St Mullins bounce back in style
Paul Doyle carries the ball out of defence for St Mullins
St Mullins were convincing winners of this fifth round Senior Hurling Championship tie in Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday.
The eventual winners controlled the opening period building up a 0-3 to 0-1 after 11 minutes with Ger Coady’s long range point the pick of the opening scores. Jake Doyle was the Bagenalstown Gaels scorer with a 65.
He added another point and Danny Doyle also bisected the Mullins posts with a wonderful strike on his own half way line.
Boosted by further points from Paul Doyle and Conor Kehoe (free), St Mullins went for the jugular when raiding down the left, Paddy Boland honed in on goal and found the net with a low shot which beat the exposed Andrew Townsend in the Bagenalstown Gaels goal.
Jake Doyle continued to be a threat for the Gaels ending up the half with five points from placed balls and play. Despite this, St Mullins still led 1-9 to 0-6 at the interval.
St Mullins put the result beyond all doubt when three points inside seven minutes from Kehoe stretched their lead. TJ Darcy did score a neat point for Bagenalstown but it was never going to be enough.
In the final quarter, Kehoe added a second goal and with his first touch, Gary Bennett’s deft flick produced another St Mullins three-pointer. It was all too much for their opponents who, with results going their way elsewhere, may have qualified for the semi-finals but they will have an awful lot to dwell on in the meantime.
Meanwhile after their drubbing to Rangers last week, St Mullins have demonstrated they haven’t gone away just yet.
The final round results, including Mount Leinster Rangers’ win over Bagenalstown on Friday evening and Naomh Eoin’s 2-20 to 0-19 win over Naomh Bríd, means that St Mullins will meet Ballinkillen in the semi-finals, while Bagenalstown will meet county champions Rangers.
C Kehoe 1-9 (8fs), P Boland, G Bennett 1-0 each, C Kavanagh, James Doyle, P Doyle 0-2 each, M Kavanagh, G Coady 0-1 each.
Jake Doyle 0-7 (65 5fs), TJ Darcy, P Abbey, D Doyle 0-1 each.
Seamus Murphy; Laurence Brennan, Paudie Kehoe, Ciaran Harris; Ger Coady, Michael Walsh, Paul Doyle; Eamonn O’Shea, Jack Kavanagh; James Doyle, Marty Kavanagh, Colm Kavanagh; Paddy Boland, Conor Kehoe, John Doyle.
Andrew Townsend; Eoghan Dowling, Niall Bolger, Alan Wall; Cian Doyle, Craig Doyle, Sean Wall; Jack McCullagh, Paddy Abbey; Jason Wall, James Doyle, John Lillis; TJ Darcy, Jake Doyle, Paddy McDonnell.
Paud O’Dwyer (Palatine).
