St James fight off plucky Skibbereen comeback

BY KIERAN McCARTHY

Scored 0-3: Alan Foley, O'Donovan Rossa.

JAMES O’Driscoll scored 0-7 for St James as they fought off a tremendous O’Donovan Rossa comeback to win their first-round Wesco PVC junior A hurling championship game, 1-16 to 1-12, in Dunmanway on Saturday.

The sides had been level at the break, 1-7 apiece, before St James scored seven unanswered points in the third quarter to take control of this game – James O’Driscoll (4), and Mark Evans, Kevin O’Brien and Paul O’Sullivan (0-1 each).

Back came Skibbereen, as Alan Foley (3 65s), Flor Crowley and Jack O’Driscoll were all on target, but St James withstood the comeback and closed out the game with the final two points of an absorbing contest.

‘Skibb were a totally different team (on Saturday) than against Bal last Tuesday night and I warned the players in training during the week that you can’t write any team off, that their gander would be up. I think our lads showed great character in that first half,’ said St James’ manager Damian Dooley.

Don’t miss Thursday’s Southern Star for the full report and reaction.