UCC attacking charge and James Dywer had two good long-range points, they needed a goal in the first half and twice were unlucky. First, Imokilly goalkeeper Eoin Davis did well to intercept a Luke Murphy pass intended for O’Connor and then Murphy himself had a shot saved by Davis coming up to the break.
Such was the strength of the breeze, Davis actually sent a puckout wide early in the second half but it was a rare shot off-target – impressive wing-back Adam Sherlock slung over two from distance while James Murray and Mike Kelly combined well in midfield.
It was 2-16 to 0-12 when Jack Leahy did well to claim a delivery and eschewed an easy point – while UCC goalkeeper Fionn O’Brien made a good save, O’Callaghan was there to poke home the loose ball. Coming up to the three-quarter mark, O’Callaghan repaid the favour – having shown good strength from Will Leahy’s delivery, he laid off to Jack Leahy for a smart finish and a 4-19 to 0-13 advantage.
From there, the only question was the size of the winning margin, though O’Connor, who finished with nine, did his best to stem the deficit from the UCC point of view.
Subs Mark McCarthy and Darragh O’Brien had late points to bring the total number of scorers for Imokilly to 11.
J Leahy 2-7 (0-3f), C O’Callaghan 2-1, M Kelly 0-4, A Sherlock, J Casey, W Leahy, D Healy, C Cahill 0-2 each, J Murray, M McCarthy, E Davis (0-1f), D O’Brien 0-1 each.
H O’Connor 0-9 (0-4f), J Dwyer 0-3 (0-1 65), L O’Riordan, P O’Callaghan 0-2 each, F Desmond, L Murphy 0-1 each.
E Davis (St Catherine’s); F O’Connell (St Catherine’s), E O’Riordan (St Catherine’s), C Martin (Castlemartyr); A Sherlock (Cloyne), C O’Brien (St Ita’s), J Casey (Youghal); J Murray (Youghal), M Kelly (Castlemartyr); W Leahy (Aghada), D Healy (Lisgoold), C Cahill (Cloyne); S O’Donoghue (St Catherine’s), C O’Callaghan (Dungourney), J Leahy (Dungourney).
D O’Brien (St Ita’s) for Leahy (44), L Duggan Murray (Russell Rovers) for Cahill (46), A Lynch (Cobh) for O’Donoghue (48), M McCarthy (Aghada) for Murray, M O’Dwyer (Russell Rovers) for Leahy (both 52).
F O’Brien (Bruree, Limerick); C Delaney (Ballyragget, Kilkenny), K Lyons (Ballygarvan), K Beechinor (Éire Óg); J Dwyer (Ballincollig), E Guinane (Valley Rovers), S Kingston (Ballinora); M Woods (Valley Rovers), F Desmond (Ballymartle); L O’Riordan (Ballyskenagh-Knockavilla, Offaly); H O’Connor (Newmarket), P O’Callaghan (Clonad, Laois); N O’Shea (Windgap, Kilkenny), L Murphy (Barryroe), M Murphy (Kinsale).
S Lawton (Dunnamaggin, Kilkenny) for O’Shea (half-time), J Rafferty (Liscarrol-Churchtown Gaels) for M Murphy (48), N Flanagan (Killanena, Clare) for L Murphy, O O’Connell (Nemo Rangers) for O’Riordan (both 54).
M Maher (St Finbarr’s).
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