FOOTBALL – DUBLIN JUN ‘A’ FINAL: ST AIDAN’S CBS 3-10 COLAISTE EOIN 1-11
CONNECT 4 FOR AIDAN’S
Collins Avenue school hold off the challenge of Eoin to secure four titles in-a-row
Daire Walsh
CENTRE-FORWARD Sean Lowry produced a star performance for St Aidan’s CBS on Tuesday afternoon at Abbotstown, where the Collins Avenue side secured their fourth consecutive Dublin Schools Junior ‘A’ Football Championship title.
Aidan’s had also defeated their opponents, Colaiste Eoin, in last year’s decider, and although Pádraig Puirséil was in excellent form for the gaelscoil, they ultimately came up short against their northside rivals.
Playing on an immaculate all-weather surface in the National Games Development Centre, it was actually Eoin who broke the deadlock with a scrambled opening minute goal by corner-forward Eoghan Ó Ceallacháin. Yet, Aidan’s settled with points from Eoin Flaherty and Tadgh Kellett, before the electric Lowry fired past Eoin netminder Niall Mac Domhnaill on 11 minutes.
The Booterstown school settled once more with a pointed free from Tomás Ó Néill, but Lowry responded with a similar effort at the end of the first quarter. Jamie Byrne-Carraig also found the net after profiting from excellent approach work by Lowry and Josh Thorpe, and they threatened the run away with the game when Shane O’Leary registered another goal.
Eoin persisted with their challenge, though, and unanswered efforts by Puirséil, Seán Ó Cinnseallaigh, Ó Néill and Conchúr Ó Cathain cut their deficit to three points (3-4 to 1-7) in time for the interval.
MOMENTUM
They were hoping to carry this momentum into the second half, and despite conceding an early score to Byrne-Carraig, Ó Néill superbly split the posts from long-range. The increasingly-influential Puirséil also found his range from an awkward angle, but with Flaherty and O’Leary on target either side of this score, Aidan’s remained in the driving seat.
Lowry was causing constant problems for the Eoin defence, and the half-back duo of Finn Ó Murchú and Naoise Moynihan-Ó Brádaigh were cautioned for fouls on the marauding Aidan’s attacker.
O’Leary and Lowry scores increased the holders’ advantage to six points, and after Eoin defender Tom Stakelum was black carded for hauling down Lowry two minutes from time, Flaherty added a successful free. Ó Ceallacháin and Puirséil narrowed the Eoin gap in stoppage-time, but it wasn’t enough to rein in an impressive St Aidan’s.
SCORERS – St Aidan’s CBS: S Lowry (0-1f), S O’Leary 1-2 each, J Byrne-Carraig 1-1, E Flaherty 0-4 (1f), T Kellett 0-1. Colaiste Eoin: P Puirséil 0-5 (1f), E Ó Ceallacháin 1-1, T Ó Néill 0-3 (2f), C Ó Cathain (f), S Ó Cinnseallaigh 0-1 each.
ST AIDAN’S CBS: J Riordan; E Moran, E Hill, K O’Sullivan; K Hamen, C Murphy, K Doran; J Thorpe, A McNally; T Kellett, S Lowry, E Flaherty; S O’Leary, J Carrick-Byrne, P Molony. Subs: C McManus for Molony (33), J Byrne for Kellett (35), S Giles for Moran (45).
COLAISTE EOIN: N Mac Domhnaill; T Stakelum, E Mac Giobúin, P Ó Luineacháin; F Ó Murchú, N Moynihan-Ó Brádaigh, I Ó hEithir; C Mac Dáibhéid, S Ó Fiachna; D Ó Ciardha, S Ó Cinnseallaigh, P Puirséil; T Ó Néill, C Ó Cathain, E Ó Ceallacháin. Subs: D Puirséil for Ó hEithir (20), D Mac Duinnsléibhe for Ó Murchu (45), T Ó hEachthigheirn for Ó Cathain (50), C Ó Tuathaill for O Neill (53), D O Rónáin for Stakelum (59).
REFEREE: J Dunning (St Brigid’s).