Kilkenny IHC- Danesfort class to the fore as they get the better of Dunnamaggin

Goals from Brian McDonald, Sam Hayes and Colm Phelan gave Danesfort the edge as they claimed a five-point win over Dunnamaggin in Sunday’s Michael Lyng Motors IHC semi-final.

It was a tightly fought last four encounter as expected, but Danesfort got their goals at crucial junctures and they were always able to hold their opponents at arm’s length.

While Dunnamaggin were level three times in the opening half, that’s as close as they got to Danesfort with Adrian Burke’s men doing enough to get the job done.

A second minute Cathal Kearney free got the ball rolling for the winners and it wasn’t long until they’d a decent lead built up as, during the next attack, Colm Phelan latched onto a crossfield ball from Robbie Walsh. Instead of using the hurl to pick the ball up he just kicked the sliotar past James netminder Logue.

Dunna’ then found their touch with Denis Walsh scoring one from play and a free either side of a Paul Kirwan effort.

The customary Des Dunne score from the half-back line for Danesfort swiftly followed before successive Joe Fitzpatrick points levelled up the contest for the first time at 1-2 to 0-5.

Denis Walsh then swapped scores with both Paddy Hogan and Brian McDonald to maintain the status quo until Danesfort began to get motoring near the end of the opening period.

A Paul Murphy score from distance proved to be the catalyst and with Anthony Ireland Wall and Brian McDonald following suit, the favourites opened up a three-point margin on the scoreboard.

Dunnamaggin remained very much in the game and the deficit was soon back to the minimum via efforts from Denis Walsh and Ruaidhri Holden, but a missed goal chance from Ross O’Neill would come back to haunt them.

Right on the cusp of the interval, Danesfort pounced for a hugely important goal after Anthony Ireland Wall claimed the ball inside and while it was far from pretty, Brian McDonald found a way to direct the ball to the net and open up a 2-7 to 0-9 lead at the change of ends.

Things got even better for Danesfort at the start of the second half when Paul Murphy and Colm Phelan combined to assist Sam Hayes who shot in their third goal in the 33rd minute.

A trio of quickly followed up points from Anthony Ireland Wall then made it a 10-point game. Dunnamaggin had a mountain to climb if they were to have any impact in the remainder of the semi-final.

After Walsh and Ireland Wall exchanged frees, Dunnamaggin threw off the shackles in the hope of nabbing a goal or two.

Walsh, Fitzpatrick and Paul Kirwan all helped to get the deficit back to six with five minutes remaining but the crucial goal eluded them with Paddy Hogan saving their best opportunity from Ruaidhri Holden.

Danesfort kept plugging away at the scoreboard with Ireland Wall registering two more points from play before the end and that combined with a staunch defensive effort was enough to see the ’Fort book their place in this year’s intermediate decider.

The goals either side of half-time did it in for Dunnamaggin who will feel this is one that maybe got away from them.

Teams and Scorers

Danesfort - Anthony Ireland Wall (0-7, 4fs); Brian McDonald (1-2); Colm Phelan, Sam Hayes (1-0 each); Cathal Kearney, Paddy Hogan (0-1, 1f each); Des Dunne, Paul Murphy (0-1 each)

Dunnamaggin - Denis Walsh (0-9, 5fs and 1 ‘65); Joe Fitzpatrick (0-4, 2fs); Paul Kirwan (0-3); Ruaidhri Holden (0-1)

Danesfort - Paddy Hogan; Darren Booth, Diarmaid Phelan, Adam Byrne; Des Dunne, Paul Murphy, Daire O’Neill; Cathal Kearney, Cathal O’Neill; Dan Dowling, Colm Phelan, Sam Hayes; Anthony Ireland Wall, Brian McDonald, Robbie Walsh.

Subs: Fionn Mahony for C Phelan, 47 mins; Aiden Cowley for McDonald, 58 mins.

Dunnamaggin - James Logue; Ciaran Hickey, Ian Walsh, Pierce Costello; Michael Cody, Eoghan Kearney, Alex Moore; Ray Cody, Denis Walsh; Ross O’Neill, Ruaidhri Holden, Peter Kenneally; Andy Hickey, Joe Fitzpatrick, Paul Kirwan.

Subs: Noah Cahill for Kenneally, 35 mins; Dylan Crehan for O’Neill, 47 mins.

Referee - Brian Fox