DUBLIN SCHOOLS’ JHC ‘B’ SEMI-FINAL
SUPER SAMMON FIRES FINTAN’S INTO DECIDER
Goal-hungry Sutton lads move into junior ‘B’ decider following clinical showing in last-four duel
ST FINTAN’S HS………………………… 7-15
ST MAC DARA’S CC…………………….. 1-6
Daire Walsh
A STRONG first-half display paved the way for St Fintan’s HS on Tuesday afternoon, when the Sutton school booked their place in the Dublin Schools’ Junior ‘B’ Hurling decider with a commanding victory over St Mac Dara’s CC.
Playing on their home pitch, Fintan’s laid down a marker with early points from midfielder Liam Dunne and the influential John Sammon – before a sixth-minute flicked goal by corner-forward Mark Murphy created even greater daylight between the teams.
This was quickly supplemented by another Fintan’s three-pointer courtesy of centre-forward Adam Kenny, via a neat pass from Sammon, but Mac Dara’s eventually opened their account through a pointed Sean Wynne free on eight minutes.
However, Kenny was on hand to subsequently claim his side’s second goal of the contest, and after fielding superbly just beyond the first-quarter mark, Sammon (who has already featured for Dublin at underage level) fired clinically beyond the reach of opposition netminder Alan Kiernan.
Mac Dara’s finally added to their tally with a fine long-distance score by half-back Kevin Lahiff, and they received a further boost in the form a much-needed goal from inside forward Alan Connolly in the 22nd-minute.
Shane Lawlor also split the posts with a spectacular free from inside his own ’45’, but with a Cian Mulligan point preceding a 1-1 salvo by the excellent Murphy, Fintan’s brought a seemingly insurmountable 5-6 to 1-4 cushion into the interval.
Yet, despite being in pole position when the action resumed, they didn’t allow their performance level to drop – and they significantly enhanced their advantage with a series of unanswered points during the third-quarter.
Conor Ryan, the industrious Kenny and Murphy all raise white flags in this juncture of the play, and with Sammon adding 0-5 to his own personal haul (including an exceptional score from a sideline ball in the 34th minute), they had placed the outcome well beyond doubt.
This scoring sequence was eventually disrupted on the stroke of 50 minutes, as tireless Mac Dara’s midfielder Conor Nolan was on target from a free at a left-hand angle. Yet, this effort only offered a temporary respite to the southside school, and after Sammon had registered another point from open play, a sixth Fintan’s goal arrived through Kenny with seven minutes remaining.
Nolan later contributed his second point for Mac Dara’s, but thanks to a clinical three-point finish by sub Dean McCabe in the closing stages, Fintan’s progressed to the upcoming decider against Lucan CBS in considerable style.
Scorers – St Fintan’s HS: J Sammon 1-8 (0-3f, 0-1 ’65’, 0-1 s/line), M Murphy 2-2, A Kenny 2-1, C Ryan 1-1, D McCabe 1-0, E Kelly, L Dunne, C Mulligan 0-1 each. St Mac Dara’s CC: A Connolly 1-0, C Nolan 0-2 (1f), S Lawlor (f), S Wynne (f), K Lahiff, A McDermott 0-1 each.
ST FINTAN’S HS: A Coulter; E Hart, M Hart, B Roberts; E Kelly, E Forbes, N Hannon; L Mitchell, L Dunne; C Mulligan, A Kenny, K Byrne; M Murphy, J Sammon, C Ryan. Subs: L Glynn for Byrne (6), E Bridgeman for Roberts, F O’Connell for Glynn (both h-t), D McCabe for Ryan (48), T O’Donohue for Dunne (51), S Alexander for Forbes (54), L Moran for Murphy (55), S Doyle for Sammon (56).
ST MAC DARA’S CC: A Kiernan; P Hogan, A McGarr, F Kilbane; M O’Keeffe, S Lawlor, K Lahiff; A McDermott, C Nolan; T Kelly, D Ryan, S Wynne; A Connolly, K Murphy, G Clarke. Subs: DK O’Toole for Kelly, D O’Donnell for Kilbane (both 40), M Foley for Clarke, J Crennan for O’Keeffe (both 48), O’Keeffe for O’Toole (56).
REFEREE: G Ryan (Parnell’s).