Gallant Gaultier put five past An Rinn in an impressive display
Gaultier's Mark Fitzgerald gets away from An Rinn's Lorcán Ó Corraoin during the JJ Kavanagh & Sons Co. SFC clash played at Cappoquin Logistics Fraher Field. Photo: Maurice Hennebry
Gaultier put in a five-star display in Dungarvan on Saturday as the Barony men easily dispatched of An Rinn to secure their second win of the season.
Tommy Martin found the net twice while Gavin Buckley, Rory Jacob and Niall McSweeney also raised green flags as Robin Croke’s men were always in cruise control at the expense of the Gaeltacht.
There was no score for the first eight minutes of the match, but Gaultier were denied an early goal as Kyle Flynn played through Eoin McSweeney on six minutes, however Odhrán Ó hUallacháin was equal to his effort.
It was An Rinn who did open the scoring on eight minutes, as Ben Mac Ualtair cut through two men before pointing with ease. The Gaultier response was excellent as they reeled off four scores on the spin to move 0-5 to 0-1 ahead midway through the first half.
Mark Fitzgerald set up JJ Hutchinson to open their account on 11 minutes, before Billy O’Keeffe was afforded far too much space and gave Gaultier the lead. On 15 minutes, Fitzgerald opened his account with a booming effort outside of the arc hit with pure conviction yielding the first orange flag of the evening, and Hutchinson soon doubled his account as they began to turn the screw.
An Rinn moved back within two as Nioclás Breathnach kicked a two-point free off the ground to try and break the Gaultier momentum, but the reprieve didn’t last very long as JJ Hutchinson was in the mood at the other end, cutting in on his left foot to score his third point.
A great score from Caolán Mac Craith kept An Rinn ticking, but goal number one arrived for Gaultier in fortuitous circumstances on 26 minutes.
Gaultier goalkeeper Gavin Buckley came upfield in an attempt to kick a two-point free, but he yielded three as his effort deceived Ó hUallacháin who badly misjudged the flight of the ball and it ultimately sailed into the far right corner of the net.
Gaultier led 1-7 to 0-4 at the break, as in first half stoppage time - Hutchinson turned provider and set up O’Keeffe to cut in and add his second point to secure a six-point cushion at the interval.
Any hopes of an An Rinn comeback were quickly extinguished on the resumption - as with 33 minutes on the clock, O’Keeffe turned provider to Tommy Martin and he wrong-footed Mac Ualtair before finding the bottom right corner and that was goodnight to the Gaeltacht.
An Rinn’s evening was summed up as star man Caolán Mac Craith went off having been involved in a heavy collision with his teammate Conor Ó Cuirrín - and it soon got worse as JJ Hutchinson added his fourth point off his left boot, before brother Dessie cannoned a goalbound strike off the post, but did have an advantage - opening his account from the free on 41 minutes.
Dessie doubled his tally with a quality effort from play, and as both sides rang the benches - there was still time for Gaultier to find three more goals. On 47 minutes, Hutchinson hand passed inside to the marauding Tommy Martin, and he again slalomed through the crowd before blazing to the far right corner to bring up his second and Gaultier’s third.
Six minutes after his introduction, substitute Rory Jacob added the fourth - Senan Ó Drócháin mishandling and dispossessed by Niall McSweeney, teeing up Jacob to crash home a low drive on 51 minutes. Donal Breathnach kicked An Rinn’s first score of the half 24 minutes in and quickly added a second, but Gaultier responded with another 1-2.
Another beauty from Fitzgerald and a third point from Dessie Hutchinson and either side of goal number five, as Dessie teed up Niall McSweeney again it was the bottom right corner that was picked out with 58 minutes gone.
Credit to Ben Mac Ualtair, the best goal of the six on the night came from him - as he cut through four or five tackles late on before firing a ferocious strike to the top left corner. It proved in vain, as Gaultier ran out rampant 18-point winners, and that scoreline didn’t flatter them.
Tommy Martin (2-0); JJ Hutchinson (0-4); Mark Fitzgerald (0-3; 1tp); Dessie Hutchinson (0-3; 0-1f); Rory Jacob and Niall McSweeney (1-0 each); Gavin Buckley (1-0; 1-0f); Billy O’Keeffe (0-2)
Ben Mac Ualtair (1-1); Nioclás Breathnach (0-2; 0-2f; 1 tpf); Donal Breathnach (0-2; 0-2f); Caolán Mac Craith (0-1)
Gavin Buckley; Aaron Jones, Sean Byrne, David Jones; Tommy Martin, Gary Cullinane, Fergal O’Brien; Mark Fitzgerald, Billy O’Keeffe; Dessie Hutchinson, Tom Dalton, Callum O’Neill; JJ Hutchinson, Kyle Flynn, Eoin McSweeney.
Darragh O’Keeffe for Callum O’Neill (44); Dale Cullinane for Tom Dalton (45); Rory Jacob for JJ Hutchinson (45); Niall McSweeney for Eoin McSweeney (46); Rob McGuire for Gary Cullinane (49)
Odhrán Ó hUallacháin; Corey De Roiste; Darach Ó Cathasaigh, Eoghan O Crotaigh; Caolán Mac Craith, Ray Ó Ceallaigh, Lorcán Ó Corraoin; Ferdia Ó hAodha, Cathal Ó Cuirrín; Conor Ó Cuirrín, Tadhg Breathnach, Ben Mac Ualtair; Nioclás Breathnach, Fearghal Ó Ceallaigh, Conor Mac Diarmada.
Oisín Ó Ceallaigh for Caolán Mac Craith (36); Senan Ó Drócháin for Cathal Ó Cuirrín (41); Donal Breathnach for Tadhg Breathnach (44); Fearghal Ó Cuirrín for Fearghal Ó Ceallaigh (49); Seán Mac Gearailt for Ferdia Ó hAodha (54)
Gavin Whelan (Colligan)
