Round-Up: Go-Ahead Ireland Senior 1 Hurling Championship Round 4

Kilmacud Crokes completed their fourth successive win in the Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship as they defeated a seriously depleted Whitehall Colmcille by 1-29 to 1-7 at a damp Parnell Park on Saturday afternoon.

Dara Purcell’s 8th minute goal set the tone of Crokes dominance with Brian Hayes clipping three points from play as they led by 1-13 to 0-5 at the break.

While Whitehall were rewarded for their battling efforts through a Niall O’Connor goal at the start of the final quarter, Kilmacud piled on the pain through the scoring returns of Oisín O’Rorke (0-10) and Purcell (1-5). 

Lucan Sarsfields are another team with maximum points as they joined Na Fianna at the summit of Group 1 following their hard-earned 1-23 to 0-19 win against Naomh Barróg in O’Toole Park on Saturday afternoon.

A 10th minute penalty from Seán Harkness following a foul on the lively Charlie Keher handed Lucan a marginal advantage as they entered the break leading by 1-10 to 0-11.

Joe Flanagan’s tally of 0-11 kept Barróg in the hunt as the contest evolved but Sars had enough in the tank to prevail as Harkness finished the contest with 1-7 to his name.

Another team that maintained their perfect record were county champions Na Fianna, who proved too strong for Craobh Chiaráin in Parnell Park on Friday night, winning by 3-22 to 1-8.

A Shane Barrett goal inside three minutes offered hints at a one-sided contest and while Robert Burnett replied for Craobh four minutes later, AJ Murphy’s fine strike from Barrett’s pass pushed the holders into a 2-14 to 1-5 interval lead.

Barrett added his second goal within three minutes of the restart as the All-Ireland champions pulled further clear with Seán Currie (0-12) and Darragh Meagher (0-6) impressing throughout.    

Earlier that evening, St Brigid’s enhanced their last eight prospects when finishing strongly to defeat 14-man St Vincent’s by 1-22 to 0-21.

The placed-ball prowess of Paul Winters was the most telling aspect of a tense first-half as he converted eight frees to edge his side into a 0-12 to 0-10 lead by half-time.

The 27th minute dismissal of Cillian O’Neill failed to prevent St Vincent’s from resuming in an impressive manner with points by John Hetherton, Mark Sweeney, Tom Connolly and Conor Burke helping to regain the lead in the final quarter.

However, St Brigid’s dominated the closing stages through scores by Winters, Jack Hannon, Cian O’Sullivan and Lorcan Doolin and their win was secured as Jonathan McGuirk kicked home from close range in added time.

St Brigid’s are one of four teams sharing second spot in Group 2 on four points from their four games as they were joined by Cuala, who pulled away in the second-half when overcoming St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh by 7-24 to 2-14 in O’Toole Park on Saturday afternoon.

Cuala’s bright start was curtailed briefly by a Ger Ryan goal for Plunkett’s but goals at the opposite end from Con O’Callaghan and Liam Murphy reaffirmed Cuala’s control.

The free-taking of Donal O’Shea kept the Dalkey outfit on the front foot and they plundered further goals through George O’Toole, O’Callaghan, Dara Twomey, Conal O’Toole and Paddy Egan to ease home by the end.   

The final match in Group 1 saw Ballyboden St Enda’s cement third spot in the table as they defeated local rivals St Jude’s by 1-25 to 1-13.

Boden seized complete control in the second quarter as they scored 1-8 on the bounce with David Keogh’s goal prompting a 1-15 to 0-5 interval lead.

Despite St Jude’s becoming more resolute in the second-half, netting through John Carty, Boden’s supremacy was never truly in doubt with Darragh Kenny top scoring with 0-8.    

SHC1 Group 1: Na Fianna 3-22 Craobh Chiaráin 1-8; Lucan Sarsfields 1-23 Naomh Barróg 0-9; Ballyboden St Enda’s 1-25 St Jude’s 1-13.

SHC1 Group 2: St Vincent’s 0-21 St Brigid’s 1-22; Cuala 7-24 St Oliver Plunkett’s/ER 2-14; Kilmacud Crokes 1-29 Whitehall Colmcille 1-7.