GAELIC GAMES – LEINSTER SH ‘A’: COL EOIN 3-12 DUBLIN NTH 0-11
EOIN PROVE 4-MIDABLE
COLÁISTE EOIN…………………………………..3-12
DUBLIN NORTH……………………………………0-11
Daire Walsh
COLAISTE Eoin progressed to the semi-finals of the Leinster Senior ‘A’ Hurling Championship with a commanding triumph against 14-man Dublin North at Parnell Park yesterday.
Thanks in no small part to goals from Pádraig Puirséil, Tom Ó hEachthigheirn and Rian Ó Maoileoin, the Gaelscoil had the measure of the defending champions. Whereas Eoin have reached the last-four via the direct route, North can join them by returning to winning ways in a forthcoming quarter-final.
Following traded scores between Séamus Ó Fiachna and Cillian Hayes, Puirséil’s fourth-minute strike rattled the back of the North net. While their opponents responded through the reliable Liam Dunne, Ó Fiachna soon found the target at the opposite end.
Dunne kept North in contention during a tentative opening period, only for Paul O’Brien’s side to suffer a double blow on 27 minutes. After Tom Ó hEachthigheirn fired beyond the reach of John Sammon, he was involved in an off-the-ball incident with North’s Adam Codd.
This led to the dismissal of the latter and Eoin subsequently increased the gap to eight (2-6 to 0-4) courtesy of Puirséil and Darach Mac Giolla Bhríde points.
A resurgent North were not prepared to go down without a fight, though, and hit six points without reply on the restart.
In addition to Dunne’s four-point salvo, Luke Swan and Andrew Dunphy also added their names to the scoresheet. Yet, despite being under intense pressure, Ó Fiachna’s close-range free on 52 minutes proved to be the catalyst for Eoin to ease themselves home.
An Ó Maoileoin major supplemented an earlier point for Puirséil, before Ó hEachthigheirn and Odhrán Mac Gearailt (two) also raised white flags.
Dunne’s eighth point cancelled out another Puirséil effort, but it was a mere consolation on a day when Coláiste Eoin established their title credentials.
Scorers – Coláiste Eoin: P Puirséil 1-3, S Ó Fiachna 0-4 (4f), T Ó hEachthigheirn 1-1, R Ó Maoileoin 1-0, D Mac Giolla Bhríde, O Mac Gearailt 0-2 each. Dublin North: L Dunne 0-8 (7f, 1 ’65’), A Dunphy, C Hayes, L Swan 0-1 each.
COLÁISTE EOIN: B O hEidhin; B Mac Síthigh, F Ó Murchú, E Ó Ceallacháin; C Ó Cathasaigh, S Ó Cinnseallaigh, I Ó hEithir; C Ó Tuathail, D Mac Dúinnsléibhe; D Mac Giolla Bhríde, O Mac Gearailt, T Ó hEachthigheirn; P Puirséil, D Puirséil, S Ó Fiachna. Subs: R Ó Maoileoin for Mac Giolla Bhríde (40), P Ó Luineacháin for Mac Dúinnsléibhe (43), B Ó Scanláin for P Puirséil (66).
DUBLIN NORTH: J Sammon; T Cullen, A Codd, S Beirnes; M Barr, K Byrne, C Scully; A Dunphy, S Foran; D McLoughney, C Hayes, D Bohan; D Breslin, L Swan, L Dunne. Subs: M Sweeney for Bohan (h-t), B McSweeney for Hayes (50), J Kehoe for Breslin (60).
REFEREE: D Coady (Kildare).