Dublin 1-15 DCU 0-11
Paul Clarke described managing Dublin in the absence of back to back All-Ireland winning boss Jim Gavin as a ‘busman’s holiday’.
It’s a holiday that will last for as long as Dublin remain in the O’Byrne Cup, according to the 1995 All-Ireland winner, and on the evidence of this display that could be some time.
Gavin and his All-Ireland winning panel are holidaying in Jamaica and won’t return until Saturday but the county’s second string - essentially numbering 30 to around 50 in panel terms - still outclassed Sigerson Cup hopefuls DCU.
The inside forward line of Paul Hudson, Dublin’s goalscorer, Michael Deegan and Conor McHugh contributed 1-10 between them with playmaker Niall Walsh providing the inspiration further out.
Wing-forward Walsh got through a ton of good work, both offensively and defensively, and impressed along with goalkeeper Evan Comerford who pulled off several excellent saves including one from a 29th minute penalty.
Shane Cunningham and Gavin Ivory made scoring introductions when introduced in the second-half also, handing temporary Dubs manager and former selector Clarke a 100 per cent win rate.
“Jim selected this group of players last October, he’s been looking at the club championship since it finished, he looked at teams that were playing in league finals and so on so he was gathering information throughout the whole season and then you have to look at what colleges take and who else was available to us,” said Clarke.
“Ultimately, Jim handed me, as you see, a nice group of players. I was down in the gym watching these guys train since December and part of December was on the pitch as well so I knew what we were dealing with.”
Dublin led 1-9 to 0-5 at half-time despite kicking nine first-half wides and were never troubled in a second-half that contained 15 substitutions in total, eight from DCU.
DCU coach Niall Moyna said he’d like if the temporary rule on unlimited substitutions was made permanent and hailed the depth of talent in Dublin.
Dublin: E Comerford; J Smith, E O'Brien, R McGowan; B Howard, C Reddin, N Scully; J Whelan (0-1), R Deegan; G Sweeney, S Boland, N Walsh (0-1); P Hudson (1-3, 0-1f), M Deegan (0-4, 0-4f), C McHugh (0-3). Subs: G Ivory (0-1) for Hudson (46), T Shiels for O'Brien (48), R Gaughan for Walsh (52), S Cunningham (0-2) for McHugh (58), R O'Brien for Boland (63), R Hazley for Whelan (63), S Newcombe for R Deegan (70).
DCU: S Mannion; E Smith, D O'Neill, B Kerr; S Lavin, K Feely, D Ward (0-1); C McGonagle, H McFadden; E O'Connor (0-1), M Plunkett (0-1), T Lahiffe; D Mannix (0-2), N Murphy, R Burns (0-4, 0-4f). Subs: S Carthy for Murphy (30), D Neary for Ward (h/t), Eoghan Smyth for Mannix (h/t), C Mulligan (0-1) for Lahiffe (h/t), T O'Reilly (0-1) for O'Connor (60), M Corcoran for Plunkett (60), B Cawley for Eoin Smith (62), C Doran for Kerr (69), T Galligan for McGonagle (69).
Referee: C Reilly (Meath).
Louth 1-9 Westmeath 0-11
A goal from Derek Crilly in the 35th minute proved to be the decisive score as Louth deservedly edged out Westmeath in a lacklustre O’Byrne Cup opener in Mullingar on Sunday.
The sides were on level terms when Derek Crilly found the net at the third attempt approaching the interval, after David Bryan had kept out efforts from Conal McKeever and Crilly. Louth led by 1-5 to 0-5 at half-time.
Louth looked the more likely winners throughout the second half. However, Westmeath wing back Shane Corcoran was wide when a goal beckoned in the 68th minute.
Louth: C Lynch; P Rath (0-1), P Reilly, K Carr; D Maguire, D McMahon, A Williams; C Martin, T Durnin (0-1); D Byrne (0-1), P Smith (0-1), B Duffy; C McKeever, D Crilly (1-1), R Holcroft (0-2, one free). Subs: J Califf (0-2, one free) for Martin (b/c, 10), D Marks for Maguire (b/c, 48), R Nally for McKeever (60), R Moore for Crilly (60), R Carroll for Holcroft (60), J Bingham for McMahon (64), D Finn for Marks (b/c, 66).
Westmeath: D Bryan; J Gonoud, K Maguire, K Daly; S Corcoran, A Stone, J Dolan; P Holloway (0-1), J Heslin (0-5, five frees); C Boyle, K Martin (0-1), K Reilly; C McCormack (0-1), S Dempsey (0-1), F Boyle. Subs: D Lynch for Dolan (b/c, 10), A Gaughan for Stone (h-t), D McNicholas for C Boyle (54), J Marshment for F Boyle (56), D Glennon for Dempsey (58), A Gardiner (0-2) for McCormack (58), N Mulligan for Corcoran (68), T McDaniel for Martin (70 +2).
Ref: D Hickey (Carlow).
Wexford 2-14 UCD 1-17
A Larry Moran point deep into additional time gave UCD a deserved draw with Wexford in this highly entertaining O’Byrne Cup senior football opening round game at Piarc Ui siochain, Gorey, on Sunday afternoon.
The colleges side may have breathed a sigh of relief on the final whistle for it was no more than they deserved as they kicked two additional points to deny Seamus McEnaney a victory in his first competitive game in charge of the Wexford outfit.
It was evenly balanced through the first half with a John Tubritt fourteenth minute goal putting the homeside 1-1 to 0-2 in front, but the accuracy of Andy Mcdonnell, Eamon Wallace and Jack McCaffrey edged the colleges side into a 0-8 to 1-4 interval lead. McCaffrey having his first game back having taken a year out from the Dubs set-up looked sharp through the opening spell but did not re-appear for the second half.
