Strong finish sees Bandon open Corn Ui Mhuiri with eye-catching win

Hamilton HS Bandon 3-15 DLS College Macroom 2-9

[team1]Hamilton HS Bandon[/team1][score1]3-15[/score1][team2]DLS College Macroom[/team2][score2]2-9[/score2][/score]

By Therese O’Callaghan

A strong second-half performance saw Hamilton HS get their Corn Uí Mhuirí campaign off to a positive start at St Mary’s yesterday. In this Round 1 tie involving two quarter-finalists from last year, they let their intentions be known just before half-time when they kicked 1-3 without reply, the goal courtesy of Fionn Herlihy on 23 minutes in spite of the best efforts of the De La Salle custodian Brian O’Riordan.

Leading 1-6 to 0-4, they stepped on the gas again after the break – Adam Walsh Murphy’s green flag three minutes after the restart – helping them into a 10-point advantage. It didn’t look good for DLS Macroom, but they narrowed the gap following a two-goal burst within as many minutes. Jack Kelleher and sub Denis Dullea (just on the field) the finishers.

The Macroom side were grateful to outstanding goalkeeping from O’Riordan, who made some point-blank saves. But, they were guilty of wayward shooting as well, which proved costly. With the difference reduced to four points, defender Sean Barry steadied the ship for Hamilton High School – his point kickstarted another period of dominance.

Points from Ben Donegan (free), Herlihy and Darragh O’Shea were replied to by Tomás Collins and Kelleher Still, the High School led by 2-13 to 2-7 with five minutes left on the clock. They kept pressing forward and were further rewarded when Walsh Murphy blasted his second goal on 56 minutes.

Their grip firmly now on this game, they closed out this impressive display with white flags from Walsh Murphy and O’Shea. All bar two points of their 3-15 tally came from open play. This Group C is made up of four teams, Pobal Scoil Chorca Dhuibhne emerged big winners over Skibbereen Community School on Tuesday.

Scorers for Hamilton HS: F Herlihy (1-6, 0-1 free), A Walsh Murphy (2-2), D O’Shea (0-4), S Barry, B Donegan (free) and N Lawton (0-1 each).

Scorers for DLS: J Kelleher (1-5, 0-3 frees), D Dullea (1-0), T Collins (0-2), D Twomey and L Asling (free) (0-1 each).

Hamilton HS: D Curtin (Ahan Gaels); H Lillis (Bandon), T Twohig (Bandon), D Muckian (Valley Rovers); E Collins (Newcestown), C Barry (Sam Maguires), S Barry (Valley Rovers); A Kenneally (Valley Rovers), C McCarthy (St Oliver Plunkett’s); N Lawton (Valley Rovers), D O’Shea (Valley Rovers), A O’Leary (Valley Rovers); A Walsh Murphy (Valley Rovers), B Donegan (Bandon), F Herlihy (Sam Maguires).

Subs: O Walsh (Newcestown) for A Kenneally (20-22 bs), O Walsh for C McCarthy (55).

DLS Macroom: B O’Riordan (Iveleary); C Buckley (Macroom), A Donovan (Iveleary), J O’Riordan (Macroom); F Heffernan (Clondrohid), S O’Riordan (Iveleary), S Meaney (Macroom); J O’Mullane (Kilmurry), L Aisling (Kilmurry); E Moynihan (Canovee), J Kelleher (Canovee), T Collins (Kilmurry); D Foley (Éire Óg), D Twomey (Macroom), C O’Connell (KIlmichael).

Subs: JK Long (Clondrohid) for D Foley (13-18 bs), E Duggan (Clondrohid) for D Foley (half-time inj), D Dullea (Kilmurry) for C O’Connell (39), C Kelleher (Kilmurry) for L Asling (40), R Murphy (Kilmichael) for S Meaney (45), D Linehan (Kilmurry) for J O’Riordan (52).

Referee: Michael Collins (Clonakilty).