Delvin goals enough to deny Cullion

Delvin 4-14, Cullion 1-19

Delvin rattled off four goals in 14 first-half minutes to get their SHC ‘B’ campaign off to a winning start at TEG Cusack Park on Saturday evening, but they were relieved to hear the final whistle after old rivals Cullion almost caught up with them following a second-half revival.

Goals from Eoin Carolan (two), Darragh Clinton and Dean Ennis meant that two minutes before the break, Delvin had a 13-point lead and led by ten at the break (4-10 to 1-9) after Eoin Fox snatched one for the lacklustre visitors.

Anyone who was at the 1996 intermediate final between these clubs will tell you that Cullion have a habit of coming back from the dead against Delvin, and they almost did here, getting the deficit down to four at one stage thanks to Jack Gillen and Kevin Regan. Delvin, meanwhile, only scored once from play in the second half.

However, Noel Boyce’s charges held on for the win, as Cullion couldn’t fashion that second goal they so badly needed.

Regan, hugely impressive throughout for the Mullingar men, opened the scoring with a point from the terrace side before Darragh Clinton equalised for Delvin with one from similar range.

Jack Gillen opened his account for Cullion, but by the sixth minute Delvin led thanks to decent points from Killian Murphy and Clinton.

Cullion had a sniff at goal at the other end but Gillen was hauled back for a square ball infringement, and it was Delvin who found the net first, when Clinton smashed to the net from close range after emerging from a scramble in the D.

Delvin led by four, but Cullion had the best of the ensuing seven minutes, trailing by one (1-4 to 0-6) after Gillen (two, one from play), Fox and Regan pointed, with only Dean Ennis (a free) replying for the Valley.

Then, the floodgates opened amid some chaotic Cullion defending.

Ennis tacked on a fine score from play before Eoin Carolan teamed up with Murphy to leave the opposition defence at sixes and sevens, before rifling a shot to the Cullion net.

Shane Broughan replied for Cullion with a monster effort from 60 metres but at the other end, further misery awaited his teammates.

On 18 minutes, a third Delvin goal arrived when Ennis embarked on a solo run, avoiding one or two questionable hooks before unleashing a terrific strike to Conor Kelly’s net.

Forty seconds passed before Clinton was through again, dispossessing a hapless Cullion defence before kicking the sliotar goalward. His shot was blocked, but three minutes later Clinton was involved again for the fourth goal, shipping to Killian Murphy who then teed up Carolan for a low finish – his second green flag.

Cullion briefly regained their composure with a free from Jack Gillen, but by the 28th minute the Valley led by 13 after Josh Coll, Ennis (a free), Carolan and Clinton divided the posts. Clinton – set through on goal by Ennis – could have added a fifth goal here but drilled his finish over the bar.

The Mullingar men looked out on their feet but were thrown a lifeline a minute before the break when a long ball from Shane Broughan was picked up by Eoin Fox, and he finished low and hard to the Delvin net. However, at the short whistle, Cullion still trailed by ten (4-10 to 1-9) after Gillen and Ennis exchanged frees.

Delvin opened the second half as they ended the first when Eoin Carolan showed a nice bit of skill before pointing from play – but that was the Maroons’ last such score of the half.

They clocked up a number of wides, while by the 54th minute, Cullion had tacked on nine, broken by a solitary free from Dean Ennis. The scorers for Cullion were Gillen (four frees), Kevin Regan (0-3) Conor Regan and Jamie Kindregan, with the former Regan’s points among the pick of the bunch.

However, Cullion badly needed a goal late on. On 55 minutes, Jack Gillen cracked a shot at goal drawing an excellent save from Delvin’s Stephen Reilly, and when Cullion had no one alert enough on the rebound, the Valley cleared their lines.

Dean Ennis then rediscovered his scoring touch, tacking on two frees to make sure of the result, while a sublime stoppage-time score from Cullion’s Conor Shaw was too little, too late.

Scorers - Delvin: D Ennis 1-7 (0-6f), E Carolan 2-2, D Clinton 1-3, K Murphy and J Coll 0-1 each. Cullion: J Gillen 0-9 (7f), K Regan 0-5, E Fox 1-1, S Broughan, J Kindregan, C Regan and C Shaw 0-1 each.

Delvin: Stephen Reilly; Patrick Clune, Frank McGrath, Oisín Kelly; Jack Forde, Adam Ennis, Fintan Cox; Paddy Farrington, Josh Coll; Ciaran Fenlon, Darragh Clinton, Dean Ennis; Seb McPherson, Eoin Carolan, Killian Murphy. Subs used: Paddy Kelly for McPherson (h-t), Enda Newman for Fenlon (42), Adam McCormack for Cox (42), Brian Herward for Forde (59).

Cullion: Conor Kelly; Tadhg Desmond, Liam Shaw, Pierce Shaw; Andrew Connaughton, Conor Shaw, Conor Gilhooley; Conor Regan, Kevin Regan; Shane Broughan, Pearse Corroon, Brian O’Reilly; Eoin Fox, Jack Gillen, Jamie Kindregan. Subs used: Marc Watters for Desmond (50).

Ref: Alfie Devine (Castlepollard).

Footnote

Prior to the throw-in, a minute’s silence was observed in memory of the late John Herward, Delvin, who passed away on Saturday after a short illness.