Lucan Sarsfields power past Faughs at O'Toole Park

LUCAN SARSFIELDS 4-23

FAUGHS 1-12

Paul Crummey, Sean Harkness, Ciaran Dowling and Senan Bolger were all amongst the goals at O’Toole Park on Saturday afternoon as Lucan Sarsfields closed out their PTSB Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship Group 2 campaign with an impressive victory over Faughs.

Leading 3-9 to 0-6 at the interval after Crummey, Harkness and Dowling all found the net, Lucan continued to push on after the resumption with substitute Bolger doing his chances of future selection no harm with a well-taken green flag score. Crummey’s brother Chris was also excellent throughout as Sarsfields finished the group in second spot just behind the in-form Cuala.

Whereas Lucan can now look forward to an upcoming quarter-final in the Senior 1 Championship, Faughs find themselves in a relegation play-off along with fellow Group 2 outfit Ballyboden St Enda’s. It might have been a tough occasion for the Templeogue-based side, but the likes of Liam Mostyn and Brian Murray did perform well over the course of the action.

Coming into this game with three wins already under their belts, Lucan were eager to lay down another marker as they aim to at least match the run to last year’s county final. Charlie Carter’s charges managed to do just that as Paul Crummey linked up to good effect before firing home with just over 60 seconds gone on the clock.

This was the kind of start Faughs were hoping to avoid, but the southsiders subsequently opened their account when Murray pointed from a left-hand angle. Yet Lucan were playing with confidence in attack and added unanswered efforts through the sticks of Colm Walsh, Charlie Keher and Dowling to help underline their authority on the play.

Faughs were creating a number of opportunities at the opposite end of the pitch and Murray increased their tally by contributing his second point of the day from distance on 12 minutes.

Lucan did have a miniature barren spell either side of the first-quarter mark, but two points in the space of a minute by Keher helped to reinforce their superiority. There was to be further joy for Sarsfields in the 21st minute as Harkness got on the end of a fast-paced move before rifling the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of the Faughs net.

However, there was an unfortunate collision between Harkness and Faughs full-back Seán McDonald as the Lucan man got his shot away. While Harkness was forced off as a result, McDonald received lengthy treatment on the pitch and with an ambulance being required for the Faughs defender, the play was halted for just under 34 minutes.

Once the play resumed with Lucan’s Matt Coogan and Ronan Hennessy of Faughs taking the places of their injured colleagues, Killian Costello and Mostyn were on hand to trade points at either end of the ground.

Lucan midfielder Cathal Kennedy also found the range on the run, in advance of Coogan picking out Dowling for a clinically-struck goal with five minutes remaining in the opening period.

Costello doubled his own personal haul off a later attack, before Faughs finally built up a head of steam with successive points from O’Brien (free), Mostyn and Carl O’Mahony. Yet following a successful free by Ben Coffey, Lucan were nevertheless 12 points to the good at the interval and created extra daylight on the restart when the roving Paul Rigney and Paul Crummey split the posts in quick succession.

Faughs needed a big score at this stage to offer themselves a morale boost and it arrived in the 34th minute when Eoghan McNamara stepped forward from goal to dispatch a penalty beyond the reach of opposite number Sean McClelland.

This was supplemented by an O’Brien point on the turn, but despite coming under some pressure, Lucan maintained their composure. After Matt McCaffrey and Faughs substitute David Pryce had cancelled each other out, Coffey was joined on the scoresheet by defensive duo Chris Crummey (two) and Luke Mooney during a strong purple patch from the 12th Lock side.

An Oisín Walsh point interrupted this scoring sequence, only for a fourth Lucan goal to arrive via the lively Bolger on 46 minutes. Paul Crummey and Kennedy also raised white flags in the wake of this score, though Faughs’ Conor Kenny did likewise for his side.

Faughs did their best to persevere with their challenge and there were further points from Chris Bennett and Mostyn in the closing stages.

Lucan continued to search for additional scores, however, and 0-2 salvos from Costello and Chris Crummey complimented a Coffey point to ensure it was a very satisfying day at the office for their team.

Scorers – Lucan Sarsfields: P Crummey 1-2, C Crummey, K Costello 0-4 each, C Dowling 1-1, S Harkness, S Bolger 1-0 each, B Coffey 0-3 (2f), C Keher 0-3, C Kennedy 0-2, P Rigney, L Mooney, M McCaffrey, C Walsh 0-1 each. Faughs: L Mostyn 0-3, E McNamara 1-0 (pen), J O’Brien 0-2 (1f), B Murray 0-2, C Kenny, O Walsh, C O’Mahony, C Bennett, D Pryce 0-1 each.

Lucan Sarsfields: S McClelland; J Bellew, P Rigney, L Mooney; R Smith, C Crummey, M McCaffrey; C Kennedy, C Walsh; C Keher, K Costello, B Coffey; C Dowling, P Crummey, S Harkness. Subs: M Coogan for Harkness (21), M Pappalardo for Rigney, S Bolger for Dowling (both 40), S Coffey for Smith (45), K Fitzgerald for P Crummey (49).

Faughs: E McNamara; C Leahy, S McDonald, C McCabe; A Mostyn, J Kenny, N Fitzgibbon; C O’Mahony, C Dowd; O Walsh, C Nagle, B Murray; E Brennan, J O’Brien, L Mostyn. Subs: C Kenny for Dowd (19), R Hennessy for McDonald (21), D Pryce for Leahy (h-t), C Bennett for Nagle (42), F Heavey for O’Mahony (51).

Referee: Colm McHale (St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh).