Fingallians crowned PTSB Dublin Premier IHC champions with victory over Lucan Sarsfields

FINGALLIANS 0-23 

LUCAN SARSFIELDS 1-13

Fingallians put the finishing touches to an excellent PTSB Dublin Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship campaign when accounting for Lucan Sarsfields by seven points in their decider at Parnell Park on Sunday afternoon. 

Having gone through their group campaign unbeaten, the Swords outfit held the upper hand at the break but their 0-14 to 1-5 interval lead looked a precarious one given the strength of the wind in their favour in the opening-half.   

Such concerns proved premature as they managed to pick off scores at critical times after the break to ensure a relatively comfortable win with their defence holding firm with a fair degree of ease. 

Fingallians played with the stiff breeze at their backs in the first-half and took little time in taking advantage through a brace of frees from Eoin O’Connor in the opening three minutes. 

While O’Connor clipped over a third free two minutes later, Lucan gradually found their feet with Evin Dowling converting an excellent free into the gale to open their account by the 7thminute. 

A Michael Rock point saw Fins restore their three-point buffer and they looked to be pulling way as Cillian Johnston and Harry Brogan tagged on scores to leave five points between the sides by the 10th minute. 

Lucan were in need of some inspiration at this stage and it duly arrived as David Mulqueen turned sharply before firing an impeccable finish into the top corner of Sean Delaney’s net from ten yards. 

Hugh Cuffe halved the Sarsfields deficit with a cracking point from midfield with Oisín Johnston and Cian McHugh trading points as we entered the second quarter. 

Fingallians began to click through the gears as the contest evolved as Brogan added two further points while a superb Conall Shaw score saw them restore their five-point buffer by the 21st minute.  

Mulqueen’s power yielded a third Dowling free to keep Lucan in touch but a point from downtown by wing-back Daniel King saw Fins move six points clear by the turnaround. 

A point within thirty seconds of the restart from substitute Aron Gargan saw that lead enhanced even further but Ryan Clancy made light of the acute angle to open Lucan’s second-half account in the 32nd minute. 

Brogan and David Mulqueen exchanged scores soon after but the former’s fifth point from play was just reward for Fingallians’ greater threat into the breeze. 

However, Lucan were slowly but surely playing their way back into contention courtesy of inspirational scores from Mulqueen, Liam Fitzgerald and substitute Alex Hickey as they placed greater pressure on the Fins goal. 

Crucially, their opponents were able to pick off scores to ease that pressure on the scoreboard with O’Connor’s seventh placed ball of the afternoon augmented by another point from Dublin Under 20 attacker Gargan.    

While Lucan continued to press, the goal required to ignite a comeback never looked likely to materialise with the likes of Shane Howard, Ian Kennedy, Shaw and Finnin Brady all excelling in a defensive capacity for the winners. 

Fingallians will now enter their provincial campaign in great spirits and will next be seen in action when they meet Carnew in a fortnight’s time in their Leinster IHC quarter-final. 

Scorers – Fingallians: E O’Connor 0-8 (7f, 1 ’65); H Brogan 0-5; O Johnston 0-3; C Johnston, A Gargan 0-2 each; C Shaw, D King, M Rock 0-1 apiece. Lucan Sarsfields: D Mulqueen 1-2; E Dowling 0-4 (4f); H Cuffe 0-2; A McNulty, R Clancy, L Fitzgerald, C McHugh, A Hickey 0-1 apiece.

Fingallians: S Delaney; G Campbell, I Kennedy, F Brady; C Shaw, S Howard, D King; D Power, L Hayward; C Clarke, E O’Connor, M Rock; H Brogan, O Johnston, C Johnston. Subs: A Gargan for Clarke (21), D Levins for O Johnston (61).  

Lucan Sarsfields: C Doody; P Ryan, M Cunningham, P Claffey; L Murphy, A McNulty, R Clancy; L Fitzgerald, H Cuffe; M O’Brien, C McHugh, O Brennan; D Mulqueen, C Mulqueen, E Dowling. Subs: C Dillon for Brennan (29), A Hickey for L Murphy (40), K Cooney for C Mulqueen (40), B Kavanagh for McHugh (52), J Dunne for Cuffe (60).      

Referee: Colm McCarthy (St Vincent’s).