DUBLIN SHC GROUP THREE:

KILMACUD CROKES 3-24

CUALA 0-18

Daire Walsh

Ronan Hayes struck an outstanding tally of 3-10 at Parnell Park last Saturday to get Kilmacud Crokes off to a flying start in Group Three of the Dublin Senior ‘A’ Hurling Championship.

A regular fixture for Dublin throughout their league and championship campaigns – barring the Leinster SHC decider with Kilkenny when he was ruled out for Covid-related reasons – Hayes was keen to make an impression against title holders Cuala. His first-half hat-trick put the Stillorgan men on their way to victory and makes them odds-on favourites to make the knockout stages.

Alex Considine and Caolan Conway also shone in attack for Crokes, while Fergal Whitely and Dara Purcell were others to leave their mark on the contest. This was a disappointing opening to the SHC for Cuala, but all is not lost for the Dalkey side.

Crokes began their 2020 championship odyssey with a heavy group stage win over Ballyboden St Enda’s, who then went on to reach the final of the competition. The defending champions will be hoping to bounce back similarly and with the likes of Cian and Con O’Callaghan (amongst others) still to return, there is every chance they will do so.

Under a new management team headed by John Twomey and Eddie Brennan, Cuala moved into an early two-point lead (0-3 to 0-1), courtesy of scores from Liam Murphy, Seán Treacy and David Treacy.

Crokes’ lone effort during this juncture was a Whitely strike on the left-wing but, having converted a free just moments earlier, Hayes raised the first green flag of the day with a flicked finish over Seán Brennan.

While Cuala rallied through a brace of David Treacy frees and a Seán Moran point from play, Crokes took control of the contest on either side of the first-half water break. Adding to an earlier contribution by Conway, the five-time SHC winners rattled off 1-6 without reply.

Considine (two), Purcell (two), Whitely and Hayes dissected the uprights in this spell, with the latter’s second goal arriving in the 19th minute. David Treacy and Darragh O’Connell halted this scoring sequence at the opposite end, but Crokes came back for more.

Supplementing Conway and Considine points, Hayes fired past Brennan for a third time on 26 minutes. Even though Diarmuid O’Floinn, O’Connell, Murphy and David Treacy (free) enhanced Cuala’s tally before the interval, Padhraic Linehan, Considine and Hayes points ensured Crokes were 3-14 to 0-12 in front on the resumption.

Without cutting loose to the same extent as they had in the opening period, Kilmacud continued to keep Cuala at arm’s length. In a low-scoring third quarter, points from Cuala duo David Treacy and Moran (named in the programme as a left half-back, but operating in attack throughout) were cancelled out by Cian Mac Gabhann and Hayes.

Crokes did lose Considine to injury in the 38th minute, however, and their fellow Southsiders sought to narrow the gap in his absence. O’Floinn, David Treacy (with his only score from play) and Murphy knocked over unanswered points to reduce Cuala’s arrears to eight inside the final quarter.

Treacy also converted a free, in response to a Fionn Ó Ceallaigh point on 54 minutes, but it became the final score of the clash for Cuala. Thanks to seven white flag efforts in quick succession – one for Lorcan McMullan and six by the outstanding Hayes – a buoyant Kilmacud eased themselves over the line.

MATCHFILE

SCORERS – Kilmacud Crokes: R Hayes 3-10 (0-6f), A Considine 0-4, C Conway, F Whitely, D Purcell 0-2 each, C Mac Gabhann, L McMullan, P Linehan, F Ó Ceallaigh 0-1 each. Cuala: D Treacy 0-8 (7f), L Murphy 0-3, D O’Connell, D Ó Floinn, S Moran 0-2 each, S Treacy 0-1.

KILMACUD CROKES: E Gibbons; J Clinton, B O’Carroll, D Butler; C Mac Gabhann, P Linehan, D Crowe; D Mulligan, L McMullan; F Whitely, O O’Rorke, C Conway; D Purcell, R Hayes, A Considine. Subs: F Ó Ceallaigh for Conway (h-t), J Dillon for Considine (38), N Ó Ríordáin for Linehan, C Ryan for Mac Gabhann (both 55), R Smith for Butler (58).

CUALA: S Brennan; M Conroy, E O’Callaghan, D O’Connell; J Malone, J Sheanon, A Power; S Treacy, Cillian Sheanon; D O’Floinn, Colum Sheanon, N Carthy; L Murphy, S Moran, D Treacy. Subs: K Kirwan for O’Connell (30+2-h/t, blood), C O’Farrell for Carthy (h-t), J Lahert for Power (39), N Kenny for Colum Sheanon (49).

MENTORS – Kilmacud Crokes: Kieran Dowling, Donal McGovern, Mark Dunne, Diarmuid Howley, Rob O’Loughlin. Cuala: John Twomey, Eddie Brennan, Paul Schutte, Rob Reid.

REFEREE: Sean McCarthy (St Vincent’s).

WIDES – Kilmacud Crokes: 11 (7+4). Cuala: 8 (3+5).

CONDITIONS: Cloudy but dry overall.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Ronan Hayes (Kilmacud Crokes).