Cuala claim victory over St Brigids in PTSB Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship

CUALA 0-26 ST BRIGID’S 1-15

Cuala delivered an exceptional defensive display as they eased past St Brigid’s by eightpoints in their PTSB Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship Group 2 clash at a sunny Parnell Park on Saturday afternoon. 

Cuala were full value for their 0-14 to 0-7 interval lead with Jamie Conroy leading the way with three points from play while Donal O’Shea converted five frees.

The duo continued to pile on the pain upon the restart with a goal from a free by Paul Winters approaching injury time coming too late to spare St Brigid’s their fate.  

It was Cuala that seized the initiative through a Conroy point and they settled the quicker as they doubled their lead in the 3rd minute thanks to Stephen Roche. 

His midfield partner O’Shea extended their advantage soon after but gradually, their opponents began to find their feet and they moved to within a point courtesy of two frees by the reliable Winters. 

O’Shea (free) and Roche added their second scores of the day to regain an element of control for the Dalkey side but the delivery into their full-forward line left a lot to desired, leaving the likes of Liam Murphy and Colm Cronin as peripheral figures initially. 

The same could not be said about their full-back line, who excelled in the early stages in limiting the St Brigid’s attack while Sean Moran was his usual calm and composed self at centre-back. 

Gaps did appear elsewhere however, ones which wing-back Jack Hannon exploited for a brace of points to keep St Brigid’s in touch as the contest evolved. 

Cuala possessed a threat of their own from half-back with both Jake Malone and Diarmuid Ó Floinn pointing from distance while the influential Conroy clipped over two further scores to move his side five points clear by the 25th minute. 

While Cian O’Sullivan eventually escaped the clutches of Conor Groarke to fire over two scores, a brace of O’Shea frees and a Murphy point left Cuala leading by double scores at the break.  

Both Diarmuid Breslin and Andrew Dunphy found their range for St Brigid’s in the early stages of the second-half but their opponents managed to maintain their buffer with O’Shea and Conroy once again on target.

The latter could well have settled the issue as he burst through in the 39th minute but Alan Nolan showed all his experience in narrowing the angle as he parried the low strike to safety. 

The ex-Dublin goalkeeper also worked his magic when denying Croin soon after but Cuala’s dominance could not be denied as they pushed further clear thanks to Groarke, Cillian Sheanon and a Murphy brace.    

Cian O’Sullivan, Kieran O’Sullivan and Hannon offered points by way of riposte but they already had the look of consolation scores with Seán Brennan’s goal rarely, if ever coming under any threat.  

Winters did manage to sneak a free past a plethora of defenders on the line for the game’s solitary goal but late points from Conroy and O’Shea were a fitting way for the contest to conclude, given their influence over the hour. 

Scorers – Cuala: D O’Shea 0-9 (7f); J Conroy 0-6; L Murphy 0-3 (1f); S Roche 0-2; C Groarke, D Ó Floinn, J Malone, C Sheanon, J Twomey, K Kirwan 0-1 apiece. St Brigid’s: P Winters 1-3 (1-2f); J Hannon 0-4 (1 ’65); C O’Sullivan 0-3; K O’Sullivan, D Breslin 0-2 each; A Dunphy 0-1. 

Cuala: S Brennan; C O’Callaghan, E O’Callaghan, C Groarke; D Ó Floinn, S Moran, J Malone; D O’Shea, S Roche; G O’Toole. C Sheanon, J Conroy; C O’Toole, C Cronin, L Murphy. Subs: A English for C O’Callaghan (23), J Twomey for Sheanon (44), K Kirwan for Murphy (44), C Spain for Cronin (49), P Egan for C O’Toole (61). 

St Brigid’s: A Nolan; A Dunphy, D Ryan, E Leen; R McLoughlin, C Doyle, J Hannon; A McGuirk, J McGuirk; S Maher, P Winters, S Crotty; C O’Sullivan, K O’Sullivan, D Breslin. Subs: T Hannon for Maher (half-time), J O’Neill for A McGuirk (45), L Doolin for Coyne (48), S Crotty for Leen (56), C McIntyre for J McGuirk (61). 

Referee: Seán Stack (Pobal Parnell).