DUBLIN SHC ‘A’ FINAL: COLAISTE EOIN 3-8 ARDSCOIL RIS 1-10
EOIN SECURE ‘A’ TITLE
Goals helps gaelscoil to overcome talented defending champions Ardscoil Ris
A FIRST-HALF goal blitz from Colaiste Eoin was crucial at Abbotstown last Thursday afternoon, as the gaelscoil secured the Dublin Schools Senior ‘A’ Hurling Championship at the expense of previous winners Ardscoil Ris.
Their Griffith Avenue opponents were hoping to claim their third consecutive title at this grade, but even though 2016 Dublin minor Sean Currie finished with an impressive tally of 1-8 for Ardscoil, Aodan de Paor’s charges ultimately came out on top.
The two schools had met in the Junior ‘A’ decider back in October, when Ardscoil secured a narrow win over Booterstown outfit.
Fionn Ó Ceallaigh opened the scoring for Eoin in this encounter, but corner-forward John Walsh responded for their northside counterparts.
Ardscoil suffered a set-back in the form of a sixth-minute scrambled goal by Eoin’s Tomás Mac Eochaidh, but they reduced the gap to a minimum with a brace of successful Currie frees. However, a point from Eoin midfielder Dara de Poire was swiftly followed by a superb Eoghan Mac Giolla Phádraig goal, before Currie and Diarmuid Ó Floinn traded scores just beyond the first-quarter mark.
Eoin subsequently increased their lead when Mac Eochaidh fired beyond the reach of Shane O’Leary, but Ardscoil received a lifeline in the 20th-minute. Currie brilliantly dispatched a penalty to the Eoin net, but despite adding to his haul with a point from play, scores by de Poire and Mac Eochaidh ensured they were trailing 3-5 to 1-5 at the break.
Upon the resumption, the play became quite scrappy, but Ardscoil managed to narrow their gap with another 0-2 salvo by the reliable Currie.
Eoin were struggling to make the same kind of attacking impact as they had before the interval, but thanks to strong defensive displays by Marc Ó Treasaigh (who was keeping tabs on Currie) and Rory Ó Gallachoir, they were largely keeping the Ardscoil attack at bay.
A second point by Walsh (who also featured in Dublin’s successful Leinster minor odyssey last year) cut the deficit to three with 13 minutes remaining, but Eoin ended a barren spell in front of the posts with a single from substitute Séamus Ó Fiachna.
Indeed, a close-in free by Mac Eochaidh offered further breathing space to the southsiders, and although Currie kept Ardscoil in touch, a de Poire ’65’ helped Colaiste Eoin to close out the game effectively.
SCORERS – Colaiste Eoin: T Mac Eochaidh 2-2 (0-2f), E Mac Giolla Phádraig 1-0, D de Poire 0-3 (1f, 1 ’65’), D Ó Floinn, F Ó Ceallaigh, S Ó Fiachna 0-1 each. Ardscoil Ris: S Currie 1-8 (1-0 pen, 0-7f), J Walsh 0-2.
COLAISTE EOIN: E Mac Giobúin; C Mac Dáibhéid, M Ó Treasaigh, R Ó Gallachoir; C Ó Sé, P Ó Broin, O Ó Siochrú; D de Poire, J Ó hAirtnéada; S Ó Cinnseallaigh, D Ó Floinn, E Mac Giolla Phádraig; F Ó Drisceoil, F Ó Ceallaigh, T Mac Eochaidh . Subs: C Ó Catháin for Ó Broin (28), S Ó Fiachna for Ó Cinnseallaigh (h-t), P Puirséil for Ó Ceallaigh (57), D Ó Dúgáin for Mac Eochaidh (60).
ARDSCOIL RIS: S O’Leary; A Gilroy, L Stacey, D Keogh; M Murphy, D Levins, J Higgins; B McHugh, R O’Sullivan; T O’Flaherty, E O’Neill, M Sweeney; S Lambe, S Currie J Walsh. Sub: T Keogh for Gilroy (59).
Referee: L O’Connell (Croi Ro Naofa).