The sides were still deadlocked 1-7 to 0-10 after forty-two minutes, but a goal from sub Paul Curtis edge the homeside in front entering the closing twenty minutes. However a Tom Hayes forty-ninth minute goal gave the initiative back to UCD, but it was Wexford who produced a late surge and two P. J. Banville points to lead into additional time. However, late points from Tom Hayes and Larry Moran salvaged a draw for the colleges outfit.
Wexford: C Swaine; J Rossiter, N Rossiter, R Tierney; C Carty, J Leacy, T Rossiter; D Waters (0-1), C Kehoe (0-1); K O'Grady (0-1), B Brosnan (0-3, 0-1 free), E Nolan; R Nolan, J Tubritt (1-1), P J Banville (0-4). Subs: K Butler for Tierney (h.t.); P Curtis (1-0) for O'Grady (41); J Firman for Carty (41); C Lyng (0-2) for E Nolan (55); S Gaul for Butler (55); T Byrne (0-1) for R Nolan (57); R Nolan for Tubritt (68); P Byrne for T Byrne (69).
UCD: C Honan; A Hassett, D McGuire, P Healy; S O'Dea, J McCaffrey, N McInerney; S Quirke (0-1), G Farrell; L Moran (0-5, 0-2 frees), A McDonnell (0-2), E Wallace (0-2); T. Hayes (1-4, 0-4 frees), S Meade, E Lowry (0-1) Subs: L Kelly (0-1)for McCaffrey (ht); P Fagan for McDonnell (ht); D Gleeson (0-1) for Wallace (43).
Referee: B Cawley (Kildare).
Offaly 5-18 Carlow IT 0-4
The scoreline said it all as Offaly recorded a very easy win over Carlow IT in the O’Byrne Cup in Geashill on Sunday.
Fielding an experimental team, with their Rhode contingent on a break, Offaly looked fit and sharp as they destroyed a Carlow IT side that were way out of their depth and whose work rate was well off the mark.
Nigel Dunne scored 1-7 in the first half as Offaly stormed into a 3-11 to 0-2 half time lead, with Johnny Brickland and Declan Hogan getting the other goals.
There was no respite for Carlow in the second half and Offaly could have won by a lot more.
Offaly: B Rohan; D Brady, J Lalor, L Colgan; D Hogan (1-1), S Nally, D Hanlon; E Carroll (1-1), J Gethings; L Fox (0-1), W Muilhall (0-1), J Brickland (1-0), N Dunne (1-7, 2f), M Brazil, S Doyle (0-2). Subs: D Carroll for Hogan (h/t), J O'Connor (0-1) for Mulhall (h/t), K Dunne for Brickland (h/t), P Cunningham (1-1) for Dunne (h/t), D Dempsey for Brazil (h/t), S Tierney (0-3, 2f) for Doyle (49m), A Mahon for Fox (49m), C Horan for Colgan (51m), J Egan for Brady (51m), C Clancy for Rohan (54m).
Carlow IT: R Sanson; C Brangan, T O'Connell, G Smyth; C Ward, J Logue, D O'Sullivan; M Russell (0-2), S Maughan; K Ryan (0-1, f), C O'Toole, E Buggie; Ross Ryan, L Flynn, P O'Connor. Subs: Ronan Ryan for Smyth (18m), J Walsh (0-1) for O'Connor (h/t), J Casey for Brangan (49m), S McGraynor for Buggie (58m), M O'Connor for K Ryan (67m).
Referee: S Murphy (Louth).
Carlow 3-17 Maynooth College 0-16
It took Carlow time to settle but once they did they dispatched Maynooth with relative ease in this first round O’Byrne Cup game in Netwatch Cullen Park on Sunday. Early points from the visitors were cancelled out by a Darragh Foley 12th minute goal which helped Carlow lead 1-9 to 0-11 at the interval.
Henry Walsh was Maynooth’s leading scorer of the half with six points from frees and play.
A three-pointer from Darragh O’Brien on 37 minutes stretched the Carlow lead as their rivals visibly wilted. The final goal from Alan Kelly proved to be the icing on the cake for a Carlow side who will face tougher opposition in Westmeath and Louth in the coming week.
Carlow: C. Kearney; C. Crowley, C. Lawlor, K. Nolan (0-1); H.Gahan, S. Redmond, G. Kelly (0-1); B. Murphy (0-2), E. Ruth (0-1); A. Kelly (1-0), D. Foley (1-3, 2fs), J. Murphy (0-1); D. O'Brien (1-0), P. Broderick (0-3,2fs), D. St. Ledger (0-2,1f). Subs: S. O'Neill (0-1) for J.Murphy (h/t), G.Power (0-1) for Gahan (h/t), S. Clarke for Nolan (58), M.Ware for B. Murphy (58), J.Clarke for O'Brien (60), D. Lunney (0-1) for Kelly (64), M.Rennick for Crowley (64).
Maynooth College: A. Coney; A. Brennan (0-1), M.Hyland, J. Mooney; O. Shiels, T. Hanafin, S. McDonagh; P. Cribben, C. Sheridan; D. Mimnagh, E. Carroll (0-3, 2 45s,f), H. Walsh (0-6, 4fs); R. O'Rourke, D. Flynn (0-1), J. Wallace (0-2). Subs: F. McCormack for Carroll (h/t), P. Fogarty (0-2,1f) for Walsh (47), C. Murphy (0-1) for O'Rourke (48), C. O'Reilly for McCormack (55), W. Bright for Mimnagh (58), B. Gonoud for Shiels (58), F. Donoghue for Hanafin (73).
Referee: F. Pierce (Offaly).
