Kilbrittain hurlers flex muscles with impressive victory

Kilbrittain              1-24
St Finbarr’s             0-13

OLIVER O’BRIEN REPORTS
KILBRITTAIN hurlers sent out a statement with a deserved victory over St Finbarr’s in this Co-op Superstores Premier junior hurling championship second-round game.
Following a tough tie against Milford the previous weekend, Kilbrittain were much crisper and sharper this time around. The fact pleased their manager, Jamie Wall.
‘We’re quite happy, we played well particularly after the first five or six minutes of the first half, we used the ball quite well. It’s a tight field and we managed to find space which was great,’ Wall said.
‘These games at the moment are about getting results and with four points on the board now, we’re through with another big game in a few weeks’ time. We’ll reset and go again for that.’
St Finbarr’s opened the scoring with a point from Jack O’Brien. Mark Hickey hit over a fine free from Kilbrittain in reply, and the Carbery men hit the front in the fifth minute, also from Hickey. Kilbrittain never surrendered that lead. Bill O’Connell scored a free for St Finbarr’s in between two frees converted by Hickey to leave it 0-4 to 0-2 by the tenth minute.
Kilbrittain were starting to get into their stride and with Bertie Butler, Nick O’Donovan and Conor Ustianowski all showing up well, they added points from Philip Wall and Sean Sexton. A long-range free from Hickey stretched Kilbrittain’s lead before two points from Darragh Callanan and O’Connell kept the Barr’s in touch. From then to half time, it was all Kilbrittain. Maurice Sexton, Sean Crowley and Hickey all pointed before a goal from the impressive Philip Wall. The latter finished the half strong, winning a good free which Hickey converted and scoring a point himself before Bill O’Connell hit his third for the Barr’s in injury time to leave Kilbrittain leading 1-12 to 0-5.
St Finbarr’s had it all to do in the second half, but Kilbrittain had no intention of letting up. Points from Hickey (2), Nick O’Donovan, Maurice Sexton and Ustianowski increased Kilbrittain’s lead by the 40th minute. There was no danger Kilbrittain would be caught now. While the Barrs did tag on second-half points, the winners were always in control. Maurice Sexton, Colm Sheehan, Philip Wall, Patrick O’Mahony and Conor Moloney all hit the target, as Kilbrittain galloped to a 14-point victory.
Kilbrittain had many who impressed with Aaron Holland sound in goal, Ustianowski, James Hurley and especially Ivan Burke in defence playing well throughout, while Sean Crowley, Mark Hickey and Philip Wall impressed further up the field.

Scorers - Kilbrittain: Mark Hickey 0-9 (7f); Philp Wall 1-5; Maurice Sexton 0-3 (1f); Sean Sexton, Sean Crowley, Nick O’Donovan, Conor Ustianowski, Colm Sheehan, Patrick O’Mahony (f), Conor Moloney 0-1 each.

St Finbarr’s: Bill O’Connell 0-6 (4f, 1 65); Jack O’Brien 0-3; Ian O’Callaghan 0-2; Darragh Callanan, Brian Doyle 0-1 each.

Kilbrittain: Aaron Holland; Ivan Burke, James Hurley, Tomás Sheehan; Ross Cashman, Maurice Sexton (captain), Conor Ustianowski; Bertie Butler, Nick O’Donovan; Mark Hickey, Colm Sheehan, Sean Crowley; Philp Wall, Sean Sexton, Sam Shorten.

Subs: Declan Harrington for Wall (blood sub, 10), Wall for Harrington (12), Tomas Harrington for Shorten, Declan Harrington for Sean Crowley (both 42), Conor Moloney for M Sexton (47), Patrick O’Mahony for Butler, Conor Hogan for Hickey (both 54).
St Finbarr’s: Jack McCarthy; Eoin O’Regan, David Scannell, Brian Doyle; Craig Power, Ciaran Steele, JJ O’Connor; Paul Kennedy, Cathal Crowley; Jack O’Brien, Darragh Callanan, Ian O’Callaghan; Ryan Bennett, Bill O’Connell, Adam Buckley.

Subs: Cian Buckley for Bennett (ht), Daniel Kennedy for Kennedy (36), Adrian Murphy for Callanan (inj, 38), Shane Kennedy for Power (40), Shane McCarthy for Scannell (inj, 48).
Referee: Chris Scanlon (Russell Rovers).