Lismore’s late goals leave Dungarvan staring at relegation
Lismore senior hurling team beat Dungarvan in the JJ Kavanagh & Sons Co. Senior hurling championship at Cappoquin Logistics Fraher Field. Photo: Eddie Dee
With the game hanging in the balance going down the home straight, a ruthless display of finishing at the finish from Lismore saw them outscore Dungarvan 3-5 to 0-2 in the final ten minutes to run out emphatic 4-18 to 1-14 winners in this crucial Group B clash at Fraher Field.
Senior survival was very much on the line as both sides came into round four winless, and it is now Dungarvan who look like dropping to premier intermediate for 2027 - having hurled senior for the last 17 seasons.
A late brace from Ben O’Sullivan and a Stephen Barry strike sealed a huge win for Lismore, as they finally picked up their first points of the campaign.
They very nearly had a goal within the opening seconds, as Ben Cummins teed up Oisin O’Gorman but Rían Crotty was live to the danger and denied him. Michael Kiely then took aim at the other end but his strike deflected wide, though it was Dungarvan who finally got the scoring underway.
Johnny Burke brightly got out in front of his man to notch the first, before Crotty picked out Kiely in acres to double the lead on 5 minutes. Paudie Prendergast quickly replied for Lismore, before he teed up Hugo Quann to level.
This was part of an unanswered burst of five from the black and amber, as a trademark Jack Prendergast burst, an Oisín O’Gorman strike and a Prendergast free yielded further scores. Donncha Hayes Hamilton split the posts from range as Dungarvan arrested the slump, before another Prendergast dead ball kept Lismore three to the good.
John Meehan got in on the act for the Old Boro, before the excellent Quann doubled his account from distance. Ryan McGovern and Prendergast traded further scores, before Lismore got the crucial opening goal on 21 minutes.
Joe O’Keeffe broke away from two Dungarvan defenders and teed up O’Gorman, and he batted past Crotty to the top right corner to make it 1-8 to 0-5.
Inspirational scores from Hayes Hamilton, Eddie Burke and Billy Hickey kept Dungarvan in touch, before Crotty was on hand to superbly deny Prendergast with a point-blank save on 26 minutes.
Goal chances kept coming at both ends as Crotty denied O’Gorman another, before Seanie Barry smothered Eoin O’Callaghan’s kick at the other end and Hickey couldn’t force home the rebound. Two frees from McGovern and strikes from Prendergast and Lineen made it 1-11 to 0-10 in Lismore’s favour at the break - and it was still very much game on.
Ben Cummins and a Prendergast free extended Lismore’s lead to six points amid a cagey start to the second period, before Johnny Burke was played in by McGovern on 42 minutes - and he blazed to the bottom right corner past Barry to ignite fresh hope for his side.
Two frees from McGovern brought Dungarvan back within a solitary score as points were suddenly at a premium, but Lismore clicked into gear at the perfect time to leave their Western rivals reeling.
Another Prendergast free and a well-taken Joe O’Keeffe point either side of John Meehan’s second tipped Lismore two ahead, before it all turned on 52 minutes - O’Sullivan wriggling free to find room to drive his strike in off the ground and Lismore suddenly led 2-15 to 1-13.
Quann was afforded time to slice over his third point of the day, before Seanie Barry denied a Johnny Burke strike from range at the opposite end. Prendergast punished more ill discipline, before a beauty from O’Sullivan further pushed the boat out.
Dungarvan had to throw everything forward, and Seanie Barry’s ball-striking ability came to the fore as the netminder launched a rocket up to substitute Stephen Barry, and once finding the space, he found the bottom left corner on 59 minutes to firmly end the contest.
There was still time for Dan Shanahan’s side to rub further salt in the wounds, as another Barry puckout found its way up to O’Sullivan - and he unleashed a bullet past Crotty to the roof of the net to put the cherry atop the icing atop the cake.
Jack Prendergast (0-9; 0-7f); Ben O’Sullivan (2-1); Oisín O’Gorman (1-1); Stephen Barry (1-0); Hugo Quann (0-3); Joseph O’Keeffe, Ben Cummins, Charlie Lineen and Paudie Prendergast (0-1 each)
Johnny Burke (1-2; 0-1f); Ryan McGovern (0-5; 0-5f); Donnacha Hayes Hamilton and John Meehan (0-2 each); Eddie Burke, Joe Duggan and Michael Kiely (0-1 each)
Seanie Barry; David Prendergast, Iarlaith Daly, Connor Howard; Hugo Quann, Paudie Prendergast, Jordan Shanahan; Joseph O’Keeffe, Charlie Lineen; Jack Prendergast, Ben O’Sullivan, Ben Cummins; Aaron Whelan, Oisín O’Gorman, Tadhg Duffin.
Stephen Barry for Ben Cummins (43); Josh Kiely for Iarlaith Daly (46); Ray Barry for Oisin O’Gorman (56)
Rian Crotty; Kealan Daly, Jack Lacey, Brandon Dillon; Eddie Burke, Donnacha Hayes Hamilton, Robbie Wall; Billy Hickey, Joe Duggan; Darragh Lyons, Ryan McGovern, John Meehan; Michael Kiely, Johnny Burke, Eoin O’Callaghan.
Alex Shanahan for Michael Kiely (18; inj); Gavin Crotty for Donnacha Hayes Hamilton (29); Pierce Quann for Eoin O’Callaghan (HT); Luke Power for Billy Hickey (37); Brian Curran for Gavin Crotty (44)
Nicky O’Toole (Mount Sion)
