Lucan Sarsfields bounce back with victory against St Judes

LUCAN SARSFIELDS 0-28 

ST JUDE’S 3-14

Lucan Sarsfields bounced back from their narrow Round 2 defeat to Cuala when getting the better of St Jude’s by five points in their PTSB Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship Group 2 encounter at Parnell Park on Saturday afternoon. 

After a tight start, Lucan seized control of matters in the second quarter, scoring ten points on the bounce on their way to a healthy 0-15 to 0-5 interval lead. 

Any thoughts of an easy victory were dispelled upon the restart as St Jude’s struck for goals through Danny Sutcliffe, Conor Nolan and Cathal Martin but Ben Coffey’s personal tally ofthirteen points was enough to get Sarsfields over the line. 

Lucan took just ten seconds to open the scoring through Ben Coffey with Conor Nolan levelling matters in the 3rd minute with a free from distance. 

Killian Costello restored the Lucan lead a minute later with Coffey matching Nolan’s effort with a fine strike from a free to double the Sarsfields advantage midway through the first quarter. 

The lively start continued as Cathal Martin converted a brace of straightforward frees to keep St Jude’s up to pace while Ciaran Mangan clipped over their first score from open play in the 12th minute. 

However, Coffey continued to split the uprights with any chance that came his way while the returning Colm Walsh added to Lucan’s lead, highlighting his value to the team on his first start of the Championship. 

A brace of Coffey frees and a Ciaran Dowling score pushed Lucan six points clear by the 23rdminute and the procession towards the St Jude’s goal continued unabated as they conceded further points to Charlie Keher (2) and Coffey. 

Shane Coffey ambled forward from corner-back to showcase his shooting talents while Jude’s ended the half on a relative high as John Carty pointed in injury time, ending a barren period of twenty minutes in the process.   

Nolan and Dowling exchanged points in the opening minute of the second-half with the St Jude’s forward line finally getting off the mark from open play courtesy of Callum Graham’s well-taken point in the 34th minute. 

They managed to generate further momentum through Mangan’s second point of the day and struck for the game’s opening goal in the 37th minute as Danny Sutcliffe rose highest to meet Martin’s delivery and kicked home past Cillian Murray from close range.

Lucan recovered from this concession through points in the immediate aftermath by Cathal Kennedy and Paul Crummey with further scores from Coffey, Dowling and substitute Sean Harkness restoring their nine-point margin.

However, another lifeline came the way of St Jude’s as Nolan fired home from a twenty-metre free at the end of the third quarter and they brought their deficit down to four points following scores by Carty and Eoin McLoughlin. 

Keher and Coffey eased Lucan nerves briefly but Diarmaid McLoughlin and Sutcliffe pointed before the latter released Martin clear for an emphatic finish past Murray as we entered added time. 

To Lucan’s credit, they regathered their composure to added to their tally thanks to John Bellew and Kennedy while Coffey converted two placed balls to settle the issue in his side’s favour.    

Scorers – Lucan Sarsfields: B Coffey 0-13 (9f, 2 ’65); C Keher 0-4; C Dowling 0-3; C Kennedy 0-2; S Coffey, J Bellew, K Costello, P Crummey, C Walsh, S Harkness 0-1 apiece.St Jude’s: C Martin 1-3 (0-3f); C Nolan 1-2 (1-1f); D Sutcliffe 1-1; J Carty, C Mangan 0-2 each; D McLoughlin, E McCallion, E McLoughlin, C Graham 0-1 apiece. 

Lucan Sarsfields: C Murray; S Coffey, P Rigney, L Mooney; J Behan, C Walsh, J Bellew; C Kennedy, K Costello; C Keher, B Coffey, D Flannery; C Dowling, M Coogan, P Crummey. Subs: C Crummey for Behan (20), S Harkness for Coogan (38), K Fitzgerald for Flannery (40), R Smith for Dowling (55). 

St Jude’s: M Hartnett; S Wynne, G McManus, C Magan; C Nolan, D Malone, J Carty; D McLoughlin, J McManus; M Hade, D Sutcliffe, D O’Connor; E McCallion, C Graham, C Martin. Subs: F Wardick for Hade (half-time), E McLoughlin for O’Connor (40), 

Referee: Eamonn Dromgoole English (Cuala).