Strong second-half the key
Enniscorthy boys step it up to take South Leinster title
A POWERFUL second-half performance propelled St. Mary’s C.B.S. to the Top Oil South Leinster Post Primary Schools Junior hurling ‘B’ title in Fenagh recently.
Trailing by 1-7 to 1-5 at the interval, the Enniscorthy boys knuckled down and drove clear to book a provincial semi-final spot against Dublin winners Ardscoil Rís from Glasnevin at a venue to be decided this Friday (12 noon).
Playing into the breeze, St. Mary’s got off to a positive start, with scores from Oran Carty, Ronan O’Leary and Craig Foley sending them into a 0-3 to 0-2 lead after the opening ten minutes.
However, when Enda Kelly flicked Cathal O’Leary’s long ball to the net, Johnstown started a run that eventually saw them moving 1-5 to 0-3 ahead after 20 minutes.
A couple of Carty frees helped, but it was Jack Roche’s classy goal after great work by Jack Kirwan that really hurt the Kilkenny boys.
With the rain teeming down, Coláiste Mhuire picked off the last two points of the period to go in at the break 1-7 to 1-5 ahead.
The wind dropped after the rain stopped to hinder the Co. Wexford school.
They introduced Chris Lawless in the 37th minute and within seconds he swept past Aidan Tallis to the net after being picked out by Ronan O’Leary’s pull across goal.
Shortly after Craig Foley made it 2-6 to 1-7 in his side’s favour, Jack Roche was shown a straight red card for a late pull. Referee David Hickey went on to flash eight yellows too.
The accurate Oran Carty put a goal between the sides, only for Jordan Muldowney to get in behind the St. Mary’s defence from Calvin Ryan’s pass to net (2-7 each).
A second yellow for Lee McCann saw Johnstown also reduced to 14, and that was the signal for St. Mary’s to pull away. Carty hit three frees in a row before Craig Foley made the most of a defensive error to nip in and drill to the net in the 57th minute and end the game as a contest.
St. Mary’s: Darragh Hayes; Rory Scallan, Niall Parker, Michael Delaney; Gary Kehoe, Oran Carty (0-7 frees), Jack Roche (1-0); Paudie Casey, Jack Mythen (capt.); Craig Foley (12), Páuric Walsh, Liam Flood; Philip O’Brien, Eanna Doyle, Ronan O’Leary (0-1). Subs. - Chris Lawless (1-1) for O’Brien (37), also Lee O’Connor, Mark Byrne, Gavin Murphy, Kian Cowman, Evan Murphy, Michael Doyle, Kyle Murphy, Noel Rowsome, James Flood, Aaron Miller, Kalem Dobbs.
Coláiste Mhuire: Aidan Tallis; Páuraic Dunne, Aaron Okoroh, Pádraig Donnelly; Leo Costigan, Elijah Garrett, Marty McEvoy; Cathal O’Leary (0-1), Eoin Donnelly; Conor Delaney (0-1), Lee McCann (capt.), Calvin Ryan (0-3, 1 free, 1 ‘65); Enda Kelly (1-0), Ricky Burke, Jordan Muldowney (1-3, 0-2 frees). Subs. - Nathan Bowe for Burke (47), Billy McEvoy for E. Delaney (59).
Referee: David Hickey (Carlow).