HURLING – LEINSTER SH ‘A’ Q-FINAL: DUB NTH 1-14 GOOD COUNSEL 0-11
North through to last four
Daire Walsh
DUBLIN North advanced to the semi-finals of the Leinster Schools Senior ‘A’ Hurling Championship with a commanding 1-14 to 0-11 victory over Good Counsel, New Ross at the Wexford GAA Centre of Excellence yesterday.
Following their defeat to Metropolitan rivals Colaiste Eoin on January 9, Paul O’Brien’s charges were placed into the losers’ section of the last-eight draw. They bounced back in an assured manner against the Slaneysiders – and remain in contention for back-to-back provincial triumphs.
Thanks in no small part to powerhouse displays by Micheál Murphy and Sean Currie, the Sky Blue representatives had the measure of subsequent All-Ireland champions, St Kieran’s College, in last year’s decider. The return of the aforementioned Eoin to the competition temporarily halted their 2019 charge, but they remained favourites to prevail at the end of yesterday’s proceedings.
When the half-time whistle sounded at the Ferns venue, they held a comprehensive interval cushion of 1-10 to 0-7. As expected, Good Counsel (alma mater of Irish rugby international Tadhg Furlong) made life difficult for North when the action resumed.
With their defensive structure taking hold, they restricted the visitors to a point in the final quarter. However, it was enough to deny the holders a place in the penultimate phase.