FOLEY SUPERB IN PEREGRINE’S WIN
All-Ireland winner Lowndes helps side to last-four
DUBLI IHC QUARTER-FINAL
ST PEREGRINE’S………………………………..3-18
CUALA……………………………………………..0-14
Daire Walsh
COLM Foley delivered a standout performance at Blakestown on Saturday evening, when St Peregrine’s booked their place in the semi-final of the Dublin Intermediate Championship with a commanding victory over Cuala.
Foley (who has played inter-county hurling with Fingal in the past) finished with an impressive personal tally of 1-10, and with Eric Lowndes and David Carroll also making strong scoring contributions, the hosts held off the challenge of their Dalkey counterparts to comfortably advance to the last-four.
Lowndes claimed his third All-Ireland SFC title in as many years with Dublin at Croke Park six days earlier, and he was included in the Peregrine’s attack for their sixth game of this year’s competition.
Wins against St Vincent’s, Naomh Mearnog and Kilmacud Crokes helped Peregrine’s to finish second in Group Two with seven points to their name, while successes at the expense of Kevin’s and Ballyboden St Enda’s ensured that Cuala progressed from Group One.
Peregrine’s contested the intermediate final as recently as 2014 (when they lost out to St Vincent’s in Parnell Park), but with a strong wind at their disposal in the opening half, it was Cuala who hit the ground running in the northside venue.
Point from Cillian Sheanon (free) and Conal O’Kelly broke the deadlock for the visitors, before Peregrine’s responded through half-forward Mark Sweeney. A subsequent crossfield ball by Joe Fitzmaurice picked out Lowndes in space on the right-wing, and he superbly split the posts from a tight angle.
Cuala quickly restored their advantage through wing-back Niall Keane, and this was supplemented by a long-distance free from goalkeeper Fintan O’Brien. Peregrine’s kept themselves in touch with Foley’s first point of the day, but at the end of a patient move in the ninth-minute, O’Kelly added his second score from midfield. Swapped efforts between Foley and Shane Murphy kept Cuala in the ascendancy, but as the half developed, Peregrine’s started to take control of the play. Foley converted a free to cut the gap to the bare minimum (0-6 to 0-5), and this was followed by the opening goal of the contest on 14 minutes.
David McGovern broke forward at pace, and though his shot was blocked by the Cuala defence, full-forward Carroll was on hand to fire past O’Brien with a powerful strike.
MOMENTUM
This provided Peregrine’s with some much-needed momentum, and back-to-back scores from Foley suddenly left Cuala four points in arrears. A Sheanon point from play ended their 10 minute barren spell in front of the posts, but this was swiftly cancelled out by Foley at the opposite end.
The Peregrine’s corner-forward hit his side’s final five points of the period, and although Sheanon increased his own personal tally with two more scores, the home team brought a 1-10 to 0-9 cushion into the interval.
They were expected to push on again when the action resumed, and with just seven minutes gone in the second-half, Cuala had been left with a mountain to climb. Mark Sweeney split the posts on the right-hand side, and thanks to consecutive points by Carroll (two), Fiachra Byrnes and the increasingly-prominent Lowndes, Peregrine’s created serious daylight between the teams.
A 38th-minute point by Cuala’s Justin Byrne ended this latest scoring sequence from their opponents, and Keane’s second of the tie came as a direct response to Foley’s maiden score of the half. Foley also converted a free from a distance of 60 metres, but as a result of singles by Shannon (free) and Byrne, Cuala were offered a glimmer of hope heading into the final-quarter.
SUPERBLY
Indeed, Byrne had a goal opportunity superbly turned away by Craig Melvin, and Peregrine’s punished this miss with their second major of the day after 49 minutes.
Foley picked up a loose ball inside the Cuala ’45’, and claimed the three-pointer that his display deserved with a cool close-range finish.
The hard-working Byrne registered another score nine minutes from time, but it had become a damage limitation exercise for the Hyde Park men as the final whistle approached.
Lowndes rebounded to the net for a third Peregrine’s goal after Carroll had a shot saved, and the dual star (who featured at half-back in the decider three years ago) completed the scoring with an exceptional point at the end of normal time.
Scorers – St Peregrine’s: C Foley 1-10 (0-8f), E Lowndes 1-3, D Carroll 1-2, M Sweeney 0-2, F Byrnes 0-1. Cuala: C Sheanon 0-5 (2f), J Byrne 0-3, N Keane, C O’Kelly 0-2 each, F O’Brien (f), S Murphy 0-1 each.
ST PEREGRINE’S: C Melvin; B Goodwin, J McAnaw, D Lynch; S Sweeney, N McCarthy, C Byrnes; J Fitzmaurice, D Moran; M Sweeney, F Byrnes, D McGovern; C Foley, D Carroll, E Lowndes. Subs: C McCarthy for C Byrnes (38), K Cox for Carroll (55), C McPartland for M Sweeney (59).
CUALA: F O’Brien; M Higgins, J Lahart, B Cornella; N Keane, B Browne, D Maas; D Lane, C O’Kelly; C Sheanon, E Breathnach, S Murphy; J Byrne, A Murphy, D Twomey. Subs: J Behan for Twomey (38), D Ryan for O’Kelly (42), C Schutte for Breathnach, J Murphy for S Murphy (both 53), S O’Brien for A Murphy (58).
MENTORS – St Peregrine’s: P Lyons, J Morris. Cuala: T Murphy, B Stanley, F Murphy.
Referee: Philip Carr (Round Tower Clondalkin).
WIDES – St Peregrine’s: 7 (2+5). Cuala: 6 (4+2).
CONDITIONS: Dry weather throughout, but a strong breeze as well.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Colm Foley (St Peregrine’s).