Qualter and Dolan help Maynooth edge it over Éire Óg CC to reach semi-final

UPMC SHC Quarter-Final

Maynooth 1-20

Éire Óg Corra Choill 2-16

Maynooth and Éire Óg Corra Choill served up a cracking contest in the UPMC SHC quarter-final at a very cold and wet Manguard Park on Saturday afternoon.

It was game that saw two outstanding displays from David Qualter of Maynooth and Paul Dolan of Éire Óg Corra Choill.

In the end there was just a single point separating the sides with the boys from Caragh/ Prosperous looking like they were on their way but a late rally saw Maynooth come from three points down mid-way through the second half to edge it by a single point.

It was certainly a game that Éire Óg Corra Choill will feel they at least deserved extra time having dominated for much of the second half but Maynooth, beaten finalists last season rallied when it was needed and they now set up a repeat of last season's final when they take on champions Naas.

Daniel O'Meara opened for Maynooth inside 30 second with a fine point before Paul Dermody denied David Qualter with a fine save.

Qualter added two frees before Éire Óg Corra Choill opened their account with a free form their star man Paul Dolan who had an exceptional game.

Kevin Dunne extended the Maynooth lead and while Paul Dolan left two between them on eight minutes, one minute later his side were in front when Cian O'Reilly passed to Dolan on the edge of the square and he (Dolan) batted the ball past Sean Bean in the Maynooth goal to lead 1-2 to 0-4.

Daniel O'Meara got his second of the game; Conor Kielty replied for Éire Óg Corra Choill before David Qualter added two frees, before Rory O'Neill had the sides level at 0-07 to 1-4 on 14 minutes.

Maynooth then upped their game, David Qualter found Cormac Nolan inside and he hit his effort low to the corner to regain the lead 1-7 to 1-4 mid-way through.

Éire Óg Corra Choill replied quickly and impressively with Paul Dolan firing over twice (one free) and Padraic Cribbin leveling it up at 1-7 apiece.

It was fine hurling with both sides giving it their own, David Qualter and Kevin Connor exchanged points before Qualter added two before the break but in between Cian O'Reilly had a shot deflected by a defender but that man Paul Dolan was there to fire to net to leave the half-time score reading Éire Óg Corra Choill 2-8 Maynooth 1-10.

Two points inside the opening three minutes from David Qualter saw Maynooth regain the lead but Éire Óg Corra Choill hit back, Dolan (free) leveled before the same player hit two more to go two clear on 40 minutes.

Mid-way through and Éire Óg Corra Choill went three clear with Dolan converting a free as the Caragh boys looked to be getting on top, winning a lot of the dirty ball.

The two main men, Qualter and Dolan exchanged frees before Daniel O'Meara left two between them on 50 minutes.
Cian O'Reilly caught a great ball on the edge of square, turned but going for goal hit the sliother right and wide.

That was the let-off that gave Maynooth the incentive to up their game again and that they did with David Qualter and then a point from Cathal McCabe leveled up matters on 54 minutes.

A foul on McCabe saw David Qualter edge Maynooth ahead by one; Paul Dolan leveled up before Cian Forde and Qualter had Maynooth two clear on 58 minutes.

Éire Óg Corra Choill came back again and two frees from Paul Dolan had the sides level on 62 minutes before Cathal McCabe got his second of the game on 64 minutes.

A free at the death could have gone either way but it was Maynooth 2-16 who got the benefit as the final whistle arrived Maynooth winning on a final score line of Maynooth 1-20 Éire Óg Corra Choill

Scorers: Maynooth, David Qualter 0-13 (10 frees), Cormac Nolan 1-0, Daniel O'Meara 0-3, Cathal McCabe 0-2, Kevin Dunne 0-1, Cian Forde 0-1,

Éire Óg Corra Choill, Paul Dolan 2-12 (9 frees), Rory O'Neill 0-1, Conor Kielty 0-1, Kevin Connor 0-1, Padraic Cribbin 0-1.

MAYNOOTH: Sean Bean; Eanna Logan, Michael Hogan, Luke Murnane; Ronan Dunne, Cian Forde, Ciarán Flanagan; Eoin Kelliher, Daniel O'Meara; Harry Dunne, Cormac Nolan, Graham Kenny; David Qualter, Cathal McCabe, Kevin Dunne. Subs: Rory Byrden for Cian Forde (blood sub 3-7 minute); Fiachra Lohan for Cormac Nolan (43 minutes); Rory Byrden for Kevin Dunne (51 minutes); Cormac Nolan for Harry Dunne (54 minutes).

ÉIRE ÓG CORRA CHOILL: Paul Dermody; Conor Gordon, James Dolan; Niall Cramer, Michael Begley, Adam Delmer; Garry Johnson, Paul Dolan; Rory O'Neill, Conor Kietly, Sean O'Neill; Cian O'Reilly, Kevin Connor, Padraic Cribbin. Subs: Jack Higgins for Sean O'Neill (36 minutes); Dan Murray for Adam Delmer (45 minutes).

REFEREE: Matthew Redmond.