The O’Callaghan production line is working a treat.
Con O’Callaghan is good, sure, but have you seen the younger brother?
Cuala and Thomas Davis are rocking along nicely in Dublin Senior Football Championship Division 2. The northsiders served up a beating to St Maur’s at the weekend, with brothers Con and Niall O’Callaghan the architects of their downfall.
Maurs got off to a decent start and were 0-4 to 0-1 up, early in the first half, when Dublin defender Michael Fitzsimmon’s was guilty of breaking a cardinal rule – passing across the face of goal. His error led to a point by Mark McGrath but fortunes would soon swing Cuala’s way.
Credit: Dubs TVThe brothers and Luke Keating came to the fore as Cuala began to accumulate points and pull away. The goals came in a second half glut.
Mark Schutte fisted the ball home, early in the half, before Con O’Callaghan teed up the on-rushing James Power with a great turn and pass that took two men out at once.
2-19 to 0-4 up – yes, St Maurs had not scored since going three points clear – and the elder O’Callaghan was awarded a free from 30 yards out. The simple decision would have been to chip another point over but the Dublin forward was switched on. His give-and-go free put him through on goal and he finished crisply.
After that, Niall O’Callaghan finished what he had so impressively started.
The comeback was complete when he ghosted by Barry Cronin as if he were not there and fired his team’s fourth goal home. Maurs rediscovered where the posts were to make it 4-19 to 0-5 but Niall O’Callaghan sprinted clear and calmly slotted another Cuala score over. It was all coming so effortlessly for the UCD student.
This was no fluke. Niall O’Callaghan has been turning heads for a few years now.
MFC A Full time Cuala 1-16 St Vincent's 1-08. MOTM Niall O'Callaghan pic.twitter.com/ZQayEpIXd0
— Cuala GAA (@CualaCLG) September 28, 2014
Epic stuff from those goal wolverines. Maurs grabbed a consolation goal but Cuala’s convincing win saw them top their group and march confidently into the knock-out stages.
Teams will have to keep a close eye out on the two O’Callaghan brothers, playing up front, if they are to have any chance of stopping the Cuala boys.
Video: Dubs TV
