Tonto in top form as De La Salle saunter into the semis
Lismore's Paudi Prendergast is tackled by De La Salle's Mikey Costigan during their JJ Kavanagh & Sons Co. Senior hurling championship quarterfinal tie played at Walsh Park. Photo: Maurice Hennebry
Goals from Kevin Moran, Thomas Douglas and Adam Farrell saw De La Salle steamroll Lismore in Sunday's curtain raiser.
The unmarkable Douglas notched 1-5 from play for Ian Flynn’s charges. Tonto can blow hot and cold but he was red hot on this occasion. Jack Twomey also tormented the Lismore defence with five points from play despite the close proximity of Carthach Daly. Moran scored a goal and set up another. The 38 year old is still posing problems on the edge of the square. Centre back Jack Fagan limited Jack Prendergast's influence on the game while Conor Keane curtailed Ben O’Sullivan.
A De La Salle purple patch either side of the break knocked the stuffing out of Lismore. There was only a point in it with 29 minutes on the clock. Seven minutes into the second half, the gap was twelve! Salle outscored their opponents 2-7 to 0-2 in that period with Douglas and Adam Farrell shooting two goals in the space of three minutes. Lismore lost defender David Prendergast to injury just before the break. Farrell’s return from injury is a further boost to the Gracedieu outfit. Goalkeeper Shaun O’Brien landed two huge frees during that spell of dominance.
The key moment of the first half came on 18 minutes when Kevin Moran robbed David Prendergast right in front of goal off a Fionn O’Gorman short puckout. The two-time All Star punished the mistake. The sides were level on four occasions until that three pointer. Thomas Douglas then raised his third white flag, after combining with Brian Cunningham, to make it 1-7 to 0-6.
Lismore recovered from that setback. Four Maurice Shanahan frees and points from Jack and Paudi Prendergast left just one between them by the 29th minute. The black and amber then lost in-form defender David Prendergast to injury. The last three points of the half belonged to De La Salle as Reuben Halloran and Shaun O’Brien opened up a 1-11 to 0-10 advantage at the break.
Salle corner back Conor Keane went off before the interval but returned for the second period. He was sick on Sunday morning but still decided to take the field. On 33 minutes, Fionn O'Gorman hesitated when a ball dropped short and Moran pounced again. The elder statesman offloaded to Douglas who fired home. The number fourteen followed that up with a fine catch and another score.
Jack Twomey saw a shot blocked down in 36th minute but Adam Farrell poked the rebound over the line (3-14 to 0-12). Tonto was full of confidence by now and belted over a point in front of the open stand. Substitute Cormac McCann almost made an instant impact but his strike at goal was saved by O'Gorman. The new man in did respond with back to back points as the gap grew to 15 at one stage.
With two minutes left, Jack Prendergast drove a close range free to the De La Salle net. In injury time, referee Nicky O’Toole awarded Lismore a penalty for a Daniel Lalor foul on Maurice Shanahan. Prendergast once again blasted home but it was mere consolation as the black and amber limped out of the championship.
Thomas Douglas 1-5, Reuben Halloran 0-8 (3 65s, 3fs), Jack Twomey 0-5, Adam Farrell, Kevin Moran 1-0 each, Cormac McCann, Shaun O'Brien (2fs) 0-2 each. Jack Fagan, Cormac Dawson, Tom Moran 0-1 each.
Maurice Shanahan 0-8 (8fs), Jack Prendergast 2-1 (1-0 penalty, 1-0f), Ben O'Sullivan, Charlie Lineen, Paudi Prendergast 0-2 each, Iarlaith Daly, Joe O'Keeffe 0-1 each.
Shaun O'Brien; Conor Keane, Daniel Lalor, Lorcan Dwyer; Mikey Costigan, Jack Fagan, Jake Dillon; Tom Moran, Eddie Barrett; Reuben Halloran, Adam Farrell, Thomas Douglas; Brian Cunningham, Kevin Moran, Jack Twomey.
Sam Flynn for Tom Moran (Blood, 3-11), Sam Flynn for Keane (Temporary, 27-30), Cormac McCann for Cunningham (40), Cormac Dawson for Kevin Moran (50), Sam Flynn for Douglas (57), Kieran O'Sullivan for Fagan (59), Rory Wymberry for Twomey (61).
Fionn O'Gorman; Carthach Daly, David Prendergast, Connor Howard; Iarlaith Daly, Finbar Reaney, Aaron Whelan; Joe O'Keeffe, Charlie Lineen; Paudi Prendergast, Jack Prendergast, Ben Cummins; Paul Kearney, Maurice Shanahan, Ben O’Sullivan.
Tadhg Duffin for David Prendergast (31), Shane Barry for Paul Kearney (HT).
Nicky O'Toole (Mount Sion)
Thomas Douglas was De La Salle’s danger man from start to finish.
Those two goals in three second half minutes from Douglas and Adam Farrell.
The patchy Walsh Park pitch.
De La Salle and Ballygunner meet for the second time this season on Sunday.
