Naomh Bríd fail to turn over Commercials
Adam Dunne (Naomh Bríd captain) with referee Jimmy Heavey and Commercials captain Adam Drewett
After a wonderful season where they annexed the intermediate hurling championship and went on to win a game in the provincial competition, Naomh Bríd had to settle for second best in this Leinster intermediate quarter-final at Parnell Park on Saturday.
It was a hard ask from the start. The Carlow champions had a ten week sabbatical without a meaningful game before their opening test against Delvin.
That was a good game to win but this was several steps up. Yet despite the sixteen point loss, the Carlow side showed that with a bit more experience they could compete at this higher level.
They matched Commercial in the opening stages with Aaron Amond knocking over a brilliant point out on the left and also converting a free to peg their opponents back after Adam Drewett and Conor Cleary raised white flags.
The first goal arrived through a route one delivery into the edge of the small square and Sean McCarthy was on hand to bat home at the City end of the ground.
Commercials turned the screw and Alan Brennan in the Naomh Bríd goal did well to deny Diarmaid O’Dulaing and Fiach O’Toole’s last ditch flick prevented Dean Simpson from pulling the trigger.
Slowly but surely, Commercials got into higher gears. Naomh Bríd hung in there. Some of the points from both sides were of the highest quality. Yet in there, Naomh Bríd also registered over half a dozen wides against a more economical home side.
Just before the interval, the game was all but won and lost when another batted effort, this time through Ferdia O’ Nualláin, produced another goal for Commercials. Leading 2-9 to 0-7 at the interval, the game was all but up for Naomh Bríd.
Five unanswered points in the early stages of the second half for Commercials crushed any notion of an unlikely come back for the Carlow champions. They still persisted and Amond scored five points out of six scores to give the scoreboard a more balanced look.
In there was another Commercials goal scored by Jamie Flanagan.
Amond created another goal chance but a perfectly timed interception from Michael O’Keeffe ensured his goalkeeper would maintain a clean sheet.
John Murphy did score a late goal but the referee, Jimmy Heavey, quite rightly ruled it out for catching the ball three times.
In the end, Naomh Bríd bowed the knee as the Dublin champions sealed their victory picking off five points in succession while at the other end, their defence did their job which augurs well for their chances as they progress to the last four.
D O’Dúllaing 0-8 (4fs), S McCarthy 1-2, J Flanagan 1-0, F O’ Nualláin 1-0, D O’Kelly 0-3, C Cleary 0-2, A Drewitt 0-2, D Simpson 0-1, J O’Keeffe 0-1.
A Amond 0-8 (6fs), J Connolly 0-2, J Murphy 0-1, M Bambrick 0-1.
Shane Clohessy; Neil Lawless, Kyle Butler, Jack Morris; Michael O’Keeffe, Callum Morris, Conor McCarthy; Rhys Butler, Conor Cleary; Ferdia O Nualláin, Diarmaid O’Dúllaing, Daniel O’Kelly; Sean McCarthy, Adam Drewett, Dean Simpson.
Jamie Flanagan for Simpson (h/t), Adam McGarr for Morris (h/t), Cathal O’Luasa for O Nualláin (44), Jack O’Keeffe for Cleary (44), Sean Dungan for O’Kelly (56).
Alan Brennan; Shane Kirwan, Adam Dunne, Ros Dermody; Tadhg O’Neill, Fiach O’Toole, Gary Dunne; Mikey Bambrick, Eanna Holland; Ruarc O’Neill, John Murphy, Mark Fitzgerald; Aaron Amond, Jack Connolly, Jamie Doyle.
Niall Roche for Dunne (25), Conor DeLacey for Holland (39), Colin Byrne for Doyle (44), Gavin Slattery for Connolly (46), Daniel Roche for Dunne (62).
Jimmy Heavey (Wexford).
