LEINSTER SF ‘A’ CHAMP: ST AIDAN’S CBS 1-19 PATRICIAN NEWBRIDGE 1-10
AIDAN’S UP AND RUNNING
Collins Avenue outfit defeat Patrician in Leinster opener
Daire Walsh
ST AIDAN’S CBS began their Leinster Schools Senior ‘A’ Football Championship in style at College Park yesterday afternoon, when they recorded a convincing victory over Patrician, Newbridge.
The Collins Avenue outfit defeated Patricians at the same venue in last year’s championship, and they broke the deadlock on this occasion with a Sergei Runin point inside the opening minute.
This score was supplemented by similar efforts from Sean Lowry and his midfielder partner Keith Campbell, and although Patricians replied through full-forward Adam Meehan, Aidan’s continued to attack their south Kildare opponents in waves.
IMPRESSIVE
The impressive Lowry added a brace of points, before Dublin minor star James Doran found the right-hand corner of the Patrician net with an excellent finish in the 13th minute. Aidan’s now found themselves seven points (1-5 to 0-1) in front, and despite conceding a second score to Moorefield star Meehan, unanswered contributions by John Foley, Doran and dual star Lee Gannon created even further daylight between the teams.
However, Patrician were offered a potential lifeline on 24 minutes, as referee John Hickey awarded them a penalty for a foul on centre-fielder Ed Bennett. Half-back Stephen Hughes comfortably dispatched the subsequent spot-kick beyond the reach of Chris Davis, but thanks to points from Doran (a superb effort on the right-hand side) and Gannon, Aidan’s brought a commanding 1-10 to 1-2 advantage into the interval.
This placed them in pole position for the two points on offer, but after Patrician fought back from a similar deficit to almost snatch a win against St Mel’s, Longford, they needed to be wary of a potential onslaught by the hosts. Corner-forward Foley added to the Aidan’s tally with their first and only score from a placed ball upon the resumption, and while Muiris Curtin found the range at the opposite end, the north Dubliners fired back through Andrew McCaul and Runin.
Jordan Leonard and Gannon raised white flags at the end of enterprising moves, but as the half developed, Patrician were starting to play with a greater level of confidence.
The defensive duo of Hughes and Dylan Cosgrove split the posts in the 44th and 48th minutes respectively, and additional scores by Karl Hartley and Ben Scanlon helped them to eat into the Aidan’s lead.
There was no reason for Aidan’s to panic, though, and their 10-minute barren spell in front of the posts was ended by back-to-back points courtesy of Runin and substitute Enda O’Donnell. Patricians replied once more with well-worked Sean Morrissey and Mark Browne points, but following a 0-2 salvo by McCaul in the closing stages, Aidan’s ensured that their second group game with St Mel’s with be a winners-takes-all affair.
Scorers – St Aidan’s CBS: J Doran 1-2, S Runin, S Lowry, A McCaul, L Gannon 0-3 each, J Foley 0-2 (1f), K Campbell, J Leonard, E O’Donnell 0-1 each. Patrician Newbridge: S Hughes 1-1 (1-0 pen), M Curtin, A Meehan 0-2 each, D Cosgrove, S Morrissey, B Scanlon, K Hartley, M Browne 0-1 each.
ST AIDAN’S CBS: C Davis; B Daly, M Moran, D O’Connell; J Thorpe, Cian Murphy, K Doran; S Runin, K Campbell; A McCaul, J Doran, S Lowry; J Foley, J Leonard, L Gannon. Subs: Ciaran Murphy for K Doran (h-t), E Hill for Daly (38), E O’Donnell for Foley (44), C McManus for Thorpe (48).
PATRICIAN NEWBRIDGE: J Leamy; D Cosgrove, T Harrington, D Burke; S Hughes, C Buckley, S Morrissey; E Bennett, S Tiernan; B Scanlon, K Hartley, M Curtin; S McDonnell, A Meehan, B Campbell. Subs: M Browne for McDonnell (43), K Busuttil for Morrissey (58), S Mulpefer for Scanlon (63).
Referee: J Hickey (Carlow).