DUB SH ‘B’ SEMI: CLONKEEN 4-18 ST DECLAN’S 2-14
Powerful Clon’ hit Declan’s for four
Daire Walsh
CLONKEEN College will contest the Dublin Schools’ Senior Hurling ‘B’ Championship decider, after they defeated St Declan’s College in a high-scoring semi-final encounter on Tuesday.
They will now move forward to face St Fintan’s HS, Sutton – who progressed from a penultimate round showdown with Lucan CBS, and are aiming to secure a schools hurling double for 2016.
Clonkeen had claimed top spot from a four-team group that also included Templeogue College, Lucan CBS and St Colmcille’s CS, but despite playing on home soil against Declan’s, there was little to separate the teams during the opening period.
However, courtesy of a goal by Kevin Kirwan, Clonkeen held a slender 1-10 to 0-11 cushion at the midway point.
FIRMLY
Declan’s were firmly in contention when the action resumed, however, and despite the dead-ball accuracy of Cormac Quinn, Clonkeen found it difficult to pull away from their northside counterparts.
Full-back Cathal Gillen produced an influential performance for Clonkeen, and although the Declan’s attack got the better of him on a couple of occasions, the southside school’s custodian, Cormac Spain, ensured that Brian Avery’s charges never enjoyed an extended period of dominance on the scoreboard.
Yet, a second goal by Kirwan did open the floodgates for Cormac O’Brien’s side in the latter stages, and following further three-pointers by Liam Murphy and Emmet Murphy, they ultimately emerged with a ten-point winning margin – and will face Fintan’s in Abbotstown tomorrow at 2pm.
However, Declan’s will have a schools final to look forward to in the coming weeks, as they are due to face Colaiste Eanna in the Dublin Juvenile Football ‘B’ showpiece – following the latter school’s 4-9 to 1-11 success over Malahide CS last Friday.