Templeogue aces book place in Minor ‘B’ decider

Healy fires Faughs past Plunkett’s

Dublin MHC ‘B’ semi-final

FAUGHS 4-10; ST OLIVER PLUNKETT’S/ER 2-14

Substitute Denis Healy was the hero in Tymon Park on Sunday, as his goal six minutes into second half stoppage time sealed Faughs’ place in the Minor Hurling ‘B’ decider following a pulsating encounter with St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh.

It looked like Plunkett’s had done enough to get over the line when they regained the lead in the 63rd minute, but Healy’s instinctive finish from a tight angle means the Templeogue outfit will now face a showdown with fellow penultimate round winners, Castleknock.

Plunkett’s wing-forward Cian Boland (son of Dublin minor hurling supremo Shay Boland) opened the scoring with a ’65’, but the hosts responded with the first goal of the game on nine minutes, when midfielder Eoin Prendergast drilled a 20-metre free low into the bottom corner of the Plunketts net.

Corner-forward Ronan ó Broin got the first score from play for the Navan Road men three minutes later, but his opposite number Niall Cunningham hit back almost immediately for Faughs with a point from a tight angle. Plunkett’s enjoyed plenty of play during the opening quarter, but proved to be somewhat wasteful with their opportunities.

However, they had a strong operator in the form of Boland, and three points on the trot from the forward brought parity to the game after 22 minutes. Boland and midfielder Fiachra ó Maolagain swapped scores with Ciarán O’Brien and Chris Bennett of Faughs, as it looked like the teams were going to remain on level terms at the mid-way stage.

RESUMPTION

There was just enough time for Boland to put a spanner in the works, however, as his free from a distance of 25 metres was finished emphatically past Faughs netminder Seán Lowney on the stroke of half-time, giving Plunkett’s a three-point advantage (1-7 to 1-4) at the start of the second period.

Dublin minor of this year Bennett finished off a fine move for the first score upon the resumption, but ó Broin cancelled it out with a close-in free five minutes after the restart.

Faughs had been using their possession intelligently up to this point, though, and they displayed their effectiveness in front of goal when a Prendergast point from play was subsequently added to by a 39th minute major from Thomas Walsh, after O’Brien saw his effort from the left hitting the foot of the post.

This was a set-back for Plunkett’s, but Boland levelled matters on the 40-minute mark, and though Faughs found the target with a brace of scores from Prendergast, similar efforts from the increasingly influential ó Broin meant that the sides were tied with just eight minutes of normal time to be played.

The dismissal of Faughs centre-back Ciarán Brady on a second yellow-card offence seemed to hand the initiative back to Plunkett’s, but instead it galvanised their opponents, and the excellent Bennett drilled home on the run to give the southsiders a three-point advantage.

SPIRIT

Further points from Bennett and O’Brien either side of an ó Broin point from play increased the Faughs cushion to four moving into time added on, at which point they appeared certain to progress.

The tremendous spirit of Plunkett’s was on full display during this period, however, as a free from Boland was supplemented by a cool finish to the net by ó Broin in the opening minute of injury-time.

A fourth placed ball score by ó Broin put Plunkett’s in the ascendancy once more, but Healy’s one-handed strike to the right of the goal snatched victory from the jaws of defeat for Frank Bennett’s charges. There was some confusion surrounding the score at the final whistle, but following consultation between referee Mick O’Flaherty and his umpires, it was decided that Faughs will be the ones to battle it out in the final.



MATCHFILE

SCORERS

FAUGHS: E Prendergast 1-4 (1-2f, 0-1 ’65’), C Bennett 1-3, T Walsh, D Healy 1-0 each, C O Brien 0-2, N Cunningham 0-1. ST OLIVER PLUNKETTS/EOGHAN RUADH: C Boland 1-7 (1-4f, 0-1 ’65’), R O’Broin 1-6 (0-4f), F O Maolagain.

TEAMS

FAUGHS: S Lowney; D Ambrose, G Kenny, E Fitzgibbon; H McVeigh, C Brady, S Mahon; D O’Shea, E Prendergast; C Bennett, T Walsh, C O’Brien; R Doyle, D Lynch, N Cunningham. Subs: A Hogan for Cunningham (47); D Healy for Doyle (55).

ST OLIVER PLUNKETTS/EOGHAN RUADH: I Kelly; M Maye, B O’Sullivan, K Smith; E Whelan, C McDonnell, N Walsh; L O’Doherty, F O Maolagain; C Boland, M McCabe, C Doyle; L Eglinton, M Gilligan, R O’Broin. Subs: C Shannon for Maye (27); M Walsh for Eglinton (h-t); S Moran for Gilligan (43); T Hall for McCabe (50).

REFEREE: Mick O’Flaherty (St Mark’s).

WIDES – Faughs: 4 (2+2). St Oliver Plunketts/Eoghan Ruadh: 8 (6+2).

MENTORS – Faughs: F Bennett, T Brophy, J Healy, F Prendergast. St Oliver Plunketts/Eoghan Ruadh: K O’Doherty, C Walsh.

CONDITIONS: Cold and windy, but dry throughout.

PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Chris Bennett (Faughs).