Dungourney cruise to victory over Lisgoold to keep PIHC hopes alive
James O'Driscoll, Lisgoold battles with James McCarthy, Dungourney during their Cork PIHC clash last year. Picture: Larry Cummins
A six-point win for Dungourney, but a margin that could and should have been far, far greater on Saturday evening.
Nonetheless, with how their first round defeat ended to Cloyne, they’ll gladly take the two points that keep their championship alive.
Lisgoold by contrast, will be bitterly disappointed. It’s all on their round 3 clash with Cloyne, and if Saturday’s performance is anything to go by, they’ll be under the cosh.
Lisgoold were far too lethargic across the hour, only reducing the deficit to a respectable number after Dungourney’s influence faded. At no point did this contest catch fire.
A strong start to the second-half – seven of the first nine points for Dungourney – ensured there was only going to be one winner in this Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship clash, but the eventual winners will be disappointed to have seen their lead shrink from a game high of 11 down to six by the finish.
Wides plagued both teams – Lisgoold had 16 while Dungourney had 12 – but it was that third quarter run where Dungourney made their chances count, that put daylight between the teams.
The margin was six at the break, 1-8 to 0-5, and Dungourney opened with three on the trot. James O’Leary answered with a Lisgoold free after Liam O’Shea was withdrawn at the interval, but Kelvin Cody Byrne and Jack Leahy responded to leave the margin at 10.
By the 45th minute their lead was 11, though Lisgoold would with finish with seven of the next nine, Diarmuid Healy scoring twice while O’Leary continued to slot over placed balls.
The strong finish could yet benefit Lisgoold, just as easily as it could prove costly for Dungourney. They at least shook off the sense of déjà vu from the first half.
The eventual winners had plenty of chances, a Cillian O’Callaghan goal and a lead they weren’t forced to work all that hard for. But again, their wide count left a lot of questions to be answered. The 11 point total they put up equalled their wide count at the break – while Lisgoold had nine wides and only five points.
Only one of those five points came in the first 22 minutes, a free from O’Shea, while Dungourney had put up 1-6 at that stage, enjoying the influence of Niall Motherway as a sweeper.
Jack Leahy started well and scored their first four points – two of which came from play – while the goal was well taken by O’Callaghan, who weaved his way around the Lisgoold defence to bury into the corner and put them 1-4 to 0-1 clear after 20 minutes.
Jack Griffin added one from distance, while Cody Byrne and Shane Hegarty worked it to Leahy for the next point.
But, as Dungourney racked up the wides, Lisgoold worked their way back. Three points unanswered left five in it, but Leahy frees gave Dungourney the six-point buffer at the break.
Dungourney would wrangle clear on the restart though, leaving their opponents chasing shadows for much of the third quarter.
J Leahy 0-9 (0-4 f), C O’Callaghan 1-2, J Griffin, D Healy, K Cody Byrne, N McGrath, John Ahern, F Daly 0-1 each.
J O’Leary 0-5 (0-3 f, 0-2 65), D Healy 0-3, J Cronin 0-2, J Coleman, D O’Brien, J Wright (f), L O’Shea (f) 0-1 each.
P Flynn; C Morgan, M McGrath, R Harney; N Motherway; D Healy, J Griffin, M Leahy; K Cody Byrne, S Hegarty; N McGrath, John Ahern, J Leahy; James Ahern, C O’Callaghan.
F Daly for James Ahern (HT), C Ryan for Griffin (60+1-FT temp), C Murphy for O’Callaghan (60+1).
J Wright; C Scannell, C Cashman; J Cronin; I Walsh, C Healy, M Hegarty; J O’Leary, M O’Sullivan; D O’Brien, J Cashman, L O’Shea; K Cashman, D Healy, J O’Driscoll.
J Ryan for O’Shea (HT), C Hallihan for J Cashman (35), J Coleman for K Cashman (46), K Walsh for O’Driscoll (60+2).
W Wallis (Aghada)
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