Dillon dominates as De La Salle get back to winning ways
De La Salle's Reuben Halloran does a reverse hand pass as he moves forward during his side's JJ Kavanagh & Sons Co. Senior hurling championship clash against Clonea at Carrickbeg. Photos: Noel Browne
Jake Dillon called the shots from centre back on his return as De La Salle got a heavy defeat to Ballygunner out of their system against a Clonea side short their number six Kieran Power.
Salle’s third win of the campaign secured third place in Group B and a preliminary quarter-final with Ferrybank. It was done and dusted by half-time on Saturday night. Ian Flynn and company had their homework done as Dillon sat as a deep-lying six in front of Clonea danger man James Power. Salle forced their opponents to take short puckouts, and Dillon swept up the long deliveries inside. The boys in green didn’t bring the same energy as seven days earlier in their big win over Abbeyside/Ballinacourty.
By contrast, Salle looked fired up after losing by sixteen points to the Gunners. They pinged the sliotar through the lines, and eleven players scored from play. Reuben Halloran led the way with ten points. Thomas Douglas and Cormac Dawson goaled in either half. They should have scored three more.
Clonea centre back Kieran Power was marked absent after getting stitches in his hand earlier in the week. Corner back Willie Hahessy took a bang to his shoulder after a heavy fall in the first half and made way on 37 minutes as a precautionary measure.
De La Salle's dominance on the puckouts yielded a ten-point lead seventeen minutes in despite playing against the breeze. After shooting four early wides, a Thomas Douglas goal in the ninth minute settled Salle. It was all his own work. ‘Tonto’ won the ball on his own 65, just about stayed in play, and set off on a solo run. He found Cormac Dawson, took the return pass, and blasted low to the Clonea net. Reuben Halloran and Brian Cunningham tagged on points to make it 1-6 to 0-2.
Billy Power popped over a free, but the former county panellist also put two wide. Clonea couldn’t get their hands on the ball, and the next six points belonged to Salle via Jake Dillon, Jack Twomey, Halloran, and Jack Fagan. At this stage, the Clonea backroom team told Michael Curry to warm up.
On 23 minutes, the chasers got a glimmer of hope when Francis Roche snuck a shot past Shaun O’Brien. One that the Waterford netminder should have saved. Salle cancelled out that goal with the last three points of the half (two Halloran frees and one from Kevin Moran) as the scoreboard read 1-15 to 1-3 at the break.
Michael Curry entered the fray for Clonea and brought more aggression around the middle third. The Waterford footballer immediately tangled with Halloran off the ball, and the helmet of the De La Salle number ten came off. Referee Eoin Morrissey consulted with his umpires as Halloran replaced his white helmet with a black one. The man in the middle then jogged towards the sideline and flashed a yellow card to Halloran for feigning injury and taking off his own helmet. The Salle management team were flabbergasted.
Clonea never threatened a comeback as Dillon continued to cut out ball after ball. Willie Hahessy’s substitution suggested that they were already thinking about next week.
Halloran saw a batted effort saved by Paudie Hunt, while Kevin Moran didn’t get enough power on his shot to trouble the Clonea netminder. Three minutes from the end, Hunt got turned over in front of goal, and Cormac Dawson finished to the empty net. Substitute Cormac McCann, as well as defenders Conor Keane and Daniel Lalor, raised white flags before the finish. Billy Power missed his third free of the night but kept plugging away and tapped over four consolation points for Clonea. His brother James continued to show for the ball and finished with two from play.
The scoreboard operator must have drifted off as a couple of late points were missed!
Reuben Halloran 0-10 (8fs, 1 65), Cormac Dawson, Thomas Douglas 1-1 each, Jack Fagan, Jack Twomey, Brian Cunningham 0-2 each, Daniel Lalor, Conor Keane, Cormac McCann, Kevin Moran, Jake Dillon 0-1 each.
Billy Power 0-7 (4fs), Francis Roche 1-1 (1f), James Power 0-2, Aaron Gleeson, Ronan Elliffe 0-1 each.
Shaun O’Brien; Conor Keane, Daniel Lalor, Lorcan Dwyer; Mikey Costigan, Jake Dillon, Jack Fagan; Tom Moran, Eddie Barrett; Jack Twomey, Reuben Halloran, Thomas Douglas; Brian Cunningham, Kevin Moran, Cormac Dawson.
Cormac McCann for Twomey (42), Sam Flynn for Barrett (Blood, 48-50), Sam Flynn for Kevin Moran (52), Daniel Goff for Dillon (55), Rory Wymberry for Dawson (58).
Paudie Hunt; Willie Hahessy, Mairtin Power, Adam Murray; Ger Hahessy, Jack Kirwan, Reece O’Mahony; Robbie Flynn, Billy Power; Ronan Elliffe, Ciaran Power, Robbie Flynn; Francis Roche, James Power, Gearoid Power.
Michael Curry for Kirwan (HT), Thomas Skehan for Willie Hahessy (37), Aaron Gleeson for Gearoid Power (45), Paudie Fahey for Ciaran Power (56).
Eoin Morrissey
Jake Dillon dictated the game as a sweeping number six.
That early goal from Thomas Douglas sent De La Salle on their way.
No Kieran Power for Clonea as his hand was heavily strapped.
Salle take on Ferrybank in the preliminary quarter finals while Clonea meet Dungarvan.
