Hat-trick for Coll in impressive win for Delvin
Slevin’s Coaches Senior Hurling ‘B’ Championship: Delvin 6-18, Crookedwood 2-17
Gerry Buckley reports
With their lethal Westmeath duo of Darragh Clinton and Josh Coll scoring a whopping 4-11 between them, Delvin copper-fastened their position as favourites for the Mickey Power Cup with an emphatic win against Crookedwood in a high-scoring and largely entertaining clash in TEG Cusack Park on Saturday evening.
The wind-assisted ‘Wood raced into a three-point lead in as many minutes courtesy of Barry O’Mara (two) and Shane McGovern (one). However, a fourth-minute point from Paddy Farrington was quickly followed by a flicked goal from Eoin Carolan (when cleverly teed up by Coll) and a clinically-taken three-pointer from the latter (ironically, after receiving what looked like a somewhat mishit delivery from Clinton).
Peter Collins’ troops added three points before the end of the opening quarter from the sticks of McGovern, O’Mara and Brian McLoughlin, and they seemed unfortunate to have been denied a 12th-minute ‘goal’ from Brendan McCarthy by an early whistle by the referee who opted to throw in the sliotar.
Carolan registered the Valley men’s only point during the same period, but they still led by 2-2 to 0-6 with 15 minutes on the clock.
The maroon and white-clad side ‘won’ the second quarter by six points (all from the stick of the mercurial Clinton – including four from open play) to five (Oisín Boyle, McLoughlin and McCarthy, and two from O’Mara – one of them from a free) to lead by 2-8 to 0-11 at the interval.
McCarthy doubled his tally a mere 15 seconds after play resumed, but a monster free from Clinton and a fine individual goal by Dean Ennis put Delvin six points clear (3-9 to 0-12) with 32 minutes on the clock.
O’Mara (a ‘65’) and Killian Murphy soon traded points, as did McLoughlin and Clinton (a wonderful score). Murphy scored another point for Jody Murray’s charges before superbly setting up Coll for a great goal in the 37th minute.
Scores continued to arrive thick and fast with McGovern squeezing in the losers’ opening goal some two minutes later. Point exchanges followed between Ronan Kelly and sub Ian McGovern, the respective number 15s, Shane McGovern and Carolan, and Clinton and O’Mara (both frees), leaving Delvin ahead by 4-15 to 1-17 with 50 minutes elapsed.
The closing stages saw three more green flags being raised – a kicked effort from Clinton and an opportunist score from Coll for the winners, with Enda Murray marking his introduction at the other end with an immediate goal. Ennis and Clinton (two – open play and a ‘65’ with the last score of the contest) tagged on points for Delvin.
Scorers – Delvin: D Clinton 1-11 (0-4f, 0-1‘65’), J Coll 3-0, E Carolan 1-2, D Ennis 1-1, K Murphy 0-2, P Farrington and R Kelly 0-1 each. Crookedwood: B O’Mara 0-7 (2f, 1‘65’), S McGovern 1-3, E Murray 1-0, B McLoughlin 0-3, B McCarthy 0-2, O Boyle and I McGovern 0-1 each.
Delvin: Tadhg Kelly; Francis McGrath, Patrick Clune, Brian Herward; Dean Poynton, Adam Ennis, Fintan Cox; Aaron Fenlon, Paddy Farrington; Dean Ennis, Killian Murphy, Ronan Kelly; Josh Coll, Darragh Clinton, Eoin Carolan. Subs used: Paddy Poynton for Fenlon (h-t), Liam Carolan for E Carolan (47), Oisín Kelly for D Ennis (56),
Crookedwood: Adam Mitchell; Johnny Nally, Ger Brennan, Damien Grifferty; Adam Bate, Seamus Savage, Feichin Óg Brennan; Eddie Nally, Lorcan O’Mara; Oisín Boyle, Noel Yourell, Barry O’Mara; Brendan McCarthy, Brian McLoughlin, Shane McGovern. Subs used: Cathal Bawle for G Brennan (40), Simon McCarthy for Yourell (40), Ian McGovern for Boyle (40), John Kiernan for Grifferty (49), Enda Murray for McLoughlin (56).
Ref: Barry Kelly (St Oliver Plunkett’s).
Footnote: Prior to the game, a minute’s silence was observed in memory of the recently deceased Peggy Newman from Delvin.