Disappointing Douglas no match for Imokilly's strength in depth
Eoin Cadogan, Douglas watching as Jack Leahy, Imokilly goes after the breaking ball during their Co-Op Superstores Cork Premier Senior Hurling Championship quarter-final match at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Picture Dan Linehan
Imokilly advanced to the last four of the Co-Op Superstores Cork Premier SHC at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday evening. They took control from the start against a disappointing Douglas, setting up a penultimate clash against fellow East Cork side Sarsfields.
Some of the Imokilly players performed with their clubs on Friday and Saturday, and as a result there was one enforced change with captain John Cronin ruled out after getting injured in Lisgoold’s IAHC defeat to Mayfield on Saturday.
Jack Leahy, after impressing against Avondhu, also came into the attack.
It didn’t upset their rhythm though, as they romped to a 13-point win.
“John picked up a knock, so as a precaution it was felt it was better not to play him. Because there were a lot of matches at the weekend, we had a lot of ‘what-ifs’ planned,” explained Imokilly manager Denis Ring.
“James McCarthy replaced him. Nobody knew him before tonight, but he had a very good performance. He is a soccer player from Cobh Ramblers.
“Ciarán Joyce has a hamstring injury and we would hope to have him back.”
Nine different scorers contributed, with 1-25 scored from open play.
Over the course of their two championship games to date, they tallied a hefty 1-54.
It was a fast start from the three-in-a-row winners (2017-2019), with the opening point from Sean Desmond in the first minute. They moved 0-3 to 0-1 up before a flurry of scores from Diarmuid Healy, Seamus Harnedy, Mike Kelly (free) and Bill Cooper kept them in the ascendancy — 0-7 to 0-2 in the seventh minute.
A Shane Kingston free and one from Eoin Dolan cut the lead to three after 10 minutes.
Imokilly moved the ball swiftly, and with precision, and they hit the next five points without reply - Barry Lawton’s long-range effort from out the field the pick, 0-12 to 0-4.
Alan Cadogan got the scoring moving again for the city team, and there was a Shane Kingston free, but it still left them in arrears by double scores.
As the first half came to its conclusion, Sean Desmond’s fourth flag could well have been a goal, but the Watergrasshill forward chose to take his point.
Douglas had an opportunity too of a green flag, but Brian Lawton’s block was timely as the east Cork division went to the dressing room 0-15 to 0-7 up - seven different scorers and 14 of the 15 points from open play.
The task facing Douglas was epic. They made a substitution at half-time and a double one seven minutes later, but they didn’t have the strength in depth to turn this around.
Shane Kingston (who finished with 1-10) struck all of their scores in the third quarter, his goal in the 37th minute badly needed.
But it was only a temporary respite as Imokilly went on to outhit them seven to one, 0-25 to 1-10.
The former champions showed their real potential running out comfortable winners - Desmond’s 56th minute goal the icing on the cake.
S Desmond (1-6), M Kelly (0-7, 0-4 frees), D Healy (0-4), S Harnedy and J Leahy (0-3 each), Barry Lawton and B Cooper (0-2 each), S Hegarty and W Leahy (0-1 each).
S Kingston (1-10, 0-5 frees, 0-1 65), A Cadogan and C Kingston (0-2 each), E Dolan and C Lucas (0-1 each).
E Davis (St Catherine’s); T Wilk (Cobh), C O’Brien (St Ita’s, Capt), M Russell (Aghada); D O’Leary (Watergrasshill), Brian Lawton (Castlemartyr),, J McCarthy (Dungourney); B Cooper (Youghal), S Hegarty (Dungourney); D Healy (Lisgoold), S Harnedy (St Ita’s), Barry Lawton (Castlemartyr); M Kelly (Castlemartyr), J Leahy (Dungourney), S Desmond (Watergrasshill).
W Leahy (Aghada) for Barry Lawton (51), J Stack (Castlemartyr) for S Harnedy (57), K Wallace (St Catherine’s) for M Kelly, D Mangan (St Catherine’s) for J Leahy (both 59), B Mulcahy (St Catherine’s) for S Desmond (62).
D Maher; D Murphy (Capt), B O’Neill, E Cadogan; Cillian O’Donovan, M Harrington, M Howell; C Baldwin, S Moylan; E Dolan, A Cadogan, C Kingston; B Hartnett, S Kingston, S Bourke Subs: S Donegan for E Dolan (half-time), C Lucas for S Bourke, K McSweeney for C Baldwin (both 37), B O’Connor for C Kingston (47), Conor O’Donovan for B Hartnett (53).
Shane Scanlon (Newcestown).
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