Larries retain intermediate status with Ardclough win

UPMC Intermediate Hurling Championship

St Laurence's 2-16

Ardclough 1-10

On an evening ideal for hurling St Laurences took full advantage of their home venue to record a nine point victory in the UPMC Intermediate hurling championship. The victory also secured their Intermediate status for 2024 as Ardclough slipped through the trap door to Junior.

Chris Dunne opened the scoring for The Larries inside the opening minute and the same player added a goal after three minutes following good work from centre forward Dan Salmon.

Ardclough were yet to settle into the game and they had hit three wides before Killian O'Gorman fielded brilliantly to shoot low past Colm Glynn.

Dan Salmon pushed the home side two ahead after six but the lead should have been greater as they wasted some good opportunities.

Ardclough leveled the game after eleven courtesy of two Donal Delahunt white flags. Chris Dunne and Ciaran Brady swapped points as the sides remained level at 1-3 each as we passed the end of the opening quarter.

St Laurence's took control going into the third quarter and they hit five in a row to open a five point buffer at the interval.James Fennin,Brian Waters,Jack Dargan and John Waters with two were all on target as Ardclough could only reply with a Gavin Walsh white flag.

The Larries lead 1-9 to 1-4 as referee Declan Peppard brought the half to a close.

Cormac Graham, from a 65, and Darragh Walsh reduced the gap to three inside three minutes.

ON TARGET

Chris Dunne was on target after thirty five to push the home side four ahead again but Ardclough had started the closing thirty minutes the brighter and Denis Hegarty was on target from sixty metres to leave a single score between the sides as moved into the closing twenty minutes.

St Laurence's struck for the killer score when a long ball from James Fennin broke kindly to Dan Salmon and the centre forward made no mistake to push the home side six ahead. Chris Dunne extended it to seven straight from the puckout.

The closing nine minutes was a shoot-out between Ciaran Roche and Darragh Walsh.Roche fired over four points with Walsh adding three for the visitors but St Laurences had done enough for a 2-16 to 1-10 victory.

After some good performances throughout the campaign the Larries were worthy of these two points that secured their Intermediate status.

Ardclough will have better evenings and they will rue some good scoring chances during the opening half.

St Laurences: Colm Glynn, Richard Lillis, Conor Lawlor, Darren Fleming, Sean McMullen, Brendan Gorman, Jack Dargan 0-1, John Waters 0-2, James Fennin 0-1, Tony Glynn, Dan Salmon 1-1, Brian Waters 0-1, Ciaran Roche 0-4,Adrian Kelly, Chris Dunne 1-6 (3 frees, 65). Subs: Cormac Byrne for Jack Dargan 36; Mark Whelan for Darren Fleming 48; Ronan Fahey for Brian Waters 48; Patrick Whelan for Dan Salmon 55; Rory Doyle for Adrian Kelly 57.

ARDCLOUGH: Michael Frayne, Eoin Stakelum, Daragh Walsh,Sean Buckley; Denis Hegarty 0-1, Dean Healy, Tom Costigan; Ciaran Brady 0-1, Conor Kelly; Gavin Walsh 0-4 (65), Donal Delahunt 0-2, Cormac Graham 0-2 65); Fionn O Brionn, Killian O Gorman 1-0, Tristan McGarr. Subs: Ben O Reilly for Tristan McGarr 36; Oisin Phillips for Fionn O Brionn 50; Richard Kearney for Michael Frayne 50.

REFEREE: Declan Peppard.