St Mullins make it back-to-back Intermediate Hurling titles
Alex Doyle, the St Mullins Intermediate hurling captain receives the Pat Foley Cup from his mother Joan after their win over MLR.
St Mullins secured back-to-back intermediate hurling titles with an emphatic win at Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday.
The first half was hard fought with the old rivals refusing to give an inch. The marking was tight with both sets of forwards working with only the minimum of space.
The holders, St Mullins, went ahead with two points from the experienced Seamus Murphy while Cathal Connolly also tacked on a point. Rangers first point came from an unlikely source in right-corner back, Mark Dundon. Denis Murphy reduced the margin to one with a Rangers free.
The exchanges remained tough but fair with St Mullins taking an 0-8 to 0-5 lead to the interval.
The eventual winners pressed early in the second half and Murphy had a great chance when the ball broke in front of him but he failed to make contact and Rangers cleared.
The let-off for the Borris side was only temporary and within seconds the same player deflected a high ball to the Rangers net. Denis Murphy was Rangers go to player but he could only do so much. Colm Kavanagh scored the second Mullins goal when a short puck-out went astray and the half-forward found the net with ease.
After that, the result was inevitable and St Mullins turned the screw on their next-door parish rivals to cement an excellent two in a row intermediate titles.
S Murphy 1-8 (6fs), C Kavanagh 1-0, O Boland, J Kelly 0-2 each, J Doyle (Drummond) , E Doyle, C Connolly 0-1 each.
D Murphy 0-8 (6fs), M Dundon, J Dundon 0-1 each.
James Doyle; Laurence Brennan, Stephen O’Brien, Sean Doyle; James Doyle, James Kelly, Chris Kavanagh; Brian Kealy, Oisin Boland; Colm Kavanagh, Alex Doyle, Eddie Doyle; Cathal Connolly, Seamus Murphy, Jake Kelly. Subs: Gavin Connolly for C Kavanagh (45), Fearghal Doyle for C Connolly (51), Sean Kavanagh for Kelly (58).
Gary Kelly, Mark Dundon, Jack Ryan, Luke Kavanagh; Jack Griffith, Richard Kelly, Michael Malone, Robert Stafford, Darragh O’Toole; Jack Flood, Denis Murphy, Joe Dundon; Daniel Ryan, Pauric Kavanagh, Ben Bolger. Subs: Declan Brennan for Flood (h/t), Brad Bolger for Bolger (38), James Bible for R Kelly (41), Stephen Lawlor for Brennan (48), Eoin Coleman for P Kavanagh (52).
Patrick Murphy (Ballinkillen)
