Connolly and O’Carroll in the spotlight as Crokes and Vins get up and running
Daire Walsh
IN A week when many current county stars donned their club colours at various grades of the Football Championship, the biggest talking points surrounded the presence of two Dublin heroes of the recent past.
Less than 24 hours after Diarmuid Connolly made his first championship start since November 2017 in a comfortable 1-14 to 1-6 win for St Vincent’s against St Brigid’s in Swords, Rory O’Carroll enjoyed his long-awaited return for defending champions Kilmacud Crokes. In a tricky Group One assignment with Ballymun Kickhams, the 29-year-old played the full 60 minutes at full-back – helping the Stillorgan side towards an eventual 2-13 to 0-14 success.
Whereas Connolly was handed fleeting cameos in last year’s competition, O’Carroll most recently tasted championship action in 2015. The springtime scrutiny of Dublin’s full-back line ensured the latter was unlikely to have a quiet reintegration to club football.
Dean Rock was his direct opponent in the opening period and while there were some shaky moments, he generally kept tabs on the movement of the Sky Blues attacker. Facing into a four-point interval deficit (0-5 to 1-6), Ballymun added Ted Furman to a re-jigged forward line and his robust approach caused a number of problems for O’Carroll.
In addition to accumulating a brace of points, Furman flicked down a long delivery for a Paddy Small score. In spite of his difficulties, though, O’Carroll stormed out of defence on a number of occasions to halt Ballymun’s momentum.
At the opposite end, the threat of Paul Mannion kept inter-county compatriot James McCarthy on the back-foot for extended spells. Though named on the ’40’, Mannion was positioned at corner-forward for much of the opening half – taking McCarthy out of his comfort zone to a large extent.
His early penalty looked like giving Crokes a slender edge, until substitute Stephen Williams made certain of their win with a 1-1 salvo. In comparison to the tight nature of this showdown, Na Fianna comfortably dominated the group’s other game against St Sylvester’s on Saturday.
Acting as a curtain-raiser to the Crokes/Ballymun affair, the Glasnevin men recorded a 3-14 to 0-9 victory. Conor McHugh and David Lacey contributed 1-4 apiece, while Aaron Byrne also grabbed a goal.
Crokes will undoubtedly pose a greater challenge to their resolve at the end of this month, but the early signs are encouraging in Dessie Farrell’s first season at the helm.
Having relinquished their crown to St Jude’s in last year’s semi-final, Vincent’s are back in the hunting pack for 2019.
The experiment of Connolly at centre-back may prove to be a masterstroke, but Tomas Quinn continues to prosper in the Marino attack. Posting 1-8 – including four points from play – Quinn showed why he remains a pivotal figure for Vins.
They marginally lead the way in the Group Four standings – in front of Castleknock on score difference. Westmeath’s Tommy McDaniel amassed seven points for the Somerton Park men in their 1-16 to 1-9 win against Ballinteer St John’s at Monastery Road last Wednesday.
Brendan Gallagher produced a superb performance in Garristown on Friday, registering 2-9 in Lucan Sarsfields’ 3-14 to 0-10 triumph over Skerries Harps. This puts them in a confident mood ahead of a forthcoming Group Two meeting with Ballyboden St Enda’s – who squeezed past Clontarf at O’Toole Park on Saturday (0-11 to 0-10).
Whilst favourites are beginning to emerge elsewhere, all four teams in Group Three are deadlocked moving into next week’s action. After 2018 finalists Jude’s were held to a 2-6 to 1-9 draw by St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh at Parnell Park on Wednesday, Thomas Davis played out a 0-10 to 1-7 stalemate with Raheny at O’Toole Park three days later.
This heightens the anticipation for Raheny’s tussle with St Jude’s at St Margaret’s tomorrow week. Plunkett’s play Thomas Davis in 12th Lock on the same evening.
DUBLIN SFC1 FIXTURES
WEDNESDAY APRIL 24
GROUP 3: St Jude’s v Raheny (St Margaret’s, 7.30); St Oliver Plunkett’s/ER v Thomas Davis (12th Lock, 7.30).
GROUP 4: Ballinteer St John’s v St Brigid’s (O’Toole Park, 6.45); Castleknock v St Vincent’s (Broomfield, 7.30).
THURSDAY APRIL 25
GROUP 1: St Sylvester’s v Ballymun Kickhams (Balgriffin, 7.30); Na Fianna v Kilmacud Crokes (Parnell Park. 8.15).
GROUP 2: Skerries Harps v Clontarf (Parnell Park. 6.45); Lucan Sarsfields v Ballyboden St Enda’s (Monastery Road, 7.30).