From Evening Echo 3rd June 2013
The scoreline in the JAHC first round clash between White’s Cross and St. Vincents did not reflect the intensity of the game on Saturday.
White’s Cross entered the game as underdogs and were pleasantly surprised by the marginal win having been a goal down at half time.
White’s Cross began the scoring with a Barry Murphy point in the first minute which was quickly responded to with an Anthony Buckley point for St. Vincents. It stayed tit or tat with second points from Conor Buckley and Barry Murphy until the 9th minute when Anthony Buckley stirred St. Vincents morale with a superb point.
This instigated a series of attacks by Vincents right corner forward Conor Lynch who scored a point and was instrumental in two more. A Derek O’Connor goal six minutes before the break left St. Vincent’s confident with their first half play with a half time score of 1-08 to 0-08.
White’s Cross opened the scoring in the first minute of the second half but were held scoreless for the next nine minutes as Vincents increased their tally from half forwards Frank Murphy and Steven O’Connell.
The rivalry became evident in the last quarter and a series of frees in favour of White’s Cross from the 42nd minute, each meticulously converted by Donncha Murnane, brought them back into the game by the 56th minute.
An equalizing point came in the 58th minute by his brother Padraig Murnane. Donncha Murnane helped White’s Cross to pip the posts with another two points from play, one in the third minute of extra-time, as Vincents missed a final free in the dying minutes.
St. Vincents chairman Thomas Gould was visibly disappointed for their hurlers referring to it as a ‘big hit’ but with eight of the senior hurlers on the senior football panel, he hopes this will not affect their forthcoming campaign.
White’s Cross. Shane Cahill, Conal Smith, John O’Connell, Sean O’Gorman, Breandan Murnane, Eoin Murnane, Brian Murphy, Conor Buckley (0-05, 2 frees), Donncha Murnane (0-06, 3 frees), Rob Long, Sean Murnane, Thomas Meade (0-01), Kevin Fennessy, Padraig Murnane (0-02), Barry Murphy (0-02).
Subs: Richie Sherlock for Sean Murnane (37)
St Vincents: A O’Brien K Sorenson, B Daly, W Murphy, K Goulding, P Culnane, R Fielding, A Buckley (0-04, 2 frees), D O’Brien (0-01), C Barry (0-01), F Murphy (0-01), S O’Connell (0-02), D O’Connor (1-00), S Cunningham, C Lynch (0-02).
Subs: D Collins for D O’Connor (48) A Harte for D O’Brien (53)