Hayes stars as Rochestown begin Corn Ui Mhuirí campaign with victory over PS Chorca Dhuibhne

STEADY START: Rochestown's Michael O'Mahony (Ballygarvan) on the move in Tuesday's Corn Ui Mhuirí victory at Dr Crokes GAA grounds.

Corn Ui Mhuiri (Munster PPS SFC) 

St Francis College, Rochestown 1-17 PS Chorca Dhuibhne, Dingle 0-13 

The track record of Cork schools travelling to Kerry and returning with Corn Ui Mhuiri wins is modest at best, so Rochestown’s St Francis College can feel rather pleased with themselves in the wake of Tuesday’s opening round Munster PPS SFC joust in Killarney.

Roco did the pick-and-shovel work against the wind in the first half, a sweetly taken 29th-minute goal from Sean Coakley giving them the whip hand at the interval, with a 1-8 to 0-9 lead.

Dingle’s PS Chorca Dhuibhne kicked a range of impressive scores in the opening quarter and the visitors did well to hang in there, courtesy of the accurate free taking of Brian Hayes – from a variety of angles – and the hard-running of centre-forward Harry Quilligan.

On 15 minutes, Dingle enjoyed a 0-7 to 0-3 lead with wing-back Sean O Cuinn and Cathal O Dufaigh hitting the target from range but within eight minutes Rochestown had levelled matters. Just before the break, they hit the front for the first time, Coakley’s goal set up by Evan O’Connor. They would not be led again.

With the wind, full forward Hayes displayed the full breadth of his talents, combining with his attacking colleagues to bag five second half points, three from play.

Though he was only sporadically called upon, Rochestown keeper Mikey O’Connell looked very alert and assured and he not only made a sparkling double save from Dingle’s O Cuinn in the latter stages, but also saved a late penalty as Dingle chased the game.

However, the west Kerry lads had no answer to the triumvirate of Hayes, Quilligan and Coakley, who finished with 1-15 between them.

A 45 from Hayes at the three-quarter mark put Roco 1-12 to 0-11 in front and Harry Quilligan put the exclamation mark on a superb end-to-end team score from the visitors on 50 minutes to open a six-point lead.

Pobal Scoil kept going and had Collins not thwarted that 55th-minute goal effort, they may have made Roco sweat but Hayes and Coakley added late points to put the seal on an important away win.

Scorers for Rochestown: B Hayes (0-9, 6 frees), H Quiligan (0-5, 3 frees), S Coakley (1-1), E O’Connor (0-2, one free) 

Scorers for PS Chorca Dhuibhne: J MacGearault (0-6, frees), S O Cuinn, R O’Beaglaoich (0-2 each), A O Beaglaoich, C O Dufaigh, P MacGearailt (0-1 each).

ST FRANCIS ROCHESTOWN: M O’Connell (St Michaels); F Leahy (St Michael’s), D Buckley (Douglas), M O’Rourke (Cobh); C O’Neill (Nemo Rgs), L Dwane Fogarty (Douglas), D O’Callaghan (Douglas); K Lyons (Ballygarvan), B Kelliher (Carrigaline); B Fraher (Nemo Rgs), H Quilligan (Douglas), M O’Mahony (Ballygarvan); E O’Connor (Ballygarvan), B Hayes (Nemo Rgs), S Coakley (Douglas).

Subs: C O’Keeffe (Douglas) for Kelliher (HT); E Collins (Douglas) for Fraher (HT); D Howard (Shamrocks) for Quilligan (57); T Vaughan (Carrigaline) for Coakley.

PS CHORCA DHUIBHNE: J de hOra, (Dingle), C O Fearghaill (Gaeltacht), S O’Conchuir (Lispole), JJ MacLiam (Gaeltacht); S O Cuinn (Gaeltacht), S O’Fiannachta (Gaeltacht), P O’Riain (Dingle); R O Beaglaoich (Gaeltacht), T Aghas (Annascaul); A O Beagloaich (Gaeltacht), C Gealbhain (Lispole), C O Dufaigh (Gaeltacht); C Cordubh (Gaeltacht), J MacGearailt (Lispole), P MacGearailt (Gaeltacht).

Subs: C O’Cinneide (Lispole) for O Riain (41); N O’Riain (Dingle) for O Gealbhain (51), A O Seaghdha (Gaeltacht) for O Dufaigh (53); C MacGearailt (Gaeltacht) for P MacGearailt (58).

Referee: M Murphy (St Michael’s, Foilmore)