LEINSTER SF ‘A’ SEMI-FINAL NAAS CBS 4-9 COLAISTE EOIN 2-9
Daire Walsh
COLÁISTE Eoin’s Leinster Schools Senior ‘A’ Football Championship odyssey came to an end at the hands of defending champions Naas CBS, at the National Games Development Centre in Abbotstown yesterday.
After finding themselves on level terms (3-4 to 2-7) with 46 minutes gone on the clock, the Gaelscoil were subsequently reined in by a powerful scoring blitz from their impressive Kildare counterparts. It had already been a memorable year for Eoin – whose senior hurling side recently qualified for a provincial decider for the first time in the history of the school.
They had reached this last-four clash as a result of a quarter-final replay success over Moate CS last Saturday week (March 2). The prize on offer for the winner of this contest was a final meeting with Wicklow Schools – conquerors of St Pat’s, Navan on the opposite side of the draw.
The southside outfit enjoyed a bright start to the action – Donncha Ó Ciardha (free) and midfielder Séamus Ó Fiachna registering unanswered points. Naas fired back through Mick McGovern and half-back Kevin Quinn, before an Ó Ciardha ’45’ was supplemented by Tom Ó hEachthigheirn’s superb 19th-minute goal.
They were primed to bring a slender advantage into the break, until Eoin Conniffe grabbed a brace of three-pointers to move Naas into the ascendancy (2-3 to 1-3). Despite the concession of a third major to Drew Costello on the resumption, Eoin battled back in consummate fashion.
Facing into a stiff breeze, Pádraig Puirséil, Ó Ciardha and Eoghan Ó Ceallacháin pointed in advance of Ó hEachthigheirn’s second green-flag effort.
However, following McGovern’s clinical finish 11 minutes from time, Naas pushed on to keep their back-to-back title hopes alive for another day.