TOM QUINLAN CUP SEMI-FINAL: ST FINTAN’S HS, SUTTON 5-8 TERENURE COLLEGE 1-6
HIGH FIVE FOR ST FINTAN’S
Sheridan hat-trick highlight of win for Sutton school over Southside rivals in semi
Daire Walsh
St FINTAN’S HS will face Colaiste Eoin in the Tom Quinlan Cup final, following the Sutton school’s impressive victory over Terenure College on Tuesday afternoon.
Fintan’s claimed top honours in this grade as recently as 2015, and after they broke the deadlock with a point by Patrick McKeon, towering full-forward fired powerfully beyond the reach of ‘Nure netminder Tom Patterson in the eighth-minute.
Their Templeogue Road counterparts eventually opened their account with a neat point from play by centre-forward Finton Dignam, but Fintan’s responded with a second goal courtesy of midfielder Emmet Mythen.
‘Nure conceded further scores to Ciaran O’Daly and Mythen, but even though half-forward Ruairi McDonald was also on target for the hosts, the southsiders enjoyed a purple patch at the end of the opening period.
The influential Dignam bagged a brace of points for the visitors, and another well-worked effort by Leon Dempsey reduced their deficit to six (2-4 to 0-4) in time for the interval. Fintan’s captain Paddy Doyle reinforced his side’s authority just after the restart, but a determined ‘Nure replied with unanswered points from Dignam and substitute Niall Fitzgibbon.
Danny McGrath had been introduced to the play along with Fitzgibbon, and at the end of a memorable run on the left-hand side, he shot past Fintan’s goalkeeper Jack McCarthy at his near post.
This meant that only two points separated the teams with 20 minutes remaining in the contest, but a second goal by the persistent Sheridan was ultimately the catalyst for an excellent conclusion to the contest for Fintan’s. A speculative Jason Greene attempt on 51 minutes raised a fourth green flag for the home team, and a second McDonald free stretched the Fintan’s advantage to 10 points.
This left ‘Nure with too much of a mountain to climb, and after Sheridan secured his hat-trick with a clinical strike, Doyle completed the Fintan’s scoring with his third point of the day.
Scorers – St Fintan’s HS, Sutton: M Sheridan 3-0, E Mythen 1-1, J Greene 1-0, P Doyle 0-3, R McDonald 0-2 (2f), C O’Daly, P McKeon 0-1 each. Terenure College: F Dignam 0-4 (1f), D McGrath 1-0, N Fitzgibbon, L Dempsey 0-1 each.
ST FINTAN’S HS, SUTTON: J McCarthy; O Fitzpatrick, F Meenan, M Sharry; C Gibney, H Nolan, S Gallagher; P Doyle, E Mythen; R McDonald, C O’Daly, S O’Reilly; J Greene, M Sheridan, P McKeon. Subs: A Comerford for O’Reilly, J Byrne for McKeon, K McGloin for Mythen (all 39), C O Maoimgh for Gibney (44), J Gleeson for Sharry (49), J McGrath for Greene, F McGregor for Nolan (both 56), S Whelan for O’Daly, C Malone for McDonald (both 59).
TERENURE COLLEGE: T Patterson; R Finnegan, A Cotter, P McNamara; M Hennelly, S Ruane, L Dempsey; N Moore, M Hehir; J Grimes, F Dignam, L Davis; A Clarke, O Nutty, C McInnes. Subs: N Fitzgibbon for Davis (h-t), D McGrath for Grimes (34), C O’Toole for Moore (42), H Coleman for Hennelly (46), C Murray for Clarke (52), N McCabe for Nutty (54), C Reilly for Dignam (55), D Smith for McInnes (61).
Referee: L Lacey (Na Fianna).