Dominant second half helps St Vincents edge past Naomh Barróg

ST VINCENT’S 1-21

NAOMH BARRÓG 0-18

St Vincent’s delivered a dominant second-half display when getting the better of a disjointed Naomh Barróg by six points in their PTSB Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship Group 1 encounter at Parnell Park on Friday night.

Both sides were in dire need of a victory to have any chance of extending their season and while Barróg’s defeat left them bottom of the group, St Vincent’s are also condemned to a relegation play-off as they finished third in a mini-group containing Whitehall Colmcille and Erin’s Isle.    

The sides were deadlocked at 1-7 to 0-10 at half-time with a James Mulcahy goal handing Vinnies the early initiative but seven Joe Flanagan scores ensured parity at the turnaround.

The Marino side controlled the third quarter with the scoring returns of Brian Bolger (0-11) and Mulcahy (1-5) proving sufficient to get them over the line.   

With so much at stake for both teams, there was an understandably cagey start to proceedings with an early Bolger point for Vinnies cancelled out by Dean Flood in the 3rd minute. 

The pattern remained with James Mulcahy and Bolger (free) edging the locals in front with Barróg replying in kind through a Joe Flanagan brace.

The first significant body blow was landed by St Vincent’s in the 10th minute as Kyle Ward availed of the advantage rule to pick out Mulcahy, who drilled home across Josh Rooney from twelve yards.

Flanagan was going his best to keep his side in contention as he clipped over two cracking scores off his left to leave just a point between the sides by the end of the first quarter.

The tightness continued as Bolger (free) and Nathan Kidd traded scores before Flanagan’s sixth point of the half brought the teams level in the 23rd minute.

An excellent Aodhán Ó Donnchú score saw Barróg take the lead for the first time approaching the break but another Bolger point left the teams on level terms at the interval.

There was an increase in intensity displayed by the Marino outfit in the early stages of the second-half as a classy Conor Burke point was soon followed up by Tom Connolly’s second score of the contest.

While Flanagan landed a wonderful long-distance free to open Barróg’s second-half account, Vinnies were beginning to click through the gears as they stretched their advantage thanks to substitute Stephen Williams, Mulcahy and Burke.

The latter was far more influential playing further up the field but with their ambitions seemingly drifting away from them, the Kilbarrack side raised their spirits through scores in quick succession by Flanagan, Sean Doyle and Flood.

That momentum was stalled by the end of the third quarter however as Mulcahy and Bolger added to their personal tallies before the latter left six points between the sides with another tidy effort in the 46th minute.

There was no comeback from Barróg on this occasion as Mulcahy added a quickfire brace before Bolger showed audacious skill to strike the score of the game with ten minutes remaining.      

While Flanagan and Flood replied with points at the opposite end, these never looked more than consolation efforts with Bolger, fittingly, scoring the last point of the contest to take his personal tally to eleven points by the final whistle.   

Scorers – St Vincent’s: B Bolger 0-11 (5f), J Mulcahy 1-5; C Burke, T Connolly 0-2 each; S Williams 0-1. Naomh Barróg: J Flanagan 0-12 (9f); D Flood 0-3; A Ó Donnchú, S Doyle, N Kidd 0-1 apiece.

St Vincent’s: D Perry; B Moorehouse-Carroll; M O’Farrell, L Sweeney; C Walsh, S Mulcahy, R Dunne; B Murray, C Burke; M Cardiff, B Bolger, M Sweeney; T Connolly, K Ward, J Mulcahy. Subs: S Williams for Walsh (30+2), O Mulcahy for Murray (41), S McCarry for Connolly (63).    

Naomh Barróg: J Rooney; L Glynn, R Reidy, M Sharry; R McDonald, P Doyle, A Ó Donnchú; M Tierney, C Gallagher; N Kidd, S Doyle, D Duggan; J Flanagan, D flood, D Moore. Subs: E Hart for Glynn (36), E Ó Conghaile for Duggan (47), S Ryan for Tierney (52), H Nolan for Moore (58).   

Referee: Rory Hanley (St Brigid’s)