The Father Murphys got their Intermediate Hurling Championship campaign off to the perfect start with an impressive second-half performance to overcome Cú Chulainns at McGovern Park on Sunday.
The Murphys made the ideal start when Matt Murphy opened the scoring inside the first 20 seconds. However, the East London side responded almost immediately with the game’s opening goal to edge in front. The sides exchanged points in an entertaining opening period before a superb individual goal from wing-back Aaron O’Gara swung the momentum back in the Murphys’ favour. O’Gara started the move himself, combined brilliantly with teammates through a series of handpasses, and finished confidently from close range to the net. By the midway point of the first half, the Murphys had established a 1-08 to 1-02 lead.
The Murphys finished the opening half strongly, with standout performers Alan Griffith and Michael Burke leading the charge. Griffith, who finished the day with an outstanding tally of 2-05, grabbed the Murphys’ second goal with another close-range finish, while Burke was in excellent form throughout, splitting the posts consistently from both placed balls and open play. At the interval, the Murphys held a commanding 2-12 to 1-04 advantage.
The Murphys continued to move the ball with pace and purpose after the break, with scores coming from all over the field. At the back, Aaron Coughlan produced another commanding display at centre-back and capped his performance with a superb long-range point. He was well supported by the returning Niall Lynam and the ever-reliable Paul Ryan in the corner.
Up front, Tom Foley struck for the Murphys’ third goal after one of his trademark surging runs before finishing clinically to the net. Alan Griffith then completed his brace with his second goal of the afternoon as the Murphys’ dominance continued. Their slick passing and excellent teamwork improved as the game went on, creating a series of well-worked scores, with Burke and Griffith once again applying the finishing touches.
The final goal of the afternoon came from Eoin O’Leary, who reacted quickest after Adam O’Callaghan broke the ball and calmly finished to the corner of the net from a tight angle. O’Callaghan then deservedly got on the scoresheet himself moments later, finishing off another excellent team move with a fine point.
It was an encouraging opening performance from the Murphys, who will now turn their attention to their next championship fixture against Granuaile on Saturday, 15 August, at 3.30pm. The venue is yet to be confirmed, so be sure to follow the Father Murphys across all of our social media channels for the latest updates.
