GAELIC GAMES: DUBLIN JUVENILE ‘A’ FC FINAL
Gannon earns ‘A’ grade as he guides Saints to success
Daire Walsh
SEAN Gannon produced a terrific display for St Aidan’s CBS at Russell Park last Thursday as the Collins Avenue side claimed the Dublin Schools Juvenile ‘A’ Football Championship title at the expense of Maynooth SS.
Aidan’s were previous winners at this grade in January 2014, when current county minor star James Doran was a key figure in their success over Ardscoil Ris. Gannon had impressed in earlier victories against St Benildus College (6-9 to 5-9) and Ardscoil Ris (5-8 to 1-7), but following their semi-final triumph at home to St Fintan’s HS, Sutton, on a scoreline of 1-11 to 3-2, the challenge of Maynooth was not to be discounted.
Indeed, with 20 minutes gone in the contest on the St Brigid’s GAA all-weather pitch, the north Kildare outfit were seven points in front. Aidan’s remained in arrears when the half-time whistle was sounded, but courtesy of strong leadership from Gannon, James Maloney and Sean Stone, they quickly level matters after the restart.
Daniel Day registered a brace of excellent points from midfield and while Maynooth continued to pose a threat to their Metropolitan counterparts, 1-2 apiece from Maloney and Stone offered some leeway to the increasingly-confident Aidan’s.
It was Gannon who truly proved to be a thorn in the side of Maynooth, however, and his final haul of 1-5 ensured that he finished as scorer-in-chief for the northside school.
A total of eight points (3-11 to 1-9) separated the sides in the end, and St Aidan’s can move into the Leinster championship with their tails well and truly up.