GAELIC FOOTBALL: LEINSTER SCHOOLS SFC ‘A’ GROUP A
ST AIDAN’S TRIUMPH
Collins Avenue lads bounce back with win over Benildus
ST AIDAN’S CBS 2-15
ST BENILDUS COLLEGE 0-8
Daire Walsh
ST AIDAN’S CBS got their Leinster Schools Senior ‘A’ Football Championship campaign back on track yesterday with a commanding 13-point victory over Dublin rivals St Benildus College.
Following a comprehensive home defeat to Naas CBS seven days earlier, the Collins Avenue outfit are now on course to qualify from the four-team Group A.
After they suffered a narrow reversal to Maynooth Secondary School last Friday afternoon, Benildus needed a win to keep their own hopes of securing a knockout place alive.
They made a bright start to the action on their home patch – towering midfielder Joe Sweeney curling over the bar off his left-foot. However, by the end of the opening-quarter, a highly-motivated Aidan’s were in firm control of the contest.
John Foley’s excellent approach work helped Tadgh Kellett to level matters, before Sean Lowry rattled the back of the Benildus net with an unstoppable fourth-minute strike. The impressive dual player swiftly added a point, while Kerrie Hannon and Eoin Flaherty (two) also found the target for the dominant visitors.
Benildus finally responded through Jonathan Quinlan, only for Lowry, Sean Giles and Flaherty to contribute unanswered scores for a rampant Aidan’s.
The dependable Sean Monahan converted frees either side of another Lowry effort, but Benildus were facing into an eight-point deficit – 1-9 to 0-4 – during the interval.
Lowry and Flaherty finished with a combined haul of 2-10, and they both added to their respective hauls on the resumption. Lowry stretched the Aidan’s advantage to 10 points on 36 minutes, but a mini-rally by Benildus did keep them on their toes.
A brace of Monahan place-ball scores lifted their spirits and Aaron O’Toole also raised a white flag at the end of a powerful run.
Full-forward Ciaran Foley subsequently cancelled out a Lowry free – although this was as close as they came to bridging the gap in the second period.
Aidan’s substitute Niall Kellegher added his name to the scoresheet in advance of Flaherty’s superb team goal. Lowry clipped another point in a tame conclusion to the proceedings, as St Aidan’s eased towards a deserved success.
Scorers – St Aidan’s CBS: S Lowry 1-6 (0-2f), E Flaherty 1-4, T Kellett, S Giles, J Foley, K Hannon, N Kellegher 0-1 each. St Benildus College: S Monahan 0-4 (4f), J Quinlan, J Sweeney, A O’Toole, C Foley 0-1 each.
ST AIDAN’S CBS: D Duffy; J Byrne, R Cooper, K Doran; E Moran, E Hill, J Thorpe; C McManus, A McNally; S Lowry, T Kellett, S Giles; J Foley, E Flaherty, K Hannon. Subs: D Gallagher for Moran (29), N Carroll for McNally (35), T Paget for Thorpe, K O’Sullivan for Kellett (both 43), S Brady for Giles (50), G Sheridan for Lowry (54).
ST BENILDUS COLLEGE: M Fox; D O’Leary, S Mac Donnacha, E Donnelly; E McEnerney, C Mooney, L Murphy-Guinane; J Quinlan, J Sweeney; S Monahan, N Roe, A O’Toole; D Kenny, C Foley, C de hOra. Subs: N Kellegher for de hOra (38), S Roberts for Quinlan (50), B Millst for McEnerney (52), D O’Brien for Foley (56).
Referee: P Kneel (Louth).