VINCENT’S HOLD EDGE
Strong attacking play aids Marino men against Pat’s
DUBLIN IFC FINAL
ST VINCENT’S…………………………………………………. 1-14
ST PATRICK’S, DONABATE…………………………………… 1-8
Daire Walsh
ST Vincent’s added another piece of silverware to their trophy cabinet on Sunday afternoon, after they saw off the challenge of St Patrick’s, Donabate in a compelling Dublin Intermediate Football Championship decider at O’Toole Park.
The Marino club have always been highly competitive at various levels, but since securing the All-Ireland Senior Club Football title in March of last year, they have been crowned champions at senior, intermediate and junior level in Dublin.
They also finished 2014 as the premier side at the intermediate hurling grade, and despite coming under pressure at various stages of the contest in the Crumlin venue, their greater potency in attack helped them to secure a well-deserved triumph.
Because this is the Vincent’s second-string outfit, neither of these teams will gain promotion to the senior grade of the Dublin championship.
This also means that no team will be relegated from the top-tier, although Pat’s can now enter into the forthcoming Leinster Intermediate Championship.
Despite what the final scoreline might suggest, Vincent’s didn’t have it all their own way in this encounter, and with Adam Darby acting as a sweeper at the heart of the Pat’s defence, they were finding it difficult to create clear-cut openings during the opening moments of the tie.
Darby had featured at full-back in the Donabate side’s most recent competitive outing, but even though he played a deep role for the majority of the action, he opened the scoring at the end of a lung-bursting third minute run.
Patience was required from Vincent’s as they aimed to settle into their usual rhythm of play, but with corner-back Brian Bolger acting as an extra man in front of his own full-back-line, the Pat’s attack were also living off scraps at times.
Yet, following a wayward effort by Vincent’s full-forward Albert Martin, Shane McGrath extended the Pat’s advantage with a majestic left-footed score from a tight angle.
Their opponents finally got their account up and running with an Eoin Brady point from distance on 11 minutes, and after cutting inside from the left-wing just beyond the first-quarter mark, Martin levelled matters in clinical fashion.
Indecision from Vincent’s had led to a number of turnovers for Pat’s, but with 19 minutes gone on the clock, they moved into the lead for the very first time.
When midfielder Ronan Brady collected the ball 35 metres from the Pat’s goal, a point seemed like the most likely outcome.
However, with Pat’s netminder James Foran out of position, the industrious midfielder found the bottom left-hand corner of the net, which opened up a three-point gap between Vincent’s and their northside counterparts.
Having performed so effectively in defence for much of the half, this was a major set-back for Pat’s, who found themselves four points in arrears when Martin comfortably converted a close-range free six minutes before the interval.
With the pendulum swinging in the direction of Vincent’s, the Pat’s management (which is spearheaded by former Wicklow star Kevin O’Brien) introduced ace marksman Dinny Corcoran from the substitutes’ bench.
Corcoran had featured for 71 minutes in Sligo Rovers’ 1-1 draw with Longford Town in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division the night before, but moments after his entrance, he split the uprights from a tricky long-range placed-ball.
This only offered a temporary respite to Pat’s, however, and thanks to further contributions from the prominent Ollie Cahill and James McCusker, Vincent’s had developed 1-5 to 0-3 buffer for the start of the second period.
If Pat’s wanted to force their way back into contention, then they needed to issue a strong statement of intent upon the resumption.
Vincent’s did enhance their superiority with a fine point on the run by Cahill, but Pat’s registered their fourth point of the day through a 34th minute free from former Dublin panellist Niall Collins.
Vincent’s were beginning to play with supreme confidence, though, and they extended their cushion to eight points courtesy of unanswered scores by Alan Moore, Ronan Brady and raiding half-back Matthew Garland.
This left Pat’s in a precarious position, but they received a much-needed lifeline 11 minutes into the half, when Corcoran fired a loose ball beyond the reach of Vincent’s custodian Paul O’Donnell.
This three-pointer breathed fresh life into the Pat’s challenge, and with centre-fielder Dean Styles becoming more influential, they were posing serious problems for Vincent’s.
Styles raised a white flag from play, and when he added another point to his personal haul at the end of the third-quarter, they had cut the gap to three (1-9 to 1-6).
Vincent’s displayed great composure in this crucial juncture by adding points from Martin and Cahill, but Styles’ successful free on the stroke of 50 minutes kept Pat’s within touching distance.
They also had a goal chance six minutes from the end when replacement Paul Knight gathered Niall Collins’ long-delivery, but O’Donnell smothered his subsequent strike on goal.
A second goal for Pat’s would have set-up a tantalising finale to this showpiece fixture, but instead it was Vincent’s who showed the greater urgency during the closing stages. The St Vincent’s rearguard needed to be on their toes as Pat’s dropped a series of balls into the square, but with the likes of Bolger, Hayes, Peter Woods and Eoin Brady leading by example, they ensured that Pat’s couldn’t claim the scores that they badly craved.
Conor Brady, Daniel Elebert and Cahill all finished off excellent team moves, and despite conceding a second point to Niall Collins deep into time added on, the St Vincent’s faithful celebrated a memorable victory.
MATCH FILE
Scorers – St Vincent’s: R Brady 1-1, O Cahill 0-4, A Martin 0-3 (1f), M Garland, E Brady, C Brady, A Moore, J McCusker, D Elebert 0-1 each. St Patrick’s, Donabate: D Corcoran 1-1 (0-1f), D Styles 0-3 (2f), N Collins 0-2 (2f), S McGrath, A Darby 0-1 each.
ST VINCENT’S: P O’Donnell; B Bolger, C Hayes, P Woods; M Garland, E Brady, D Garland; C Brady, R Brady; O Cahill, D Russell, A Moore; J McCusker, A Martin, S O’Meara.
SUBS: D Elebert for O’Meara (52), P O’Flynn for Martin (55), B Cole for R Brady (57), J Collins for C Brady (61), C Hayden for Cahill (63).
ST PATRICK’S, DONABATE: J Foran; R McKeon, B Rogers, L Watson; E Hendricks, M Lynders, C Riordan; J Collins, D Styles; S Kehoe, S McGrath, J Lynders; Nicky Collins, A Darby, Niall Collins.
SUBS: D Corcoran for Nicky Collins (25), M Hender for M Lynders (30+3), J Hempton for Styles (34-36, blood sub), S Walsh for J Lynders, D Nawara for Hendricks (both 40), P Knight for Watson (50), J Hempton for Kehoe (61).
MENTORS – ST VINCENT’S: G Curtis, T Lambe, J Lambe, R Lambe, R Mulvanney. ST PATRICK’S, DONABATE: K O’Brien, W Knight, M Kavanagh.
REFEREE: Ger Power (Parnell’s).
WIDES – St Vincent’s: 8 (4+4). St Patrick’s, Donabate: 2 (1+1).
CONDITIONS: Mild and dry conditions with a slight breeze, but the surface was greasy at times.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Ollie Cahill (St Vincent’s).