First half goals do the trick for Éire Óg CC

Eire Og 3-14

Éire Óg Corra Choill 0-13

Having lost, not unexpectedly it has to be said, their opening game in this season's UPMC Senior Hurling Championship (Group A) game to Naas, Éire Óg Corra Choill got back to winning ways with a fairly impressive victory on Saturday afternoon, when defeating Confey, somewhat comfortably by ten points.

Confey had won their opening game when defeating local rivals Celbridge by two points and what all that means is that Naas, with a game to spare, are already through to the knock-out stages and while Éire Óg Corra Choill and Confey have two points apiece, the final round of games sees Celbridge take on the boys from Prosperous/ Caragh with the champions playing Confey, so still lots to play for.

Goals, it is said wins games, and that was certainly true from this clash on Saturday with two first half green flag scores setting up the win for Éire Óg Corra Choill, both coming in the opening half, both coming from the stick of Cian O'Reilly, with the third three pointer, also in the opening period coming from wing-forward Scott Cramer.

Éire Óg Corra Choill led at the break 3-3 to 0-9 and while Confey certainly kept at it, they never really got the scores to put the eventual winners under any real pressure.

Oisin Lynch got the ball rolling for Confey inside a minute but three minutes later it was Éire Óg Corra Choill who hit the opening goal when a cross from Cormac Byrne make no mistake from close range.

Frank Bass, who had a fine opening half, opened his account with a 65 on five minutes and while Jack Higgins got his first almost immediately, Confey hit three on the trot to regain the lead with white flags from Kieran Kilbane, Frank Bass and Oisin Lynch to lead 0-5 to 1-1 with just 12 minutes on the clock.

Scott Cramer tied it up a minute later before the same player set up Cian O'Reilly who fired low past Ian Barker in the Confey goals.

Frank Bass replied with a free while Liam Dempsey picked up the first yellow of the afternoon.

Back came Éire Óg Corra Choill in the 20 minute when Cian O'Reilly did well to hold on to the sliother, passed to Scott Cramer who blasted high to the right hand corner of the net to make it 3-2 to 0-6 for Confey.

Jack Higgins added his second of the half but Confey hit three points before the break with Oisin Lynch, Frank Bass (free) and Paul Divilly leaving just three points between them at the break, Éire Óg Corra Choill leading 3-3 to 0-9.

All to play for at this stage but it was the eventual winners who opened quickest with points from Liam Dempsey and another from Jack Higgins.

A Paul Divilly free followed by a Frank Bass point, after great work from Neil Ryan had the lead back to three. However Éire Óg Corra Choill stepped it up with three quick points from Liam Dempsey (free), Gary Johnson and Dempsey again to pus the lead out to six.

Neil Ryan and Scott Cramer exchanged points before Oisin Lynch was denied a goal with a brilliant save from Alo Hackett in the Éire Óg Corra Choill goals.

Paul Divilly hit a 65 but it was Éire Óg Corra Choill who finished the strongest, adding the last five points of the game, from Sean O'Neill, Jack Higgins, James Dolan, Higgins again with Gary Johnson raising the final flag of the game as Éire Óg Corra Choill won on a final score line of Éire Óg Corra Choill 3-14 Confey 0-13.

Scorers: Éire Óg Corra Choill, Cian O'Reilly 2-0, Scott Cramer 1-2, Jack Higgins 0-5, Liam Dempsey 0-3 (2 free), Gary Johnson 0-2, James Dolan 0-1, Sean O'Neill 0-1.

Confey, Frank Bass 0-5 (2 frees, 65), Paul Divilly 0-3 (free, 65), Oisin Lynch 0-2, Kieran Kilbane 0-1, Eoin Lynch 0-1, Sean O'Neill 0-1.

ÉIRE ÓG CORRA CHOILL: Alo Hackett; Daniel Murray, Michael Begley, Cormac Byrne; Adam Delmer, James Dolan, Liam Dempsey; Gary Johnson, Padraic Cribbin; Jack Higgins, Kevin Connor, Scott Cramer; Pa Freeman, Paul Dolan, Cian O'Reilly. Subs: Niall Cramer for Kevin Connor (13 minutes); Sean O'Neill for Pa Freeman (half-time); Billy Brennan for Paul Dolan (57 minutes).

CONFEY: Ian Baker; Sean Leamy, Aidan Ryan, Anto Hoare; Brian Grimes, Philip Quigley Colm Chan; Colm Noctor, Enda Bannon; Eoin Lynch, Frank Bass, Kieran Kilbane; Neil Ryan, Niall Glennon, Paul Divilly. Subs: Aiden Crean for Brian Grimes (41 minutes); Kevin Chan for Eoin Lynch (49 minutes; Paul Ferrick for Niall Glennon (55 minutes).

REFEREE: Billy O'Connell.