GAELIC GAMES: DUBLIN JUNIOR ‘A’ FC QUARTER-FINAL
Dual stars help Fintan’s edge Maynooth to make semis
Daire Walsh
ST FINTAN’S HS, Sutton will face St Aidan’s CBS in the semi-final of the Dublin Schools’ Junior Football ‘A’ Championship, following their narrow triumph over Maynooth PPS last Friday afternoon.
They had to withstand a late fightback from Gearoid Harrington’s north Kildare outfit, but thanks to strong performances from the midfield duo of Liam Dunne and Kevin Byrne, they eventually advanced to the last-four of the competition.
Playing on their home pitch, Maynooth kept well in contention during the opening period thanks to impressive displays from Harry Dunne, David Bonass and full-back Darragh Whelan. Yet, a superb back-heeled goal by Liam Dunne, as well as some excellent contributions by centre-forward John Sammon, ensured that Fintan’s held a slender advantage at the midway point in the contest.
Sammon, Liam Dunne and Byrne and were key figures for the Fintan’s hurling side in their Junior ‘B’ final success last month, and a well-worked three-pointer from Sammon in the early stages of the second-half created further daylight between the teams.
However, Maynooth were not out of sight just yet, and a goal from Thomas Jones sparked a late revival from the hosts. Fintan’s centre-back Mark Brady was marshalling his defence effectively, but back-to-back points from their opponents (who will face Scoil Mhuire, Clane in a Kildare decider in the New Year) set-up a nail-biting conclusion to the action.
Fintan’s had just enough left in the tank during the closing moments of the play, though, and they ultimately secured a 2-8 to 1-10 win in the end.