A bandaged John Mullane of De La Salle gets in his strike before Seán Ó Hartaigh can get in his challenge during their Waterford SHC second-round clash at Fraher Field. | Photo: Michael Kiely
De La Salle 0-16 An Rinn 1-9
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Munster champions De La Salle were made fight to the very end against last year’s Intermediate winners An Rinn in the second of Saturday’s senior hurling championship double header at Fraher Field
The Gaeltacht men got off to a dream start when they scored a goal from the stick of the impressive Noel Ó Murchadha after just 14 seconds. A shot from distance deceived DLS ‘keeper Stephen Brenner, who had the strong sun shining into his eyes and lost sight of the sliotar.
Brian Farrell, lining out at full-forward for the county champions, responded with a point 30 seconds later, but this was cancelled out on two minutes when Tadhg O hUallacháin pointed for An Rinn.
John Mullane got his first score of the evening on eight minutes, but four minutes later Padraig O’Murchadha pointed from a free for An Rinn. Brian Farrell and John Mullane added points for De La Salle inside a minute of each other just past the midway stage of the opening half, but Padraig Ó Murchadha extended An Rinn’s lead with nine minutes of the first 30 remaining.
Bryan Phelan left the minimum between the sides three minutes later but An Rinn responded with a point from dual star Liam Ó Lionáin. However, he could have counted himself unlucky as Brenner failed to control the Ring man’s effort and it hit off him and went over the crossbar.
Dean Twomey and Paidi Nevin added points for De La Salle in stoppage time, which in the eyes of at least five people reporting on the game levelled the scoring, but on closer examination of the scoreboard during the interval it showed the champions to be a point in front – but no-one could say who scored the eighth point for De La Salle!
Tadhg Ó hUallacháin, Brian Phelan and Liam Ó Lionáin all registered early scores in the second half for their respective sides, and a very good effort from O Lionáin was saved well by Brenner on 34 minutes.
Padraig O Murchadha pointed for a tiring An Rinn side on 38 minutes which John Mullane responded to soon afterwards. Noel O’Murchadha and Brian Farrell exchanged points before Bryan Phelan and Mullane added points for the winners. Cian O’ Conchúir raised a white flag for An Rinn on 59 minutes to leave just the bare minimum between the sides according to the scoreboard.
Thankfully, the earlier disputed point did not affect the final outcome (as it did in the opening game between Mount Sion and an aggrieved Fourmilewater), as James Quirke, with two, and Conan Watt added points in stoppage time to leave the scoreboard showing 0-16 to 1-9 in De La Salle’s favour.
De la Salle: S Brenner; A Kelly, I Flynn, M Doherty; D Russell, K Moran, J Foran; P Kennedy, D Green; J Mullane, B Phelan, P Nevin; D Twomey. B Farrell, D Dooley. Subs: S Daniels for Kelly, E Barrett for Foran, C Watt for Green, J Quirke for Nevin, S Richardson for Twomey.
Scorers: J Mullane 0-4, B Farrell, B Phelan 0-3 each, J Quirke 0-2, D Twomey, P Nevin, C Watt 0-1 each.
An Rinn: P Ó Catháin; P O Liatháin, S Ó hArtaigh, S Ó Lionáin; D Ó hArtaigh, N Ó Murchadha, C Ó Murchadha; E Breathnach, F O hAodha; M Tóibín, P O Murchadha, T Ó hUallacháin; L Ó Lionáin, C Ó Conchúir, A O hEochaidh. Sub: N O Lionáin for P O Liatháin.
Scorers: N O Murchadha 1-1, P O Murchadha 0-3, T O hUallacháin, L O Lionain 0-2 each, C O Conchúir 0-1.
Referee: V O’Toole (Roanmore).
