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CUALA 4-16
RAHENY 0-14
All-Ireland champions Cuala pulled away in the closing stages as they overcame Raheny by double scores points in their Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin Senior 1 Football Championship opener at Parnell Park on Saturday afternoon.
Despite playing into the breeze, it was the holders that led by 2-6 to 0-7 at the break with goals from Con O’Callaghan and Niall O’Callaghan either side of the first-quarter mark building a 2-6 to 0-7 advantage.
The Dalkey outfit maintained that buffer for the bulk of the second-half but added two late goals through Con O’Callaghan to put a flattering complexion to the final scoreline.
Both sides took their time to settle with Brian Howard judging the wind to perfection as he kicked a two-pointer in the 3rd minute to open the scoring.
A fisted Con O’Callaghan score halved the Cuala deficit three minutes later as the contest failed to ignite initially with both teams guilty of inaccuracy in the admittedly breezy conditions.
The holders gradually began to dominate possession, levelling matters through Charlie McMorrow in the 12th minute before Con O’Callaghan gathered possession close to goal and smashed a powerful effort past the helpless Rob Hennelly in the Raheny goal.
While Howard replied with another cracking two-pointed score for Raheny at the end of the first quarter, they conceded a second goal in the 18th minute as David O’Dowd’s excellent pass found Con O’Callaghan, who transferred quickly to Niall O’Callaghan for the simplest of tasks to the back of the net.
A third two-pointed score for Raheny arrived via a Hennelly placed ball and the former Mayo goalkeeper showed great reflexes when denying what would have been a trio of O’Callaghan goals as corner-back Eoghan popped up at the far post.
Despite that near miss, Cuala continued to create chances as a brace of Con O’Callaghan points pushed them five points clear by the turnaround.
Raheny substitute Sean Grenham made an instant impression when converting a 32nd minute free but Cuala replied through a substitute of their own as Conor Groarke spilt the uprights within a minute of his introduction.
Con O’Callaghan soon added a two-pointed free and a fisted score as the contest seemed to be ebbing away from Raheny, with a free by Hannelly reducing their deficit to eight points by the end of the third quarter.
While Hennelly and Fagan added scores in quick succession, their good work was undone as Niall O’Callaghan curled over a two-pointer in the 49th minute to quell any hopes of a Raheny comeback.
An insurance goal, if one was needed, arrived in the 57th minute as Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne burst through before releasing Con O’Callaghan for a routine finish past Hennelly.
His brother Niall repaid the compliment from the first-half when launching a lengthy delivery that saw Con deflect the ball in from close range, leaving the Dublin captain with a personal tally of 3-6 by the end.
Scorers – Cuala: C O’Callaghan 3-6 (1 F2); N O’Callaghan 1-3 (1 P2); C McMorrow 0-2, E Kennedy, C Doran, C O’Brien, O Hussey, C Groarke 0-1 apiece. Raheny: R Hennelly 0-5 (2 F2, 1f); B Howard 0-4 (2 P2); J Fagan 0-2; D Lunney (f), C Hehir, S Grenham 0-1 apiece.
Cuala: Darragh O’Dowd; D Conroy, M Fitzsimons, E O’Callaghan; David O’Dowd, C McMorrow, E Kennedy; P Ó Cofaigh Byrne, C Dunne; O Hussey, C Doran, J Keenan; C O’Brien, C O’Callaghan, N O’Callaghan. Subs: C Groarke for Keenan (38), M Conroy for D Conroy (50), T Magee for O’Brien (54), C Ó Giolláin for E O’Callaghan (55), J Fitzsimons for David O’Dowd (57).
Raheny: R Hennelly; B McHugh, D Byrne, A Kinsella; C Harnett, S MacMahon, R Real; B Howard, J Fagan; E Smyth, A McLoughlin, C Baldwin; K McGuirk, D Lunney, C McAweeney. Subs: S Grenham for Smyth (half-time), C Hehir for Real (half-time), A McAweeney for McLoughlin (47), T Hurley for C McAweeney (60), J Kearns for Kinsella (60).
Referee: Shay Farrelly (Ballinteer St John’s).