Cuala claim spot in last four with victory over Whitehall Colmcille

CUALA 1-25 

WHITEHALL COLMCILLE 2-11

Cuala still remain on course for a senior double as they got the better of Whitehall Colmcille by eleven points in their PTSB Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship quarter-final at Parnell Park on Saturday afternoon. 

With their footballers already in the last four of SFC1, their hurling counterparts followed suit with a comprehensive victory against their admittedly weakened opponents. 

Having played with whatever benefits of a tricky cross-field breeze blowing towards the stand, it was Cuala that led by 1-13 to 0-6 by the interval with Conall O’Toole setting the tone with an early goal.  

An immediate goal from Enda O’Donnell offered hopes of a Whitehall comeback after the break but the dismissal of Eddie Moran and a wonderful five-point cameo by substitute David Treacy saw Cuala ease home by the final whistle. 

Despite falling behind to an early Paddy Spellacy free, Cuala wasted little time in stamping their authority on the contest as Conall O’Toole nipped in between defenders before batting the ball past Whitehall goalkeeper Ronan Murray in the 4th minute. 

Points followed through Donal O’Shea (’65) and Diarmuid Ó Floinn as the Colmcille goal lived a charmed existence with Sean Moran driving narrowly wide before Murray denied O’Toole from point range. 

Some errant Cuala shooting allowed Whitehall, missing the attacking talents of the injured Cormac Costello and Eoghan O’Donnell, to keep in touch thanks to fine scores from Enda O’Donnell and Daire Gray. 

The wides continued to rack up for Cuala but they still managed to build up a five-point lead by the end of the first quarter thanks to a Liam Murphy brace and Ó Floinn’s second excellent score from play. 

O’Shea and Conor Sheedy traded points as the half progressed before a blitz of four points inside three minutes, shared evenly by Cillian Sheanon and Jamie Conroy, saw Cuala’s dominance accurately reflected on the scoreboard. 

Further scores could have arrived approaching half-time but they entered the break in a healthy position as Murphy’s late free pushed them ten points clear.

Whitehall were in need of some inspiration for the second-half and it duly arrived within a minute of the restart as O’Donnell showed great pace to cut inside Eoghan O’Callaghan and plant a shot just inside Sean Brennan’s right-hand upright. 

An injury to Brennan saw the flow of the contest disrupted with the scoring over the next ten minutes dominated by the free takers.

Spellacy clipped over a trio of frees to keep Colmcille ticking over but O’Shea (2) and Murphy replied at the opposite end and Whitehall’s task became even more difficult as Moran was sent-off towards the end of the third quarter. 

This afforded Cuala the space that they craved up front with substitutes Kevin Kirwan and Treacy taking full advantage as they made instant impacts on the scoreboard. 

While Michael Gainey scored Whitehall’s first point from play of the half in the 52nd minute, Treacy popped over two further scores prior to Spellacy also scoring from play as the contest drifted to its inevitable conclusion.   

Cuala will wonder how they didn’t add a second green flag in the 55th minute as Murray worked wonders with a superb double save to deny George O’Toole and Colm Cronin in quick succession. 

Those heroics proved in vain as Treacy continued on his merry way with another brace with Colmcille’s battling efforts rewarded with a cracking late goal from Lee Gannon in injury time.  

Scorers – Cuala: C O’Toole 1-2, D O’Shea (2f, 2 ’65), D Treacy 0-5 each; L Murphy 0-4 (3f); D Ó Floinn, C Sheanon, J Conroy, K Kirwan 0-2 each; G O’Toole 0-1. Whitehall Colmcille:P Spellacy 0-7 (6f); E O’Donnell 1-1; L Gannon 1-0; C Sheedy, M Gainey, D Gray 0-1 apiece.

Cuala: S Brennan; E O’Callaghan, A English, S Roche; D Ó Floinn, S Moran, J Malone; C Groarke, D O’Shea; J Conroy, C Sheanon, G O’Toole; L Murphy, C Cronin, C O’Toole. Subs: J Twomey for Conroy (Temp 30-31), A O’Toole for Brennan (Temp, 38-41), K Kirwan for Sheanon (43), D Treacy for C O’Toole (48), Twomey for Murphy (51), D Ryan for Moran (58).    

Whitehall Colmcille: R Murray; L McCarthy, J Thorp, K Nangle; S Kellett, D Gray, S Dunphy; E Moran, J Raftery; E O’Donnell, L Gannon, C Cummins; C Sheedy, P Spellacy, M Noonan. Subs: M Gainey for Cummins (22), S Foran for Kellett (27), D Noonan for M Noonan (53).  

Referee: Dean Alford (Round Towers Clondalkin).