A for Aidan’s

DAIRE WALSH – 23 JANUARY 2014 02:30 PM

ARDSCOIL RíS 2-6 ST AIDAN’S CBS 6-17

Aidan’s hit the ground running from the word go, as Campbell and half-forward Enda O’Donnell both found the target inside the opening five minutes of play.

Midfielder James O’Donnell did open Ardscoil’s account with a well-measured free from a left-hand angle seven minutes into the tie, but having narrowly missed finding the back of Patrick Kavanagh’s net from an earlier attack, Enda O’Donnell was on hand to record the opening goal of the day after a Seán Currie attempt at a point had deflected off the post.

A physically imposing Aidan’s then opened the floodgates, and by the end of the opening quarter they had increased their advantage to nine, courtesy of points from James Doran and Michael Noonan, as well as an opportunistic goal by full-forward Jordan Leonard.

Five unanswered points by Aidan’s, three from the increasingly influential Campbell and one apiece by O’Donnell and Gavin Kilkenny, meant Ardscoil were facing into a 14-point deficit with just 26 minutes gone on the clock. Matters became even more complicated for the Griffith Avenue school when Campbell and Leonard both raised green flags for Aidan’s, but although Doran added a brace of points to his personal tally, Ardscoil did at least finish the half in good spirits thanks to an excellent goal from the left-hand side by midfielder Joseph Manley.

Aidan’s nevertheless held an insurmountable 4-11 to 1-1 cushion as the action resumed, and despite conceding points to Ardscoil’s O’Donnell and Andrew Gilroy (son of former Dublin footballer and manager Pat Gilroy), they registered their fifth goal on 41 minutes via the lively Kilkenny.

The helpless Kavanagh found himself beaten for a sixth time 16 minutes from the end, when Andy McCaul ensured that all six Aidan’s forwards had gotten their name on the scoresheet.

Ardscoil continued to display admirable character, and some excellent points by central attackers Sean Currie and Gilroy, along with a clinically struck goal by substitute Robert McBride, did act as some sort of consolation.

Scorers – St Aidan’s CBS: K Campbell 1-5 (0-1f), J Leonard 2-0, E O’Donnell 1-2 (0-1f), A McCaul, G Kilkenny 1-1 each, J Doran 0-5, M Noonan 0-3. Ardscoil Rís: J Manley, R McBride 1-0 each, J O’Donnell (f), A Gilroy (f) 0-2 each, S Currie (f), S Lambe 0-1 each.

St Aidan’s CBS: C Carroll; C Murphy, M Moran, B Daly; S Nolan, D Gorman, R Harte; C Murphy, K Campbell; E O’Donnell, J Doran, A McCaul; G Kilkenny, J Leonard, M Noonan. Subs: J Mulhall for Kilkenny (47), J Murray for Murphy (50), R Fahy for Daly (56), J Maloney for Nolan (60), S Lowry for Noonan (60), D O’Connell for O’Donnell (60).

Ardscoil Rís: P Kavanagh; R O’Sullivan, P Kenny, J Weinmann; S Brennan, C Kyne, N Brennan; J O’Donnell, J Manley; J O’Meara, S Currie, H Brady; S Lambe, A Gilroy, J Mulcahy. Subs: R Dunne for O’Meara (26), M Sweeney for N Brennan (h-t), R McBride for Mulcahy (45), D Cummins for Lambe (56).

Referee: D Harrington (St Sylvester’s).