Dempsey leads the way as Éire Óg Corra Choill pull clear in the second half
Éire Óg Corra Choill's Sean O'Neill was a constant menace to the Celbridge backline Photo: Sean Brilly
Éire Óg Corra Choill followed up their dramatic penalty shoot our win over Ardclough in the preliminary round with a very impressive win over Celbridge.
The sides were level at half time but EOCC outscored Celbridge by 0-9 to 0-2 in the opening 20 minutes of the second half, the crucial and decisive period of the game.
Celbridge had James Dolan in top form and he could hardly have done any more to inspire his team to victory but ultimately, it was the EOCC attack that won the game. Liam Dempsey turned in his second eye-catching brilliant display of this year’s Championship, Sean O’Neill was a constant thorn in Celbridge’s side, while Jack Higgins chipped in with some outstanding long range scores. EOCC also had their penalty shoot-out hero Paul Dermody in top form and saves that he made in either half were key to the win.
O’Neill helped set up an early goal as Scott Cramer found the net in the fifth minute, and when O’Neill, Higgins and Michael Clohessy rattled off successive points EOCC led 1-4 to 0-3.
After Paul Hogan pulled back a point from long range, Dermody made his first save when he was in a good position to keep out Alan Goss’ powerful effort in the 13th minute.
O’Neill was provider again when he popped a pass back to Gary Johnson who then scored from 50 metres for the last point before the water break.
Whatever was said during that time by manager Stephen Shiel had the desired effect as within a minute of the resumption of play, Dolan was through on goal and this time Dermody was given no chance with a well placed shot. Dolan followed that with an equalising point a minute later, leaving the scores at 1-5 each.
EOCC worked their way into a three point lead once again but by half time, there were no separating the sides at 1-10 each.
A Dempsey free early in the second half nudged EOCC back into the lead but they had a major left off in the 33rd minute when Ben Elliott crashed a shot off the crossbar after good approach play by Ciaran Kirwan.
Dempsey scored the next two points after that as EOCC began to take a firm grip on proceedings.
After Conor Tracey replied for Celbridge, Dermody picked out Jack Higgins with a delightful pass into midfield and he swung it over the bar for his third of the game.
James Dolan answered back with a fine score as he was being forced towards the right hand side but his namesake on the EOCC came with an even better score as he found the range from the half back position.
That was the first of six in a row for EOCC as they pulled away either side of the break.
Celbridge needed a goal if they were going to back in the game and had a chance in the 50th minute. A good run by Oisin Lynam drew a number of defenders towards him and when he popped the ball off to Tracey a real opportunity looked on the cards but while the ball was in the air, Dermody raced from his line and by the time Tracey got the ball in hand the veteran EOCC netminder was out narrow the angle and make the block.
EOCC saw it out from there and manager Declan Curran will be very pleased with how his team are moving in the early stages of this year’s Championship. The club have only reached one county final this century, in 2013, and while it’s too early for that sort of talk the two performances to date would suggest a place in the business end of the Championship is certainly a realistic possibility.
Paul Dermody ; Gary Dempsey, Cormac Byrne, Niall Cramer, Adam Delmer, James Dolan 0-1, Daniel Murray; Gary Johnson 0-2, Jack Higgins 0-4; Scott Cramer 1-1, Paul Dolan 0-2, Michael Clohessy 0-1, Sean O’Neill 0-2, Kevin Connor, Liam Dempsey 0-8 (5fs, 1’65). Subs: Donnchadh Fitzpatrick for Clohessy, 53.
Fiachra Ó Muineacháin; Jack O’Brien, Ciaran Kirwan, Odhran Conaty, Finniun Ó Dulaing 0-1, Niall Ó Muineacháin, Sean Mimnagh; Paul Hogan 0-2, Oisin Lynam 0-1f; Ben Elliott, Alan Goss, Andrew McNiffe 0-2, Conor Tracey 0-2, David Daly, James Dolan 1-6 (3fs). Subs: Cian Degrieck for Daly, 49; Mark Moloney for Hogan, 57; Matthew Gallagher for Ó Dulaing, 60/
Billy O’Connell.
