DUBLIN POST-PRIMARY SCHOOLS JUVENILE HURLING ‘A’ FINAL
Burke fires Northsiders past Foley-inspired Benildus
Cian Ris-es to occasion for Ardscoil
ARDSCOIL RIS………………………………….. 4-11
ST BENILDUS COLLEGE……………………………. 2-10
By Daire Walsh
A 1-8 HAUL from centre-forward Cian Burke was pivotal in O’Toole Park
yesterday afternoon, as Ardscoil Ris produced an impressive
second-half display to claim the Dublin Post-Primary Schools Juvenile
Hurling ‘A’ title.
Benildus had started the contest in fine form, and although Burke was
on hand to cancel out Eoin Foley’s opening score from a free, their
southside counterparts quickly replied with another placed-ball effort
from Foley, who hit a superb 1-9 in all.
OUTFIT
The centre-forward from Naomh Olaf was the star performer
for Dublin South in the Leinster Juvenile Hurling League against a
Dublin North outfit featuring Burke in the same venue last Friday, and
he once again showcased his undoubted talent by contributing a further
three scores from long-distance.
A 35-metre free from Burke eventually halted this scoring blitz, but
Foley was in top form during the opening period, as a brace of points
from play edged his team five points in front. Ardscoil were battling
against a powerful breeze during the first half, but they gave
themselves a lifeline on 26 minutes, when half-forward Tom O’Flaherty
finished coolly to the back of Fiachra McLoughlin’s net.
Burke and John Walsh added points either side of this, but with Foley
converting two more frees (which meant that he hit all of his side’s
scores during the opening 30 minutes), Benildus took a two-point
cushion (0-9 to 1-4) into the interval.
Given the strength of the wind, it was unclear if this lead would be
sufficient come the end of the tie, and with Ardscoil edging in front
after the restart thanks to a point from play by Burke, and an
excellent individual major courtesy of Walsh, Benildus were going to
have to dig deep to re-assert their superiority.
Substitute Luke Doran did strike between the uprights with his first
touch on 36 minutes, but it would be a further 15 minutes before their
next score, and during this period Ardscoil registered an unanswered
tally of 1-4.
Burke and Walsh (who switched effectively from midfield
to corner-forward) chipped in with two points each in this juncture,
and when Ben McHugh struck to the bottom right-hand corner of the
Benildus net on 49 minutes, the north Dublin school looked like they
were primed for victory.
SUPERB
A superb goal from a 25-metre set-piece by Foley did offer some hope
for Benildus in the closing moments, but a fourth clinical goal for
Ardscoil by the outstanding Burke (following a fine fetch on the edge
of the square) killed the game off as a contest. Doran did grap a
consolation three-pointer late on for Benildus, but with Burke once
again finding his range from open play, Ardscoil Ris were able to ease
towards a well-earned success.
Scorers – Ardscoil Ris: C Burke 1-8 (0-4f, 0-1 ’65’), J Walsh 1-3, T
O’Flaherty, B McHugh 1-0 each. St Benildus College: E Foley 1-9
(1-5f), L Doran 1-1.
ARDSCOIL RIS: C O’Brien; J Lennon, D Levins, D Keogh; R O’Sullivan, J
Higgins, S Lambe; S Fradl, J Walsh; M Murphy, C Burke, T O’Flaherty; J
Mulcahy, S Ryan, B McHugh. Subs: S Currie for Mulcahy (46), E O’Neill
for Ryan (54).
ST BENILDUS COLLEGE: F McLoughlin; S Mulvaney, B Thornton, S Roe; C
Power-Kelly, D Dagg, T McGurk; P Flaherty, B Smith; C Shelly, E Foley,
S Flynn; D Keogh, J Dalton, J Grimes. Subs: L Doran for Shelly (35), S
Callanan for Roe (35), M Kelly McDonald for Dalton (41).
REFEREE: J Brennan (Thomas Davis).