De La Salle lay foundations for local derby victory in the first-half
St Colman's and Youghal CBS play in the last game in the group tomorrow at the Mon Field and a Youghal victory would see them join DSL on six points. Scoring averages would then come into play. At present DSL have the better average, which means Youghal will have to win by at least 10 points to take second spot. With so much at stake in Dungarvan yesterday, this local derby clash drew a fair-sized crowd and they weren't disappointed as both sides went all-out for the win.
The winners laid the foundations for their victory in the first half when playing into the teeth of the bitterly cold wind. With Wayne Hutchinson and Noel Delahunty commanding figures in defence, DSL stormed into a 0-4 to 0-0 lead in the opening 10 minutes. They might have had a goal but for a brilliant save by Mark Fives who somehow managed to deflect Mathew Barden's piledriver over the bar. DSL were razor-sharp in those opening minutes with Barden in particular in sparkling form at right corner forward, but they were rocked by a Waterford Colleges goal in the 11th minute which came completely against the run of play. A well-struck free by Mark O'Gorman was blocked out by the DSL defence to the unmarked Noel Ó Murchú, who first timed the sliotar to the net, and the sides were level two minutes later when Stephen Kavanagh equalised.
Waterford Colleges' half-time lead of 1-5 to 0-6 was never going to be enough. A Christopher Mears point just after the restart put three between the sides, but it was to be Waterford Colleges' only score of the second half as DSL's class became a telling factor, and they were level after 42 minutes as Tommy Power showed his class with two points and big James Quirke had the third. Waterford Colleges' decision to play Mark O'Gorman as an extra defender was surprising given he had scored 3-5 from the full-forward position in his side's previous outing and when he was eventually moved back it was too late as DSL struck over a litany of points to run out winners.
Scorers DSL: T. Power 0-4; J. Quirke 0-3; M. Barden, P. Nevin, S. O'Sullivan (0-1 free) 0-2 each; K. Moran, G. O'Connor 0-1 each.
Waterford Colleges: N. Ó Murchú 1-0; D. Hickey 0-2; S. Kavanagh, A. Cooney, M. O'Gorman, C. Mears 0-1 each.
DSL: J. Dooley; D. Russell, W. Hutchinson, M. O'Doherty; N. Delahunty, P. Hogan, P. Carroll; S. O'Sullivan, G. Molloy; P. Nevin, J. Qurke, K. Moran; M. Barden, T. Power, G. O'Connor. Subs. D. Heffernan for Delahunty; E. O'Neill for Moran; A. Ryan for Molloy.
WATERFORD COLLEGES: M. Fives; B. McCarthy, J. Kindergan, J. Hanrahan; M. Flynn, M. O'Connor, M. Prendergast; C. Mrears, S. Kavanagh; A. Cooney, N. Ó Murchú, D. Hickey; S. Kelly, M. O'Gorman, M. Whelan. Subs. P. Walsh for S. Kelly; B. Hickey for Mears.
Referee, B. White (Clonmel).
