THOMAS DAVIS   2-9

ST JUDE’S   1-12

Daire Walsh

EAMON Conroy struck a superb 60th-minute goal to earn Thomas Davis a share of the spoils against St Jude’s in Division 1 of the Dublin Adult Football League at Kiltipper Road last Thursday. Five points adrift of the Templeogue outfit with the finishing line in sight, Davis looked set to suffer their first top-tier defeat of 2022.

Instead, a late rally from Ciaran Farrelly’s charges ensured they leapfrogged Na Fianna and Lucan Sarsfields into pole position on score difference. From a Jude’s perspective, this result leaves them in seventh place with one win and two draws from five games to date.

Kieran Doherty got the ball rolling for Kieran Durkan’s visitors, before Eoin Kirby ventured forward out of defence to kick an outstanding point from distance.

Nonetheless, Jude’s – who lined out without the likes of Kevin McManamon, Tom Lahiff and Pat Spillane Jr – subsequently took control with unanswered efforts by Seamus Noone, Alan McLoughlin (free) and Doherty.

Davis were also minus some notable figures such as Cian Murphy, Adam Waddick and Fionn Murray, but found their feet again as the action wore on.

Following traded scores between Kirby and David Sheehy, Chris Sallier, Sean Reilly and Ryan Deegan found the target to bring them back on level terms. Jude’s were to have the final say of the half, however, with a Ronan Joyce point propelling them into a 0-6 to 0-5 interval lead.

This appeared to give the 2021 Dublin SFC finalists a psychological boost as they proceeded to establish daylight between themselves and the Tallaght men.

Thanks to quickfire singles by Doherty, Joyce and Colm Murphy, Jude’s moved four points clear of Davis on 37 minutes.

This gap remained after Sheehy cancelled out another Kirby contribution, before the home team received a much-needed lifeline just shy of the third-quarter mark.

First-half Jude’s substitute Sean Kavanagh fouled Reilly inside the square and it was left for Sallier to calmly stroke a resulting penalty beyond the reach of Cillian Barden. This turned up the heat on their opponents, but they responded in devastating fashion.

Having been picked out in space, Kevin Lahiff unleashed an unstoppable drive to the net that helped to reinforce his side’s authority.

Despite a Kirby free helping Davis to settle, Jude’s seemed destined for maximum points when Sheehy and Doherty raised further white flags.

Yet Davis remained in contention courtesy of dead-ball strikes by goalkeeper Dylan Caffrey and Kirby, and when Conroy was presented with a direct route to goal, he made no mistake with a thunderous finish on the run.

There was potential for a winning score during three minutes of stoppage-time, but both teams ultimately settled for a draw at the end of a gripping affair.

Match file

Scorers – Thomas Davis: E Kirby 0-5 (4f); C Sallier 1-1 (1-0 pen); E Conroy 1-0; D Caffrey (‘45’), R Deegan, S Reilly 0-1 each. St Jude’s: K Doherty 0-4 (1 m); K Lahiff 1-0; D Sheehy 0-3 (1f); R Joyce 0-2; A McLoughlin (f), C Murphy, S Noone 0-1 each.

THOMAS DAVIS: D Caffrey; A Fallon, J Lambert, A Shorten; G Carruth, E Kirby, O Kelly; R Deegan, E Lambert; S Farrelly, E Conroy, K Young Byrne; S Reilly, E O’Toole, C Sallier. Subs: M Nolan for Young Byrne (h-t), K Mullarkey for O’Toole (50), D Gibbons for Farrelly (55).

ST JUDE’S: C Barden; O Manning, A Hassett, P O’Loughlin; J Spillane, M Sweeney, C Guckian; C Murphy, S Noone; D Sheehy, K Lahiff, D Kavanagh; R Joyce, K Doherty, A McLoughlin. Subs: S Kavanagh for O’Loughlin (9), D Walsh for Guckian (52), J Crennan for Joyce (53), M Lawlor for McLoughlin (58).

MENTORS – Thomas Davis: C Farrelly, K O’Donovan, D Fairbanks. St Jude’s: K Durkan, A Sweeney, D Murray, M Danaher.

REFEREE: D Delaney (Wanderers).

WIDES: St Jude’s: 3 (3+0). Thomas Davis: 8 (4+4).

CONDITIONS: Dry overall with a gentle breeze.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Kieran Doherty (St Jude’s).