By Daire Walsh

Eire Og Corra Choill 2-17

Maynoth 0-15

Eire Og Corra Choill held off a spirited challenge from Maynooth at Manguard Park on Sunday to eventually claim an eight-point victory in the preliminary round of the UPMC Kildare Senior Hurling Championship.

Despite being nine to the good at the midway stage in the play, Éire Óg CC were pegged back by a resolute Maynooth side and led by just four points on a couple of occasions in the second period.

Yet an opening half goal by Kevin Conor had offered them considerable breathing space and a late three-pointer courtesy of Scott Cramer helped them to ease over the line in the end.

While their opponents emerged with a win that will see them playing in the winners’ section of the SHC in the coming weeks,

Maynooth can take plenty of positives from this game as they move into the losers’ group of this top-tier competition.

From an Eire Og perspective, this was a significant triumph when you consider it was their first local championship outing since securing the Kildare Senior ‘B’ Hurling title in 2022.

Although dead-ball specialists Paul Dolan (Eire Og) and David Qualter (Maynooth) traded points in the early exchanges, Eire Og subsequently assumed control of the contest.

A superb 1-1 salvo from Kevin Conor – his goal coming after he fielded magnificently on the edge of the square – was followed by Conor Kielty and Cian O’Reilly points to give the Caragh-based side a six-point advantage.

Cormac Nolan and Qualter found the range at the opposite end to keep Maynooth in contention, but Rory O’Neill, Dolan (two) and Padraic Cribbin did likewise for an increasingly rampant Eire Og.

The reliable Qualter added a brace of frees before the opening period had elapsed, but three points from the accurate Dolan – and one from the influential O’Neill – left Eire Og 1-12 to 0-6 ahead at the interval.

A strong breeze was at Maynooth’s disposal when the play resumed, however, and they sensed that there was an opportunity to eat into the admittedly substantial Eire Og cushion.

After a scoreless spell that coincided with a torrential downpour in the Hawkfield venue, the Moyglare Road men brought the deficit down to four with consecutive points from Ciaran Flanagan (two), Qualter (two) and Cathal McCabe.

Eire Og eventually rediscovered their groove when midfielders Dolan (two) and Garry Johnson raised white flags inside the final-quarter, but the accuracy of Qualter ensured that Maynooth were still in the shake-up coming down the home stretch.

A goal would have given them serious momentum in the closing minutes, but instead it was Cramer who grabbed Maynooth’s second green flag score of the tie on the hour mark.

McCabe and O’Neill traded scores in time added on, but Eire Og/Corra Choill had done enough by then to come away with a morale-boosting win at the Kildare Centre of Excellence.

Scorers: Eire Og/Corra Choill: Paul Dolan 0-8 (7 frees), Kevin Conor 1-1, Scott Cramer 1-0, Rory O’Neill 0-3, Conor Kielty 0-2, Padraic Cribbin, Garry Johnson, Cian O’Reilly 0-1 each.

Maynooth: David Qualter 0-8 (4 frees, 2 ‘65’), Cathal McCabe, Cormac Nolan, Ciaran Flanagan 0-2 each, Ronan Dunne 0-1.

EIRE OG/CORRA CHOILL: Paul Dermody; Conor Sullivan, Cormac Byrne, Padraic Cribbin; Niall Cramer, Michael Beglay, Adam Delmer; Garry Johnson, Paul Dolan; Rory O’Neill, Conor Kielty, Sean O’Neill; Cian O’Reilly, Kevin Conor, James Dolan. Subs: Scott Cramer for S O’Neill (58).

MAYNOOTH: Sean Bean; Michael Hogan, Matt Eustace, Luke Murnane; Ronan Dunne, Daniel O’Meara, Fiachra Lohan; Graham Kenny, Cathal McCabe; Kevin Dunne, Cormac Nolan, Ciaran Flanagan; David Qualter, Cian Forde, Adam Jordan. Subs: Willie Lambe for O’Meara (10-12, blood), Lambe for O’Meara (23-24, blood).

REFEREE: Ray Kelly.