O'Driscoll goal decisive as Dunderry stun St Peter's
DUNDERRY’S greater efficiency proved decisive as they confirmed their recent superiority over St Peter's in Group A of the SHC with a 1-19 to 0-19 win at Pairc Tailteann yesterday evening, writes Sean Wall.
In what was an entertaining contest both sides enjoyed spells of dominance throughout and the game was in the balance right until the final whistle. However it was St Peter’s who had cause to lament some erratic shooting as the tallied 13 wides over the hour.
Points from Niall Smyth and Sean Quigley had them ahead inside 40 seconds but the wide count soon started to mount and by the end of the opening quarter they had missed the target on six occasions.
Dunderry for their part were much more proficient and with Evan Nolan accounting for four points and Donagh O Laoire, Jordan Martyn and Mark Leavy also on target they opened up a 0-8 to 0-3 lead. It could have been more but 'keeper Liam Davis made a brilliant save from a Nolan effort on 17 minutes.
With Quigley prominent, St Peter’s enjoyed a period of superiority during which they cut the deficit to the minimum, 0-9 to 0-10 by the 28th minute.
However Dunderry wrestled back control in the closing stages of the half with points from Martyn, O Laoire, Mark Leavy and a crucial goal from Daire O’Driscoll.
A rebound off a post from a Leavy point effort fell kindly to the centre forward who blasted to the net from close range on the stroke of half-time. It left Dunderry leading 1-13 to 0-9 at the break.
Dunderry needed that advantage as St Peter’s restarted in terrific style with five successive points in a nine minute spell.
Quigley (two), the impressive Daire Rohan, Simon Cunningham and Eoghan McCormack were all on target in that dominant spell before Stephen Coogan broke the sequence with Dunderry’s opening score of the second half.
The lead stretched back out to five, 1-18 to 0-16, by the 50th minute before St Peter’s again raised their game and three successive points from Quigley, taking his tally to 10, left it finely poised entering the closing minutes.
St Peter’s need a goal at that stage to save the match but Dunderry defended stoutly and full forward Coogan sealed the win with the final point in added time.
Dunderry – Jack Fagan; Cian Coogan, Ronan Brady, Niall O Laoire; Fionn McHale, Liam Coogan, Darragh Fay; Conor Leavy, Jamie Duffy (0-1); Jordan Martyn (0-2), Daire O’Driscoll (1-0), Donagh O Laoire (0-5); Mark Leavy (0-2), Stephen Coogan (0-2), Evan Nolan (0-7 five frees, one '65'). Sub – Tadhg Dowd for Martyn 57 mins.
St Peter’s – Liam Davis; Conor Deering, Adam O’Connor, Cian Rohan; Diarmuid Delaney, Andrew McWeeney, Ger Murphy; Alan Watters, John Mitchell; Daire Rohan (0-3), Eoghan McCormack (0-2), Sean Quigley (0-10 eight frees); Simon Cunningham (0-1), Liam Callanan (0-1), Niall Smyth (0-2). Sub – Sean McGrath for Mitchell 60 mins.
Referee – Bernard Heaney (Clann na nGael).