Barr's edge hard-earned win over Douglas

[team1]St Finbarr’s[/team1][score1]0-14[/score1][team2]Douglas[/team2][score2]0-13[/score2][/score]

St Finbarr’s held out for a hard-earned win over Douglas in a drab first round IHC clash at Páirc Uí Rinn today.

Some careless shooting and fouls spoiled this game as a spectacle as the Barr's ability to finish that little better saw them edge a tense encounter.

In recent years the Barr's success at football has been noticeable but manager Joe Kennedy believes the hurling code is making great strides.

Kennedy said: “The football side of our club is strong but credit to the lads they are putting in huge effort to revitalise hurling and this was a welcome win.”

The Barr's were quickest from the blocks and a stunning Ian O’Callaghan point after 15 seconds was the start they needed.

Douglas were careless with their shooting and passing as the Barr's punished them with points from James Goggin and Enda Dennehy.

Eoin Dolan finally got Douglas up and running in the eighth minute but lack of quality ball to their forwards was hurting them on the scoring front.

Gradually Douglas were up with the pace and an Eoin Dolan point in the closing minute brought his tally to five and ensure Douglas led 0-8 to 0-7 at the interval.

The standard dipped in the opening minutes of the second half as the Barr's took command, taking the scoring opportunities far better than their opponents.

Douglas should have raised the opening green flag when Eoin Dolan got two attempts to hit the back of the net, but he failed on both occasions.

The Barr's consistently punished Douglas’s tendency to foul and a third Scott Callinan point in the 47th minute edged them into a four-point lead.

Incredibly over the hour both teams squandered numerous chances and entering the closing ten minutes the game hung in the balance.

Two Eoin Dolan frees in the 53rd and 55th minute reduced the deficit to the minimum as Douglas surged forward for the levelling point.

Try as they did Douglas couldn’t add to their tally much to the disappointment of selector Jimmy O’Mahony “I think when we look backon this game our shooting cost us big time, but we now have to take the scenic route and that might suit us as we will improve,” said O’Mahony.

Scorers for St Finbarr’s: S Callinan (0-4, 3 frees); S O’Leary, J Goggin (free, 65), K Hodgins (0-2 each); I O’Callaghan, E Dennehy, E Maher, C Barrett (0-1 each).

Scorers for Douglas: E Dolan (0-9, 8 frees, 65); A Ward, C Baldwin, J Collins, D Hanrahan (0-1 each).

ST FINBARR’S: I Lordan; E O’Regan, P O’Brien, P Kennedy; E Healy, J Goggin, C Buckley; S Callanan, S O’Leary; J Power, E Maher, J O’Brien; K Hodgins, E Dennehy, I O’Callaghan.

Subs: C Barrett for E Maher (39), L Hannigan for J Power (48), D Quinn for P O’Brien (50), M Ryan for S O’Leary (55), J Ryan for E O’Regan (62).

DOUGLAS: A Cullnane; S O’Donoghue, J Collins, D Sheehan; C Lucey, B Collins, C Sheehan; D Hanrahan, J O’Mahony; E Dolan, M Dolan, C Baldwin; B O’Connor, J Moylan, A Ward.

Subs: L Dineen for J O’Mahony (41), D Murphy for S O’Donoghue (45).

Referee: Justin Murphy (Castletownroche).