Heffernan downs Cullion as Turin make it two from two

Turin 2-20, Cullion1-16

By Robert Kindregan

Turin maintained their perfect start to the Intermediate Hurling Championship with a deserved seven-point victory over Cullion in Kinnegad last Thursday, leading from the fifth minute onwards on their way to a comfortable win.

Last season’s losing finalists have been boosted by the return of Conor Heffernan to the starting 15, and he again proved the key difference, finishing with 1-10 to add to his nine-point haul in the opening round.

Sean Leech’s early goal put Turin on the front foot, but Cullion responded with some excellent hurling before half-time to trim the deficit to a single point at the interval - 2-6 to 0-11. However, the second half belonged to Turin, whose defence restricted Cullion to just six scores after the interval while their attack pulled clear.

Turin repeatedly cut through the Cullion defence after the break, registering 14 second-half points while restricting Cullion to just 1-5, with a series of fouls presenting scoring opportunities that they duly converted.

Played in temperatures above 20 degrees with little wind, Cullion’s Jack Gillen (0-9) opened the scoring with a free before Turin moved ahead when a flick of the wrist from Sean Leech sent the ball to the net inside five minutes.

Shane Broughan bounced a clever pass into Gillen’s path for his second point, but Turin responded through Conor Leech, who controlled a long delivery with his hurl’ before splitting the posts.

Mikey Sinnott and Jack Galvin, both lively throughout, opened their accounts with tidy points either side of another score from Conor Leech.

Disaster struck for Cullion when a long ball from Heffernan dropped short and into the net for Turin’s second goal after just 10 minutes.

Ray Aughey added his name to the scoresheet with a fine point under pressure, but Cullion replied when goalkeeper Conor Kelly found Galvin in midfield, who quickly released Sinnott for an excellent point from distance.

Heffernan opened his account from play after 15 minutes before adding another a minute later, having previously sent two efforts wide.

A flurry of scores from Cullion followed as Kelly found Sinnott from the puckout and the wing-forward raced down the left to score his third point. Conor Regan dummied his marker before splitting the posts, Galvin added another from range and Gillen converted two frees to reduce the deficit to two.

Heffernan ended Turin’s scoring drought when he was picked out by Ray Aughey after 28 minutes. Gillen replied with a close-range free before Eoin Fox split the -posts under intense pressure from Peter Finch to leave just a point between the sides at the break.

Heffernan and Gillen traded two points apiece inside the opening five minutes of the second half before Turin struck three unanswered scores through a Heffernan 65', Ciaran Kiernan and PJ O’Neill to reassert control. Gillen converted another free, but Conor Leech responded immediately after cutting in from midfield to restore Turin’s five-point advantage.

Cullion continued to chase a goal and worked a clever short free to Eoin Fox, but goalkeeper Eoin Aughey dealt comfortably with his effort. Galvin then found Gillen in space, but after weighing up his options he opted to take the point. Heffernan punished further indiscipline with three converted frees before Kiernan added his second from play to extend Turin’s lead to seven.

Cullion eventually found the breakthrough they had been searching for when Sinnott got a touch to Eoin Fox’s delivery to fire to the net with three minutes remaining. It proved only a consolation, however, as Turin finished strongly, with Kiernan adding two fine points from range to seal a deserved seven-point victory.

Turin look every bit as strong as last season’s runners-up and perhaps even more effective. With Heffernan spearheading an attack full of scoring threats and a well-organised defence behind them, they will take plenty of stopping.

Cullion will be disappointed to suffer a second successive defeat and must begin picking up results if they are to realise their ambition of returning to Senior 'B' hurling next year.

Scorers - Turin: Conor Heffernan 1-10 (0-3f, 0-2 65'), Ciaran Kiernan 0-4, Sean Leech 1-0, Conor Leech 0-3, Ray Aughey 0-2, PJ O’Neill 0-1.

Cullion: Jack Gillen 0-9 (0-6f), Mikey Sinnott 1-3, Jack Galvin 0-2, Conor Regan 0-1, Eoin Fox 0-1.

Cullion: Conor Kelly, Liam Shaw, James Clarke, Pierce Shaw, Sean Regan, Conor Regan, Conor Gilhooley, Conor Shaw, Mikey Sinnott, Jimmy Kelly, Jack Gillen, Eoin Fox, Dylan Hayes, Jack Galvin, Shane Broughan.

Subs: Tadgh Desmond for S Broughan.

Turin: Eoin Aughey, Jack Dowling, Craig Neville, Peter Finch, Brian Aughey, Darragh Smith, Derek Hourihane, Declan McGrath, Ciaran Kiernan, Conor Heffernan, Sean Leech, PJ O’Neill, Jack Penrose, Conor Leech, Ray Aughey.

Subs: Oisin L’Estrange for B Aughey, Josh L’Estrange for J Penrose.

Referee: Ray Farrelly.