Erin's Isle get better of St Vincent's in PTSB SHC 1 at Parnell Park

ERIN’S ISLE 2-22

ST VINCENT’S 0-17

Erin’s Isle picked up their first win in Group 1 of the PTSB Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship when getting the better of St Vincent’s by eleven points at a sunny Parnell Park on Friday evening.

The final margin of victory was an accurate barometer of their dominance over the hour with superb individual displays from Conor Donohoe and Lorcan Finnegan at the back central to their success.  

Having suffered a heavy loss to Kilmacud Crokes six days previously, Vinnies, deprived of the services of John Hetherton struggled in the opening-half, and five Michael Donohoe frees saw Isles enter the break deservedly leading by 0-10 to 0-6.

While St Vincent’s closed the gap to a solitary point midway through the third quarter, Erin’s Isle completely controlled the final quarter with goals by Tadgh Gorman and Nathan Fitzgerald easing them home by the final whistle.

Isles played with the benefit of a stiff breeze in the first-half and opened the scoring through a Michael Donohoe free in the 1st minute before Tom Connolly replied at the opposite end in an instant.

Conor Berrigan spurned a great goal chance from Adam Langan’s lengthy puckout two minutes later before the teams traded points once again through Brian Bolger and a Michael Donohoe (free).

The tightness of the early exchanges continued with Rory Dunne and Berrigan adding excellent scores for their respective sides before Vinnies eventually broke the sequence as they struck successive scores through Connolly (free) and a classy Conor Burke strike from distance.

However, Erin’s Isle were soon back on level terms thanks to Donohoe’s third free and a Tadgh Gorman point and with St Vincent’s losing goalkeeper Dara Perry to injury, the Finglas outfit edged back in front through another Donohoe free in the 20th minute.

Berrigan doubled that advantage with a fine point from play and while Burke ended a scoreless period of fifteen minutes for the Marino outfit, their opponents finished the half on the front foot with Fitzgerald, Donohoe (free) and Conor Donohoe all pointing before the interval.

St Vincent’s gained some momentum through an early point upon the restart by Sean Mulcahy but the Finglas outfit continued to threaten with Berrigan and Fitzgerald replying with cracking points.

The initiative seemed to be heading St Vincent’s way as Bolger’s brace was augmented by points from Burke and Connolly but Berrigan, Fitzgerald and Gorman replied to keep the Isles’ noses in front.

A well-taken Gorman goal in the 49th minute added further belief to Erin’s Isle and with Ollie Gaffney roaming to telling effect, they began to pull away in the closing stages.

Fitzgerald’s scruffy goal effectively settled the issue in the 54th minute with Davin Lynch and Gaffney popping over insurance points as the Vinnies challenge wilted in the Donnycarney heat.

Scorers – Erin’s Isle: N Fitzgerald 1-3; T Gorman 1-2; M Donohoe (5f), C Berrigan 0-5 each; O Gaffney (2f) 0-3; C Donohoe (1f) 0-2; F Carroll, D Lynch 0-1 apiece. St Vincent’s: B Bolger 0-7 (2f, 1 ’65); T Connolly (1f), C Burke 0-3 each; S Mulcahy 0-2; R Dunne, S Williams 0-1 apiece.

Erin’s Isle: A Langan; D Gorman, L Finnegan, D Hanlon; F Carroll, D Lynch, J Perry; R Fitzpatrick, C Donohoe; C Berrigan, N Fitzgerald, G King; O Gaffney, M Donohoe, T Gorman. Subs: L Lowndes for M Donohoe (44), C O’Hare for Gorman (50), G Farrell for Perry (57), J Clerkin for King (57).

St Vincent’s: D Perry; R Dunne, B Moorhouse-Carroll, P O’Connell; S Mulcahy, H Curley, D Dunne; O Mulcahy, C Burke; B Murray, B Bolger, M Cardiff; P Reynolds Hand, T Connolly, J Mulcahy. Subs: R O’Neill for Perry (19), S Williams for Cardiff (half-time), K Ward for Reynolds Hand (half-time), P Gilroy for Dunne (54).   

Referee: Rory Hanley (St Brigid’s).