Éire Óg Corra Choill reignite their Championship hopes
Éire Óg Corra Choill's Donnchadh Fitzpatrick tries to get a shot away before Coill Dubh's Fionn Moran can make a block. Photo: Sean Brilly
Éire Óg Corra Choill and Coill Dubh served up a really good game in Round 2 of the UPMC Kildare Senior Hurling Championship on Saturday afternoon with Cedral St Conleths playing host.
This Group A encounter was relatively close throughout with never more than two scores between the sides. Mark Delaney and Jack Higgins shared 16 points between themselves both hitting eight but the quality of scores from both sides proving hugely impressive.
The aforementioned Delaney hit the opening two points in as many minutes and another former county man Johnny Byrne showed his quality with a neat point from wide on the left. With their first attack of the game Sean O’Neill was out in front of Dylan Brereton to grab Higgins's pass and he rounded Brereton before levelling the game with what proved to be the game’s only goal.
Cian O’Reilly saw his first point push Éire Óg in front for the first time. Delaney levelled with his third and Jack Higgins got his first, from a free, to keep Éire Óg in front. Johnny Byrne recorded his second before Delaney landed his fourth from inside his own '65 metre line. Higgins and Eanna O’Neill both found the target at the end of the opening quarter.
Éire Óg found a burst of scores in a three minute spell. Cian O’Reilly, Jack Higgins, Daniel Murray and Paul Dolan helping edge the Donore men three ahead. Coill Dubh responded with two excellent long range efforts through Johnny Byrne and Mark Grace to close the gap to the minimum. Éire Óg Corra Choill outscored Coill Dubh by four points to one before the break.
Jack Higgins pointed either side of points for Conor Kielty and Michael Clohessy with the sole Coill Dubh response coming from Mark Delaney his fifth of the half. Niall Colgan's whistle left Éire Óg Corra Choill 1-11 to 0-10 ahead.
The second half needed an uptake in Coill Dubh fortunes if they were to back up their opening round win over Confey. They could never get the goal they needed and when Éire Óg moved six ahead at the end of the third quarter the writing was on the wall. Paul Dolan, two from Michael Clohessy, Jack Higgins and Cian O’Reilly keeping Coill Dubh at bay.
Declan Flaherty and a Delaney '65 reduced the gap to four but the impressive Jack Higgins hit two to make it six again. Still Coill Dubh went in serve of that elusive goal but points from Mark Delaney and Colm Gordon was as good as it got. The last score of the game fell to Paul Dolan as Coill Dubh ran out of time. The final scoreboard saw Éire Óg Corra Choill home on a 1-19 to 0-17 result.
With one round to play both Coill Dubh and Éire Óg Corra Choill will need wins over Maynooth and Confey respectively if they are to be in contention for a semi-final berth and a potential meeting with county champions Naas. There is always the possibility of a relegation final for either of the two if they don't pick up the win.
