ADULT HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION ONE ROUND-UP: JULY 2-3
ADULT HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION ONE ROUND-UP: JULY 2-3
By Daire Walsh
Kilmacud Crokes moved to the summit of the Go Ahead Adult Hurling League Division One South table with a convincing 2-20 to 0-12 triumph against Ballinteer St John’s at Marley Park on Saturday evening.
3-19 to 0-13 winners at the expense of Faughs at Silver Park in the opening round of the new top-tier season a fortnight earlier, the Stillorgan outfit preserved their 100% record in consummate fashion.
The postponement of the clash between Ballyboden St Enda’s and Faughs to this Thursday – due to the recent passing of ‘Boden club stalwart Noel Madden, father of Dublin defender James – means they have a game more played than two of the six teams in the division, but there is ample reason for Crokes to feel satisfied about their start to 2021.
Despite taking to the field without inter-county stars Ronan Hayes, Oisin O’Rorke and Fergal Whitely (all of whom featured for the Sky Blues in their Leinster Senior Hurling Championship semi-final win over Galway at Croke Park on the same day), the visitors had a number of outstanding performers in Ballinteer.
Netminder Eoin Dalton served as the launchpad for many attacks, with the likes of Jamie Clinton and Cormac Keyes also shining in defence.
In addition to Michael Roche’s final haul of 0-11, James Dillon came away with an impressive tally of 1-4. Denis Murray also rattled the Ballinteer net over the course of the action, while Rory Smith, Lorcan McMullen, Aaron O’Toole and Cian Mac Gabhann also added their names to the scoresheet.
Next up for Kilmacud is an away trip to Lucan Sarsfields, which will now take place on July 14th, whereas Ballinteer are due to face Ballyboden on the same night in Pairc Ui Mhurchu.
Lucan Sarsfields had the measure of Ballinteer in the opening round of One South and pushed Cuala all the way at Shanganagh Park on Saturday before being edged out on a final score of 4-12 to 2-16. Following a comprehensive reversal to Ballyboden in mid-June, Cuala were looking for a positive result to help ignite their campaign.
The Dalkey men will be looking to defend their Dublin Senior Hurling Championship title under the new management team of John Twomey and Eddie Brennan, and the coaching duo would have seen plenty in last weekend’s display to suggest they can go far again this year. The likes of Cian O’Callaghan, Sean Moran, Mark Schutte and Jake Malone may have been marked absent, but Cuala possessed enough firepower to squeeze over the line.
Ross Tierney, Andy Power and Cillian Sheanon were all in fine form, while Emmet Murphy and Eoghan Ó Naoire made handsome scoring contributions. Cuala and Lucan now find themselves on two points apiece ahead of forthcoming meetings with Faughs and Kilmacud respectively.
Matters are delicately poised at either end of the Division One North table following the conclusion of the second round of fixtures.
Na Fianna, St Vincent’s and St Brigid’s are all on maximum points after two games, whereas Naomh Barrog, Craobh Chiarain and Whitehall Colmcille are still searching for their first points in the top-flight.
In comparison to a tightly-contested opening round, the division’s leading lights recorded emphatic wins over the past few days.
At Clonshaugh on Friday, Brigid’s were 3-22 to 0-13 victors over Craobh Chiarain. St Vincent’s enjoyed a 3-19 to 0-11 success against Naomh Barrog in Kilbarrack and Na Fianna triumphed on a scoreline of 1-37 to 1-11 over Whitehall Colmcille at Collins Avenue.
What made these wins all the more remarkable is that each of them were achieved away from home.
There will finally be some daylight at the summit at the end of round three, however, with St Vincent’s and Na Fianna set to clash at Pairc Naomh Uinsionn- a game that will now take place on July 14th. Elsewhere on this day, Naomh Barrog host Craobh Chiarain and St Brigid’s welcome Whitehall Colmcille to Russell Park.