Free-scoring Muskerry push past Duhallow

[team1]Muskerry[/team1][score1]5-17[/score1][team2]Duhallow[/team2][score2]1-15[/score2][/score]

Two first-quarter goals paved the way for Muskerry to book their place in round 2 of the Cork SHC after a 5-17 to 1-15 win over Duhallow at Páirc Uí Chaoimh last night. Ballinora’s Kevin Murphy and Ian Barry Murphy, Aghabullogue, raised green flags for Pio Enright’s men.

Kevin Murphy’s goal in the 11th minute came after great work from Declan Hanlon. Three minutes later, Ian Barry scored past on-rushing Duhallow ‘keeper Kevin Roche.

Muskerry kept this momentum going giving them a 2-3 to 0-3 lead after 14 minutes. This kicked Duhallow into gear. Sean Howard, Jack Murphy, and Eamonn Brosnan all got scores for the north-west Cork men.

Points late in the half from Hallissey, Bradley and a Sean Bourke free gave the men in white and green a 2-7 to 0-9 interval lead.

The winners opened the second half with 3 points in a row. In the eighth minute they scored their third goal. Substitute Peter Kelleher caught a ball inside the ’21 — he laid it off to Hallissey who finished.

But they couldn’t ignore the Duhallow challenge. A poor puckout from Paul Hallissey put Steven O’Reilly into space. He was pulled down by John Mullins: Eamonn Brosnan buried the resulting penalty to give Duhallow some hope.

However, Muskerry sealed their place in round 2 when the impressive Kevin Murphy netted 10 minutes from time before Peter Kelleher rubbed salt in the wounds with an injury-time goal.

Scorers for Muskerry: K Murphy (2-1); IB Murphy (1-4); K Hallissey (1-3); S Bourke (0-4, 2 frees); M Bradley (0-3); P Kelleher (1-0); D Hanlon, A Murphy (0-1 each).

Duhallow: E Brosnan (1-3, 1-0 pen); S Howard (0-3, 2 frees); J Murphy, S O’Reilly, J Forrest (0-2 each); K Tarrant, C Buttimer, B Weathers (0-1 each).

MUSKERRY:

P Hallisey (Blarney); R O’Donovan (Ballincollig), J Mullins (Eire Og), L Ryan (Inniscarra);C O’Leary (Inniscarra), S O’Donoghue (Inniscarra), A Murphy (Cloughduv); R Murphy (Blarney), M Bradley (Aghabullogue); M O’Riordan (Dripsey), S Bourke (Grenagh), D Hanlon (Blarney); K Hallissey (Eire Og), K Murphy (Ballinora), IB Murphy (Aghabullogue).

Subs: P Kelleher (Kilmichael) for O’Riordan (ht); M Walsh (Cloughduv) for K Murphy (51); S Tarrant (Aghabullogue) for Bradley (55); E Murphy (Dripsey) for Hallissey (56);C Cotter (Kilmichael) for Murphy (56).

DUHALLOW:

K Roche (Banteer); C Buttimer (Kilbrin), B O’Sullivan (Meelin), D O’Mahony (Castlemagner); B Weathers (Banteer), C O’Callaghan (Dromtarriffe), C Murphy (Castlemagner); S Howard (Dromtarriffe), K Cremin (Dromtarriffe); J Murphy (Dromtarriffe), K Tarrant (Banteer), J O’Callaghan (Meelin); S O’Reilly (Kilbrin), E Brosnan (Meelin), J Forrest (Meelin).

Subs: S Hehir (Meelin) for O’Mahony (36); T Howard for J Forrest (36); D O’Keefe (Dromtarriffe) for J O’Callaghan (50); M O’Gorman (Dromtarriffe) for C Murphy (56).

Referee: Mark Maher (St Finbarr’s).