DUBLIN SCHOOLS ‘B’ SHC
O’Donoghue spot on with save to see Saints into ‘B’ semis
Daire Walsh
A SECOND-HALF penalty save from Conor O’Donoghue proved decisive last Friday afternoon, as St Colmcille’s CS booked their place in the knock-out stages of the Dublin Schools Senior Hurling ‘B’ Championship with a victory over Terenure College.
This was the second game in succession that O’Donoghue denied an opposing attacker from the penalty spot, and after finishing on level terms with Templeogue College in their opening game of the competition, back-to-back successes over Oatlands College and Terenure have ensured their safe passage into the penultimate round.
This year’s hurling championships in the capital are being played on a league basis initially, and following the comprehensive nature of their win against Oatlands, Colmcille’s confidence was high heading into this Roinn 2 contest.
An opening period goal from Conor Barton offered Colmcille’s a 1-7 to 0-9 interval buffer, but even though James Madden was producing an excellent display at full-forward, Terenure were proving to be formidable opponents on the day.
The heroics of O’Donoghue (who also scored a goal in the Oatlands encounter) provided Colmcille’s with a crucial edge in the second half, though, and thanks to a further three-pointer by Kevin O’Flaherty, they finished with two points (2-14 to 0-18) to spare.
It remains to be seen who will join Colmcille’s from Roinn 2 in the semi-finals, as Terenure College are due to face Oatlands College on Monday. In addition to their draw with Colmcille’s, Templeogue College lost to Terenure, and although they recorded a win over Oatlands, a triumph over the same opposition would help ‘Nure to secure the runner-up spot in the group.
OPENING WINS
Colmcille’s will be joined in the last-four by Salesian College, after the Celbridge school were victorious in their opening two Roinn 1 games against Castleknock Community College and Scoil Chaitriona.
Salesians lost out to Chaitriona in last year’s decider, but with Tony Archbold, Liam O’Flynn, Keelan Smith and Patrick Mortell all in fine form, they are eager to make amends in 2015.
Before the north Kildare outfit can concentrate on their semi-final, they will look forward to a final group game against St Declan’s CBS, who face Castleknock CC on Friday afternoon.