By Daire Walsh

Thursday October 18 2012

ST BRENDAN’S, BIRR 2-10, COLAISTE EOIN 1-11 – Goals at crucial junctures from Eoin Cahill and Brian Hogan proved pivotal in Ratheniska, as St Brendan’s of Birr overcame an extremely committed display by Coláiste Eoin in a tight and tense Leinster Post-Primary Schools Junior Hurling ‘A’ Shield semi-final.

Having come off second best in their preceding Fr Cosgrave Cup encounters, the Booterstown school were eager to make the most of their participation in the shield section, and Brendan’s needed a 1-2 salvo from Cahill to ensure that the sides were on level terms (1-6 each) at the mid-way stage.

There would be little to separate the two sides after the restart either and, much like before the break, Eoin held the lead on a number of occasions.

However, Brendan’s were able to come with the decisive moment of the match when midfielder Hogan (son of Tipperary legend Ken) registered his side’s second major, and the boys from the Faithful County would hold out in the end, thanks in no small part to fine performances from Cahill, Hogan, and Jack Regan, son of former Offaly star Daithi Regan.

For Eoin, this performance was certainly an improvement on their recent defeats against Castlecomer CS (2-16 to 1-10) and St Peter’s, Wexford (1-11 to 0-6), where they showed patches of good form. They were unfortunate not to progress to the shield decider, but will certainly be confident of making a big splash in the Fr Cosgrave Cup next year.

– Daire Walsh