Críost Rí far too good for Douglas
THE scoreline might suggest otherwise, but this was a very comfortable victory for Críost Rí in the Irish Examiner Corn Uí Mhuirí at Bishopstown yesterday.
In fact, they won two games for the price of one, as a place in this year’s Simcox Cup was also at stake.
The Capwell side assured themselves of top spot in their group of the Munster championship.
Conditions were extremely difficult, with the persistent drizzle making ball handling and control under foot extremely difficult, but Críost Rí adapted well, and but for two superb saves by Douglas ’keeper Tomas O’Connor, would have won the game far more convincingly.
Despite the fact that both sides had qualified for the knock-out stages of the provincial championship, the game had a nice little cutting edge to it as neither team wanted to give anything away. But the gap in standards was very evident.
Críost Rí played some superb football in the prevailing conditions, working the ball well from defence to attack.
And from the throw-in, Douglas were always struggling to contain a very lively forward line in which Paul Kerrigan, Michael O’Leary, David Coughlan and Eric Hegarty were very impressive.
Defensively, Críost Rí were rock solid, and the fact that Douglas could only manage one score from play for the hour is a tribute to the excellence of Jonathan Lane, Ray Keating, Peter McCabe, Colm O’Brien and full-back Chris Murphy.
Lane played particularly well and came forward twice from wing-back to kick two valuable points and was only inches away from a third.
Douglas were always struggling to cope with the slickness of the Críost Rí passing game. Only goalkeeper Tomas O’Connor, Alan Barry, Eoin Cadogan and Ronan Griffin were up to the standard on this occasion.
Superbly led by Paul Kerrigan at centre forward, Críost Rí stormed into an 0-6 to 0-1 lead after 20 minutes, Kerrigan scoring four points of his side’s tally, and it looked as if Douglas were in for a drubbing.
The scoreline would have been far worse but for those two excellent saves by Douglas ‘keeper Tomas O’Connor, who denied Fiachra Lynch and Kerrigan in quick succession. At half-time, the Capwell side were well worth their five-point lead.
Douglas improved somewhat in the second half, but not before Jonathan Lane came forward to land his two points.
Eoin Cadogan and Ronan Griffin began to dominate at midfield for Douglas for the next 10 minutes, which forced Críost Rí back, but a combination of poor finishing and excellent defending by Chris Murphy and Peter McCabe meant no return for some good approach work.
Indeed, it took Douglas until the 50th minute to register their first score from play, a Colin Lahive point, but Críost Rí weathered the pressure to finish well in control and looking forward to the knock-out stages next February.
Scorers for Críost Rí: P. Kerrigan 0-4 (0-1 free); E. Hegarty, J. Lsane 0-2 each; R. Leahy 0-1. Douglas: F. O’Leary 0-3 (frees); C. Lahive 0-1.
CRÍOST RÍ: D. O’Sullivan; D. Newman, C. Murphy, C. O’Brien; P. McCabe, R. Keating, J. Lane; J. O’Sullivan, F. Lynch; E. O’Sullivan, P. Kerrigan, M. O’Leary; D. Coughlan, R. Leahy, E. Hegarty.
DOUGLAS CS: T. O’Connor; P. Carroll, B. O’Connor, S. Lynch; M. O’Callaghan, A. Barry, K. Murphy; E. Cadogan, R. Giffin; I. Cullinane, F. O’Leary, D. O’Connell; S. Moylan, C. Lahive, D. O’Riordan. Sub. K. O’Keeffe for Lahive.
Referee, W. Horgan (Brian Dillons).
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