Eoin’s strong finish crucial

COLáISTE EOIN 1-16 PATRICIAN NEWBRIDGE 1-8

DAIRE WALSH – 01 MAY 2014 03:30 PM

A STRONG final quarter proved essential for Coláiste Eoin yesterday afternoon at Thomas Davis GAA Club, where the gaelscoil were crowned South Leinster Senior Football ‘A’ league champions at the expense of Patrician Secondary School, Newbridge.

A close-range free by Patrician full-forward Ryan King had left the sides delicately poised with 12 minutes remaining, but a magnificent goal by Eoin substitute Diarmuid ó Seasnáin helped to produce some daylight between the teams and subsequently provide the platform for the Booterstown school to secure their second piece of silverware in 2014.

Having already secured the Leinster Senior Football Championship title, Eoin were confident of coming out on top against their south Kildare counterparts, who fielded without several of their county minor players (most notably Ben McCormack of Sarsfields).

A splendid point from distance by adventurous Patricians wing-back Conor Earley had cancelled out an earlier score from Eoin half-forward Rian Mac Giolla Bhríde, but intelligent play led to further white flag efforts for the Metropolitans from Conn ó Ceallacháin (free) and Mac Giolla Bhríde.

Patricians managed to restore parity with similar scores by central attackers Niall Manning and King, before three points in succession from dynamic full-forward Colm ó Néill (two) and early replacement Cillian Mac Gearailt placed Eoin in a healthy position.

The Southsiders suffered a set-back 25 minutes in when half-back Ben Mac Cormaic was black-carded for a foul on Patricians’ Cian Scanlon, but although King cut the gap to a minimum from the subsequent free, eye-catching points by Cillian ó Seanáin and the increasingly prominent ó Ceallacháin ensured that Eoin brought a 0-8 to 0-5 buffer into the second half.

Patricians managed to level matters just six minutes after the restart, however, when Suncroft’s King coolly slotted a penalty past Eoin netminder Seán ó Dubhláin after Dara ó Colpa was adjudged to have fouled Shane Smyth inside the large square.

This intensified an already gripping decider and when Scanlon and King (two) cancelled out hard-earned Eoin points from Mac Giolla Bhríde, Fionn ó Riain Broin and ó Ceallacháin, the sides remained inseparable.

Indeed, extra-time looking like being a distinct possibility, but ó Seasnáin’s tremendous 49th minute finish to the roof of the Patricians net was the perfect tonic for Eoin as they aimed to secure the silverware on offer.