Round Up - Second round PTSB Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship

Group 1 in the PTSB Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship is beginning to take shape as Kilmacud Crokes and Na Fianna lead the way following their comfortable wins against Naomh Barróg and Whitehall Colmcille respectively over the weekend. 

On Saturday afternoon, a weakened Crokes were far from their fluent best but did enough to see off a determined Barróg side by 2-28 to 3-16.   

Kilmacud played against the strong breeze in the first-half but gradually took control of matters with Ronan Hayes scoring nine points and Finnian Donohue netting in the 24thminute on their way to a 1-15 to 0-9 interval lead. 

Josh Rooney impressed between the sticks for Barróg, who made inroads into their arrears after the break thanks to goals from substitute Nathan Kidd and Paddy Doyle before the latter was dismissed for a second booking in the closing stages. 

There was still sufficient time for both Donohue and Kidd to double their goal accounts as Crokes claimed joint top spot through eye-catching displays from wing-backs Tom Stakelum and Cian Ó Cathasaigh. 

A dominant first-half showing was also evident in Parnell Park on Friday night as Na Fianna raced out of the blocks on their way to a 4-31 to 4-13 victory. 

Both teams registered wins in Round 1 but this contest was decided by half-time as Donal Burke’s excellent goal helped build a comfortable 1-20 to 0-6 interval lead for Na Fianna. 

To Whitehall’s credit, they were far improved upon the restart as they netted through Enda O’Donnell (2), Paddy Spellacy and Jamie Raftery but goals at the opposite end from Liam Stacey, Darragh Meagher and Shane Barrett saw the Glasnevin outfit ease home by the final whistle. 

Erin’s Isle produced the performance of the weekend as they finished strongly to defeat St Vincent’s by 2-22 to 0-17. 

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.  

Further up the field, Conor Berrigan also shone with five points from play while goals by Nathan Fitzgerald (1-3) and Tadgh Gorman (1-2) saw Isles pull away in the closing stages.  

Group 2 proved far more competitive with Cuala indebted to the brilliance of their goalkeeper Sean Brennan when edging Lucan Sarsfields by 2-19 to 0-23 in Parnell Park on Saturday afternoon. 

The Dalkey outfit seized the early initiative through goals from Liam Murphy and Conall O’Toole in the first quarter but a trio of Charlie Keher points from play saw Lucan draw level at 0-13 to 2-7 by half-time. 

It proved similarly tight after the break as Cuala kept their noses in front through crucial points from Donal O’Shea, Murphy, Conor Groarke, Kevin Kirwan and Diarmaid Ó Floinn while Brennan highlighted his excellence with two superb saves to deny Ciaran Dowling in the final quarter. 

That success leaves Cuala in joint top spot alongside a St Brigid’s side that also claimed their second successive win when beating Ballyboden St Enda’s by 0-25 to 2-17 in O’Toole Park on Saturday afternoon.  

Paul Winters was their scoring talisman with a personal tally of fifteen points while Cian O’Sullivan and Kieran O’Sullivan also chipped in with points at crucial times for the winners.   

The defeat leaves Boden in bottom place following their narrow first round reverse to Lucan with goals from Davy Gleeson and an Alan Nolan own goal failing to spare them their fate.  

St Jude’s are another team that remain pointless after two matches as they were caught on the line by their nearest neighbours Faughs, losing by 1-21 to 2-16 in O’Toole Park. 

A Callum Graham goal helped St Jude’s to a 1-10 to 0-9 interval lead with their opponents staying in touch through points by James O’Brien, Niall Fitzgibbon, Liam Mostyn, Sean McDonald and Aedan Mostyn. 

O’Brien and Brian Murray kept the Faughs scoreboard ticking over after the break but a second Graham goal early in the final quarter left six points between the teams. 

A couple of O’Brien frees and a Chris Bennett point halved the Faughs deficit and they maintained that momentum as Bennett netted in the 55th minute, preceding vital late points from Eoghan McNamara and a Liam Mostyn brace. 

PTSB SHC1 Group 1: Na Fianna 4-31 Whitehall Colmcille 4-13; Erin’s Isle 2-22 St Vincent’s 1-17; Kilmacud Crokes 2-28 Naomh Barróg 3-16. 

PTSB SHC1 Group 2: Ballyboden St Enda’s 2-17 St Brigid’s 0-25; Faughs 1-21 St Jude’s 2-16; Cuala 2-19 Lucan Sarsfields 0-23.