Dromin-Athlacca too strong for Granagh-Ballingarry in Premier IHC
The game that was played in dreadful conditions was dominated by Dromin-Athlacca from start to finish
DROMIN-ATHLACCA got back on track in the Lyons of Limerick Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship with a 1-16 to 0-10 victory over Granagh-Ballingarry at a wet Ballyagran.
Last week’s defeat to Bruff was quickly etched into a distant memory with a dominant display by the side looking to make an immediate return to senior ranks.
David Reidy and Jack Fitzgibbon top scored with 0-5 each with most of the scores on the evening coming from placed balls, mostly due to the treacherous underfoot conditions after continuous downpours.
Reidy left the game eight minutes into the second half due to injury but looked like he would have been ok to continue if his side needed him. Dromin-Athlacca were 10 points to the good when he was called ashore.
Granagh-Ballingarry struggled to create anything meaningful from play throughout the 60 minutes and only scored twice outside of frees. The first of which arrived 11 minutes into the second half.
Dromin-Athlacca raced into a three-point lead with two Fitzgibbon frees and a David Breen effort from play before Flynn got Granagh-Ballingarry off the mark in the seventh minute.
Cian Scully and Reidy soon had Dromin-Athlacca four points to the good but a Flynn free and two further long range placed balls by Eoin Horgan brought Granagh-Ballingarry back to within two.
However, that was as good as it got for the west Limerick division club as Dromin-Athlacca scored the last four points of the first half through Fitzgibbon and three Reidy strikes that left the score at 0-10 to 0-4 at the break.
Hopes of a comeback would have been fresh on the mind of Granagh-Ballingarry as the second half got underway but they were dashed almost immediately after conceding the game’s only goal.
A turnover opened the door for David Mullins to put Daniel Scully through on goal and he delivered a bouncing finish to the net to enhance the advantage to seven points.
Cian Scully and Reidy hit the target either side of a Luke Flynn free as the downpour continued. A superb solo score from Flynn was one of the highlights of the second half but it proved to be nothing more than a consolation as Dromin-Athlacca flexed their muscles further in the final quarter.
Fitzgibbon (2), Cian Scully and John O’Keeffe all raised white flags in the closing stages with three Flynn frees and Sean O’Connor’s score from play put some gloss on the scoreline before Timmy McGrath called time on the one-sided contest.
Dromin-Athlacca will face Blackrock when the Championship resumes in a couple of weeks time, while Granagh-Ballingarry play Effin next week in a re-arranged fixture before a game against Bruff in Round 6.
SCORERS - DROMIN-ATHLACCA: David Reidy (5f) and Jack Fitzgibbon (4f) 0-5 each, Daniel Scully 1-0, Cian Scully 0-3 (1f), David Breen, Michael Quaid and John O’Keeffe 0-1 each; GRANAGH-BALLINGARRY: Luke Flynn 0-7 (6f), Eoin Horgan 0-2 (2f) and Sean O’Connor 0-1.
DROMIN-ATHLACCA: Robbie Breen; Shane Scully, William Dore, Sean Morrissey; Patrick O’Donoghue, Michael Reidy, Shane Fitzgibbon; Cian Scully, David Reidy; Daniel Scully, David Griffin, Michael Quaid; Jack Fitzgibbon, David Breen, Jack O’Connor; Subs: David Mullins for D Reidy (38 mins, inj), John O’Keeffe for O’Connor (50 mins), Ben Gubbins for S Scully (56 mins).
GRANAGH-BALLINGARRY: Kieth O’Kelly; Eoghan Casey, Ronan Mullane, Mark O’Shea; Eoin Horgan, Jack Cagney, Colm Noonan; Darragh Casey, Brian Sheehy; Sean O’Connor, Luke Flynn, Cathal O’Keeffe; Eoin Herlihy, David Condron, Paudie Murphy; Subs: Darragh O’Donoghue for O’Keeffe (38 mins), Damien O’Donovan for Herlihy (45 mins), Jack Mulqueen for O’Shea (53 mins).
Referee: Timmy McGrath (Oola).