Maynooth find their range late on to edge past Éire Óg CC in Kildare SHC opener

Maynooth got things right down the home stretch to pass the stiff test of Éire Óg Chorra Choill in their UPMC Kildare SHC Group A opener. The eventual winners hit 19 wides in all but came up with the goods late on to lead when it mattered most.

A Harry Dunne stunner from his own half in the 54th minute was the score that put them ahead for the first time since the seventh minute and it was a lead that they would not relinquish.

There was a bite in this game from the get-go with the equaliser to Tom Power’s opening score from Michael Clohessy being celebrated like a game-winner.

Éire Óg brought an impressive intensity to the first half and again levelled things, this time through Jack Higgins, when Ciaran Dunne had edged Maynooth ahead.

Éire Óg took their first lead with another Jack Higgins free before greatly enhancing their advantage just two minutes later when Daniel Murray found the net. The leading side were in the midst of a promising looking advantage when the ball was cut back to midfielder Daniel Murray who drilled it into the roof of the net.

Higgins added another set-piece and his side led 1-4 to 0-2 after 10 minutes.

Maynooth’s discipline had been lacking but Tom Power’s second free got them back on the scoreboard but the young star followed that with consecutive missed frees.

The trailing side got within three thanks to Martin Quilty but Éire Óg had a 1-1 double-punch locked and loaded in response. Higgins got his first from play before sending a long ball into Jack Courtney who slipped in fellow wing-forward Donnchadh Fitzpatrick; the Éire Óg no.12 rounded the on-rushing Cillian Madden and swept the ball into the back of the net.

Maynooth to their credit gave a stern response with a 1-1 blitz of their own with Harry Dunne pointing and Tadhg Forde finding the net after he got two attempts at beating Daniel Gleeson and succeeded on the second.

When Martin Quilty nailed his second point, Maynooth were within two points with six minutes to go in the half.

Jack Higgins steadied the ship for his team who had been under pressure ever since they hit the net for the second time.

Tom Power converted his third free late on but Higgins grabbed another before the break as Éire Óg carried a 2-7 to 1-7 lead in at the interval.

Higgins was first on the scoresheet after the restart too to extend his side's lead to four. Paul Dolan soon made that five but Harry Dunne added his second at the other end quickly after.

Maynooth were far from pinpoint accurate but were slowly clawing their way back through sheer volume of chances with Éire Óg unable to score in the middle portion of the half.

There was just one between the sides when Quilty got on the scoresheet for fourth time with 12 minutes to go but substitute Rian Curran broke a 15-minute dry spell for his team to keep them two clear headed into the final 10 minutes.

A long-range strike from Oran Byrne and a steadily taken free from Power had Maynooth level. The young Maynooth forward struggled on the night but kept his nerve to produce a vital score at that stage.

Éire Óg weren’t ready to go away just yet after being pegged back and, despite being on the backfoot for most of the half, produced back-to-back points to lead again by two. Jack Higgins scored the first and created the second for his midfield partner Daniel Murray to mark his final burst in an inspirational performance.

Substitute Luke Murnane responded for Maynooth before another superb long-range strike from Byrne had them level. The aforementioned cracker from Dunne was next as Maynooth scored the game’s final five points while Éire Óg threw everything they had left in the tank at the eventual victors.

Maynooth finished as 1-18 to 2-12 winners of a ding-dong battle in Round 1 of the SHC.

Maynooth: Tom Power 0-5 (0-4 frees), Martin Quilty 0-4, Tadhg Forde 1-0, Harry Dunne 0-3, Oran Byrne 0-3, Luke Murnane 0-2, Ciaran Dunne 0-1.

Éire Óg Corra Choill: Jack Higgins 0-8 (0-6 frees), Daniel Murray 1-1, Donnchadh Fitzpatrick 1-0, Michael Clohessy 0-1, Paul Dolan 0-1, Rian Curran 0-1.

MAYNOOTH: Cillian Madden; Cian Brody, Matt Eustace, Kevin Carroll; Cian Forde, Daniel O'Meara, Harry Dunne; Ronan Dunne, Oran Byrne; Ciaran Dunne, Cormac Nolan, Tom Power; Martin Quilty, Kevin Dunne, Tadhg Forde. Subs: Conor O'Grady for Kevin Dunne (22 minutes), Luke Murnane for Ronan Dunne (42 minutes), Ciarán Gorman for Martin Quilty (58 minutes), Eoin Kelleher for Cormac Nolan (63 minutes).

ÉIRE ÓG CC: Daniel Gleeson; Cormac Byrne, Niall Cramer, Cathal McGrath; Daniel Boule, Paul Dolan, Fionan Manders; Jack Higgins, Daniel Murray; Jack Courtney, Michael Clohessy, Donnchadh Fitzpatrick; Conor Kielty, Seán O'Neill, Rian Cramer. Subs: Rian Curran for Jack Courtney (Half-time), Simon Connolly for Donnchadh Fitzpatrick (42 minutes), Conor Sullivan for Cathal McGrath (47 minutes), Cian O'Reilly for Seán O'Neill (47 minutes).

Referee: Brian Kearney