Cuala maintained their one-point lead at the top of Dublin Adult Football League Division 10 with a thumping 5-14 to 0-6 win over Cabinteely at Kilbogget Park on Thursday evening.
Fergal O’Reilly, Simon Cullen, Stephen Flynn, Dylan Kennedy, Maurice Goodwin hit the net for Cuala as the Dalkey club routed their near-neighbours on their own patch.
Cuala were heavy favourites coming into the game and Cabinteely’s chances weren’t helped by the fact they only had the minimum available.
While Cuala dropped a starter to even up the numbers, it was one-way traffic from the very first minute and the visitors went close to hitting the net inside 60 seconds.
Stephen Flynn took on the ball in midfield and played it forward to Cillian Greene, but the full forward flashed his shot wide with the whole goal to aim at.
Cuala were denied again moments later as Paul Lehane turned down a chance to shoot and laid the ball off to Oscar Hussey, but his attempt to punch over the bar was blocked down.
Lehane did open the scoring after five minutes as he charged down a defensive clearance and popped the ball over the bar, left-footed, from an angle.
Cabo were finding it difficult to get out of their half and Greene went for goal again, but his shot was punched clear by the keeper and, after Hussey hit the post, Lehane put over his second point.
Flynn was fouled as he made a run forward from midfield, allowing him to add a third point, before the visitors made one of their various goal attempts count.
O’Reilly finally broke the resistance of Cabo keeper Barry Rojack after ten minutes with a low finish following a nice ball lofted in by Hussey.
Cuala scored again before Colin Tuite finally got Cabinteely on the board, before Kennedy restored normal order with a well-taken free.
Cullen scored Cuala’s second goal on the stroke of half-time to send the visitors into a 2-8 to 0-4 lead at the break.
Kennedy notched two more points as Cuala started the second half strongly, while Hussey kept the scoreboard ticking over as he bisected the posts.
Flynn – the star player for Cuala with a commanding midfield performance – added goal number three with a soccer-style volley nine minutes into the second half.
Things got worse for Cabo as JP Woodfull was sent off for two yellow cards ten minutes into the second half, and Cuala cut loose from there.
Kennedy got his goal six minutes later as the visitors stretched out their lead to 24 points with nine minutes left on the clock.
A good run from deep by half-back James McCarthy yielded yet another point for the side in white and red, before Simon Cullen was wasteful after blocking down high up the pitch.
McCarthy scored impressively with a shot from distance, while both Paddy Murray and Kennedy saw long-distance efforts crash back off the high post.
Substitute Maurice Goodwin added a fifth goal five minutes from time to complete the rout, though quickfire points from Eoin O’Leary and Tuite kept them somewhat honest.
Cuala face St Sylvesters in a top-of-the-table clash at Hyde Road on Thursday evening, while Cabinteely face a trip to fifth-place Erin’s Isle in Finglas.
