LEINSTER SH ‘A’ CHAMP FIRST ROUND
Gannon does business for the Dubs
Daire Walsh
AN injury-time point from Lee Gannon was the difference at Eire Og, Carlow yesterday afternoon, when Dublin North defeated Good Counsel, New Ross (1-12 to 2-8) in the opening round of the Leinster Schools Senior ‘A’ Hurling Championship.
North had progressed to this stage with a ‘Group Team’ victory over rivals Dublin South four days earlier, but in tough conditions at the midlands venue, Paul O’Brien’s outfit were facing into a five-point interval deficit (1-7 to 0-5). However, they came back into contention straight from the restart, as a powerful run by Micheal Murphy set up Billy Ryan for a much-needed goal.
The dead-ball prowess of Murphy subsequently helped North to level matters, before their Slaneyside counterparts responded with a 1-1 salvo. Four North points on the spin restored parity once again with time almost up, and this was the cue for Gannon to fire the Metropolitans into a second-round winners’ group at the beginning of January.