Six of the best for Maynooth puts paid to Confey challenge
Oran Byrne's goal after just 25 seconds set Maynooth on their way against Confey
The absence of a trio of star players proved little impediment to Maynooth as they strolled to a second win in Group A of the UPMC Senior Hurling Championship at Cedral St Conleth’s Park on Sunday afternoon.
Considering they were operating without county stars David Qualter and Cathal McCabe as well as another leading light from last year, Ciarán Flanagan, Maynooth were impressive in putting six goals past a Confey team who have now lost both games and will need to beat Éire Óg Corra Choill in their final game to have any chance of reaching the semi-finals.
Maynooth wasted no time in finding the net with barely 25 seconds on the clock when Tom Power crossed to Oran Byrne and he blasted to the top corner of Shane Quinn’s goal.
The early exchanges were competitive with Cathal Jennings leading the Confey resistance with three excellent points from play but Tadhg Forde’s goal on ten minutes, flicked home from close range ahead of outrushing ‘keeper Quinn, put daylight between them and with a great spread of scorers.
The impressive Cian Forde, moments after failing to register a third goal when unable to connect properly with a close-range shot, moved Maynooth on to a 2-9 to 0-5 advantage with an excellent long-range score before the Cope Bridge men ended seventeen minutes without a score with Frank Bass’s point three minutes from half-time.
But the third goal wasn’t long in coming. In first-half injury time Power was the provider again for Martin Quilty to drill low past Quinn and make it 3-9 to 0-6 at the interval.
Substitute Seán Maher, only on the pitch a minute, grabbed a goal back for Confey on 41 minutes, getting a flick past ‘keeper Cillian Madden from close range, and Frank Bass kept the scoreboard ticking for his side in the second half but three further goals in the final twelve minutes left a twenty-point gap between the sides that didn’t flatter the winners.
Power was the creator once more for Quilty’s second goal on 49 minutes and shortly afterwards Tadhg Forde came close, shooting wide off the post from close range.
Five points in eight minutes moved Confey on to a tally of 1-14 but the final few minutes brought two more goals for Maynooth. With four minutes left Conor O’Grady buried a rasper from 20 metres out and in the final minute of normal time two substitutes combined with Joe Millett drilling a perceptive crossfield pass to Dunne, whose shot past the unfortunate Quinn was emphatic.
Paul Divilly had the last word with a free from midfield, but Confey were well beaten at that stage and look likely to be involved in the relegation semi-finals unless they can pull off a surprise against Éire Óg Corra Choill in a fortnight.
Maynooth meanwhile are motoring well towards another potential county final with eight-in-a-row chasing Naas on all evidence from Sunday afternoon in Cedral St Conleth’s Park. Breaching that gap remains the steepest of hills to climb.
They’ll have taken confidence from the performances of the Forde brothers, Quilty, who finished on 2-3 and the livewire Tom Power but will hope to at least have McCabe back for the closing stages of the championship, particularly given the imperious display from Naas in the second game at Cedral St Conleth’s Park on Sunday.
Cillian Madden; Cian Brody, Matt Eustace, Kevin Carroll; Cian Forde 0-3, Daniel O’Meara 0-1, Cormac Nolan; Ronan Dunne, Harry Dunne 0-1; Ciaran Dunne 0-1, Martin Quilty 2-3, Oran Byrne 1-1; Tom Power 0-7 (4fs), Conor O’Grady 1-1, Tadhg Forde 1-1. Subs: Luke Murnane 0-1 for H Dunne 42, Kevin Dunne 1-0 for Byrne 42, Conall Knox for C Forde 49, Kevin McNeill 0-1 for C Dunne 51, Joe Millett for Quilty 51.
Shane Quinn; Aaron Maher, Cian O’Sullivan, Aiden Crean; Colm Noctor, Paul Divilly 0-2 (2fs), Ben O’Boyle; Enda Bannon, Seán Quigley 0-1; Luke Quinn, Philip Quigley 0-1, Kevin Chan; Cathal Jennings 0-3, Frank Bass 0-8 (5fs), Neil Ryan. Subs: Kieran Kilbane for A Maher 26, Seán Maher 1-1 for Chan 40, Paul Feerick for Bannon 40, Seán Leamy for N Ryan 42, Alex Rochford for Noctor 48, Liam Ryan for Leamy (temp 55-57).
Raymond Kelly.
