De La Salle eye first title after rout of Críost Rí
St. Flannan's will provide formidable opposition but Clare star and current Flannan's mentor, Jamesie O'Connor, will have been impressed with the winners of this semi-final rout.
Underfoot conditions weren't conducive to fast flowing hurling but for all that De La Salle showed real skill as they eased clear of determined but limited opposition and they had the game wrapped up as early as the interval, when they commandingly led by 2-5 to 0-1.
They had the perfect start when dangerous full-forward Craig Moloney scored the first of his hat-trick of goals in the third minute.
Chríost Rí responded with a long range pointed free by centre-back Dave O'Connell but that was the Cork side's only score of the half.
De La Salle ruled the roost and but for the sterling efforts of midfielder Eric Hegarty and the smart and confident goalkeeping of Eric Kennedy Chríost Rí would surely have been even further adrift at the interval.
Kennedy's goalkeeping was out of the top drawer but even he had no chance of keeping Thomas Connors' drive out on the quarter hour and at that early stage the result looked inevitable.
Chríost Rí made most of the early second-half running but weak finishing and stout De La Salle defence yielded them nothing on the scoreboard.
The game was all over as a meaningful contest when Moloney bagged his second goal, De La Salle's third, in the 37th minute.
Defenders Michael Tobin and Dave O'Connell gave Hegarty every support to redress a rapidly deteriorating situation but the odds against them were overwhelming.
Moloney, Connors, and Thomas Kearns were rampant in the De La Salle attack and Patrick Kennedy and Christopher Sheehan looked particularly impressive in the Waterford side's defence.
Moloney's hat-trick was completed in the 49th minute and he added two quality points to complete his significant input into his side's decisive victory.
Points by Ronan Walsh, Hegarty, and Ian Madden were the sum total of Chríost Rí's paltry response and while the Cork college get maximum points for endeavour they were simply outplayed on the day by a far superior opposition.
: De La Salle; C. Moloney (3-3); T. Kearns (0-5); T. Connors (1-0); D. Smith (0-2); C. O'Toole (0-1). Coláiste Críost Rí; D. O'Connell, E. Hegarty, R. Walsh, I. Madden (0-1) each.
: J. O'Keeffe; P. Kennedy, A. O'Neill, D. O'Sullivan; N. Kelly, C. Sheehan, F. McGrath; D. Kirby, C. O'Toole; T. Kearns, T. Connors, E. Morrissey; D. Twomey, C. Moloney, D. Smith; Subs: J. Coll for Twomey, M. Grace for Kelly.
: E. Kennedy; C. Bonus, E. Keane, M. Tobin; S. McCarthy, D. O'Connell, E. Allen; E. Hegarty, G. O'Connor; P. O'Riordan, R. Walsh, I. Madden; J. O'Dwyer, S. Martin, B. O'Sullivan; Subs; A. Twohig for Keane, D. McCarthy for O'Riordan.
: D. O Murchu (Ring).
