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Image Courtesy Eamon O'Callaghan
KILMACUD CROKES 0-25
ST VINCENT’S 1-14
Kilmacud Crokes picked up their third successive win in Group 2 of the Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship when overcoming St Vincent’s by eight points at Parnell Park on Friday night.
Crokes were initially far more assured against their more defensively-orientated opponents with Caolán Conway, Oisín O’Rorke, Brendan Kenny and Fergal Whitely all scoring two points from play on their way to a 0-13 to 0-5 interval advantage.
While John Hetherton netted for Vinnies within two minutes of the resumption, Kilmacud’s ability to tag on scores at regular intervals undermined any second-half comeback pretensions of the Marino outfit.
It was Crokes that started on the front foot with an early free from O’Rorke followed up by points from play by Conway and Brendan Scanlan.
A Seán Mulcahy point at the opposite end helped settle St Vincent’s in the 6th minute and they could well have netted on two occasions soon after with John Hetherton well blocked by Pádhraic Linehan while Eddie Gibbons repelled a Conor Burke shot.
Both Conway and O’Rorke doubled their personal tallies towards the end of the first quarter and a fine solo score from Kenny left four points between the teams.
Further scores from deep by Whitely and O’Rorke reaffirmed Kilmacud’s control of events with very little sticking up front from a small number of sporadic St Vincent’s attacks.
It was left to Conor Burke to inspire his side as the Dublin midfielder added two scores in quick succession, one from either flank, to reduce his team’s deficit to a more manageable four points by the 23rd minute.
However, they failed to build on that mini-platform as Crokes reeled off the next three scores through O’Rorke, Kenny and Whitely and late points from Michael Roche and Cian Ryan pushed them eight points clear by half-time.
An O’Rorke free extended that lead in the 32nd minute but Vinnies struck for the game’s opening goal as Hetherton swept home at the second attempt to revive his team’s fortunes.
While Whitely and Kenny replied for Crokes, the momentum was with their opponents in the third quarter as Brian Bolger added three points to augment a Hetherton brace.
Crucially, the Kilmacud midfield of Kenny and Brian Hayes began to exert a strong influence on proceedings with their powerful running from deep, runs that yielded three points from the dynamic duo.
Gibbons denied Vincent’s a lifeline when thwarting a powerful Hetherton while Michael Roche tagged on a brace of points in the final quarter to complete an ultimately comfortable win for Kilmacud.
Scorers – Kilmacud Crokes: O O’Rorke 0-6 (4f); B Kenny 0-5; C Conway, F Whitely, M Roche 0-3 each; B Hayes 0-2; C Ryan, R Hayes, B Scanlan 0-1 apiece. St Vincent’s: J Hetherton 1-2; B Bolger 0-5 (3f); C Burke 0-3; D Perry (f), S Mulcahy, K Ryan, T Connolly 0-1 apiece.
Kilmacud Crokes: E Gibbons; B Sheehy, P Linehan, C Ryan; T Stakelum, B O’Carroll, D Lucey; B Kenny, B Hayes; F Whitely, O O’Rorke, C Conway; M Roche, R Hayes, B Scanlan. Subs: C Donovan for Scanlan (half-time), E Keys for O’Carroll (49), A Hatt for Conway (51), C Mac Gabhann for R Hayes (54), R Smith for O’Rorke (59).
St Vincent’s: D Perry; C Dolan, M O’Farrell, J Brady; S Mulcahy, H Curley, C O’Neill; R O’Neill, C Burke; D Peel, B Bolger, S Williams; K Ward, J Hetherton, D McBride. Subs: R Dunne for C O’Neill (half-time), T Connolly for Peel (half-time), K Ryan for McBride (half-time), B Moorehouse-Carroll for O’Farrell (45), C Walsh for Williams (57).
Referee: Thomas Gleeson (Naomh Fionnbarra).