Cork Premier SHC: Douglas 1-21 Bishopstown 0-10 On a night where the result superseded all else, Douglas got what they needed in Páirc Uí Rinn tonight as they easily beat Bishopstown in Group one of the Co-op Superstores Cork Premier SHC. It was far from perfect, the fourteen wides they hit will be of concern, but it didn’t have to be, as the result leaves Bishopstown facing down the barrel of a relegation final. The ominous challenge of Sarsfield’s looms over them for the next fortnight, while Douglas will have to beat Newtownshandrum in their final game if they are to progress to the knockout stages.
There was a sense that this one was over before it really began. It’s twelve years since the Town ran Sarsfield’s close in a county final, and while five of the players who took part on that day were named to start here, the loss of two of them before throw-in, Diarmuid Lester and Paul Honohan, made their unlikely task all the unlikelier. Cork footballer, Brian O’Driscoll, was drafted in, however, and he was given the task of picking up Shane Kingston.
It looked like he could be in for a long evening when Kingston tapped over the first two points of the game, but like all his colleagues, he applied himself manfully, but they just no longer have the quality to go with that. Thomas Murray did half their deficit in the fifth minute, but from there to the break Douglas just did what they needed to do. They had their own demons to dispel after their opening round loss to Sars, and while they still have a mountain of work to do, it was very much a case of mission accomplished.
Two more Kingston scores, one from a free, and points from Mark Howell, Andy O’Connell and Joseph Harte left them 0-7 to 0-1 to the good at the end of the opening quarter. Already, Bishopstown needed goals, and they went close in the sixteenth minute when Colm O’Driscoll fed Luke Lordan, but Lordan’s effort whistled past the post. Two more points from the impressive O’Connell and a free from Alan Cadogan pushed Douglas further clear before Daniel Murray landed the Town’s first score in twenty minutes.
That gap wasn’t for want of trying though – they hit seven first half wides – but Douglas were more than comfortable in keeping them at arm’s length. Cadogan clipped over another free, Mark O’Connor hit a beauty from the wing, and they led by ten at the break, 0-12 to 0-2. There was a brief rally from Bishopstown on the resumption, as the outscored Douglas by 0-3 to 0-1.
Thomas Murray sent over three frees while a classy Kingston score kept Douglas ticking over. That’s all they really had to do as two more points from Kingston and another Cadogan free put them 0-16 to 0-5 to the good. Bishopstown then went close to a major again on the quarter hour mark when a low ball in from Daniel Murray was deftly flicked on by Thomas Murray, but unfortunately for him, it went just over the bar.
Any intensity that there was in the game was long gone by this stage, as both teams went trough the motions. Conor Kingston hit a superb score from the right wing for Douglas, Brian O’Driscoll hit a fine score for the Town. Shane Kingston traded scores with Conor Dunne and Brian Murray before a goal from Alan Cadogan sent the crowd towards the exits.
Cadogan followed it up with a ’65 and a point from play before he departed injured while in between Brian Murray hit over his second of the night. All that was left was for Niall O’Neill to call time. Nobody was complaining, both sides had accepted their fates long before the final whistle came.
Scorers for Douglas : S Kingston (0-9, 0-4 frees), A Cadogan (1-5, 0-3 frees, 0-1 ’65), A O’Connell (0-3), M Howell, J Harte, M O’Connor and C Kingston (0-1 each). Scorers for Bishopstown : T Murray (0-5, 0-3 frees), B Murray (0-2, 0-1 free), C Dunne (’65), D Murray and B O’Driscoll (0-1 each). DOUGLAS : D Maher; K McSweeney, D Murphy, S O’Leary; D Kelly, E Cadogan, E O’Flynn; A O’Connell, M Howell; J Harte, A Cadogan, C Kingston; M O’Connor, S Moylan, S Kingston.
Subs : M Harrington for O’Connor (45), C O’Donovan for Moylan (53), D Harte for Murphy (58), S Bourke for A Cadogan (inj, 60). BISHOPSTOWN : M Driscoll; B O’Driscoll, S Murphy, G Murphy; D Daly, B Murray (c), B McCarthy; D Murray, C O’Hora; R Foley, C Dunne, S Sheridan, L Lordan, C O’Driscoll, T Murray. Subs : D Quaid for Sheridan (28), C Daly for Lordan (53).
Referee : Niall O’Neill (Midleton). A collection of the latest sports news, reports and analysis from Cork..
