GAELIC GAMES: LEINSTER SF ‘A’ 1ST RD ROUND-UP
Mac Giolla Phadraig leads southsiders to superb victory
EOIN SALVAGE DRAMATIC WIN
Daire Walsh
SEAN O GIOLLAIN was the hero at Silver Park yesterday afternoon, as his stoppage-time point helped 2014 Leinster champions Colaiste Eoin to overcome Scoil Mhuire, Clane in the first round of the Top Oil Leinster Schools’ SF ‘A’ Championship.
During a scrappy opening period of play, Tomas Mac Aodha and impressive midfielder Eoghan Mac Giolla Phadraig (two) were on target for the gaelscoil.
However, thanks largely to a successful penalty by Kildare minor Ciaran Kelly, Mhuire held a 1-2 to 0-3 interval cushion.
Mac Aodha reduced his side’s deficit with an excellent point on the resumption, but after this effort was cancelled out by Shane Sullivan, Kelly slotted home a second place-kick.
Courtesy of a 0-3 haul by Mac Aodha, as well as an outstanding 1-1 salvo from the impressive MacGiolla Phadraig, Eoin were back on level terms with just nine minutes remaining.
Yet, when Mhuire were awarded a third penalty moments later, the Kildare outfit were ready to regain control.
However, attacker turned netminder Dara de Poire (who stood in for the black-carded Tadhg O Braonain) produced an exceptional save, and even though Kelly made up for this miss with a free from long-range, Colum O Se and O Giollain were on hand to guide Eoin to a superb 1-11 to 2-7 success.
Meanwhile, there was disappointment for Colaiste Eanna and St Fintan’s HS, Sutton, who suffered respective home defeats to St Pat’s of Navan and Scoil Dara, Kilcock.
As three-time winners of the Hogan Cup (All-Ireland SF ‘A’ Championship), Pat’s were hot favourites for their clash with Eanna in Ballyboden.
Eanna secured a good deal of possession in the first-half of the contest, and Shane Kennedy and Rob Donohue raise white flags for Kenneth Henry’s charges.
Yet, the southside school were wide of the mark from some decent opportunities at goal, and they were facing into a 2-7 to 0-3 deficit at the mid-way point.
Eanna continued to battle when the action resumed, and 2016 Dublin minor football captain James Holland registered a goal in the closing stages, but a clinical Pat’s ultimately finished with 18 points to spare (4-13 to 1-4).
Scoil Dara had a similarly emphatic win against Fintan’s in an earlier encounter, as the north Kildare boys sealed their place in the next round with a 3-16 to 0-6 success while Moate Community School had it all their own way in their 7-28 to 0-0 victory over Ardscoil na Trionoide, Athy.