DUBLIN SCHOOLS JUNIOR ‘A’ HURLING C’SHIP ROUND-UP
Ardscoil’s quest for six in-a-row alive
Daire Walsh
THEY were on the receiving end of a defeat to near rivals St Aidan’s CBS on Tuesday, but Ardscoil Ris’ quest for a sixth successive Dublin Schools Junior ‘A’ Hurling crown remains very much alive.
An upcoming fixture between St Aidan’s and Lucan CBS will determine if they progress to the semi-final stage of this year’s competition, but thanks to their previous Roinn 1 victories over St Fintan’s High School and Lucan, they are contention for a place in the final-four.
With Sean Currie, Michael Murphy, Mark Sweeney and Robbie O’Sullivan all making valuable contributions, they recorded a commanding 4-15 to 1-8 triumph against Fintan’s in Pairc Naomh Uinsionn on September 15.
Last Friday’s encounter with Lucan was a much closer contest, but thanks to strong performances from Currie and Sean Lambe, Ardscoil edged a high-scoring tie.
As a result, Fiachra Colgan’s charges were in pole position to top their group, but they met an Aidan’s side that were in fine goal-scoring form during their third game of the new school calendar. In spite of the best efforts of Tom Keogh and Harry Brady, their Collins Avenue counterparts had all of 14 points (5-13 to 0-14) to spare.
Aidan’s were defeated by Ardscoil in the 2013 showpiece, but if they can end their group campaign on a winning note, they will hoping to emulate the great success that their football sides have enjoyed in recent years.
Elsewhere in Roinn 1, Lucan bounced back from the narrow reversal against Ardscoil by edging St Fintan’s in their second game of the group. Playing against a strong breeze in the opening period, Lucan were trailing by six points (1-7 to 1-1) at the mid-way point.
However, goals from Andy Carroll (two), Luke Walsh and Matthew Dunne galvanised their challenge, and with Emmet Allen contributing 0-6, they claimed their first victory of the championship by the bare miminum (4-10 to 3-12).