Destiny slips out of Peter’s hands after defeat to Kieran’s

ST. KIERAN’S (KILKENNY) ST. PETER’S (WEXFORD) 0-15 0-10

DESPITE A spirited display, their own destiny slipped out of the hands of the St. Peter’s College boys as they lost to long-time rivals St. Kieran’s in the Top Oil Leinster Schools Senior hurling ‘A’ championship in the James Stephens club grounds on the Kells Road in Kilkenny on Wednesday.

The Summerhill school came into the game knowing it was likely they would need to avoid defeat against their decorated Kilkenny opponents to not muddy their path to the semi-finals, and the league champions gave it a good crack.

However, they never led in the game and playing catch-up against a talented opponent proved too big a hurdle to overcome.

As much as anything, the first quarter proved particularly costly for St. Peter’s.

As the Wexford school settled, St. Kieran’s went close to an opening goal when Eoin Guilfoyle shot into the side-netting. Darragh Maher put the hosts ahead, but David Codd did respond with a deadball score.

The fleet-footed Conor Kelly of St. Kieran’s should probably have done better when racing away on the left in the seventh minute, but he flashed across the face of goal and wide.

Still, he did later point and a trio from Guilfoyle gave them a 0-5 to 0-1 lead.

After Codd pulled one back from play, Cian Byrne ensured things didn’t get worse with a stunning point-blank save from Guilfoyle in the 17th minute.

St. Peter’s broke immediately and rival netminder Diarmuid Galway also shone when called into action, stopping a Tomás Murphy shot.

Codd added three more points before the interval and when Zac Firman split the uprights in the 30th minute, St. Peter’s had real hope going in at half-time, trailing by justtwo(0-8to0-6).

Despite falling four back after a couple of early points, St. Peter’s were looking good when David Cantwell pointed and was soon involved with the superb Luke Kavanagh in creating a second minor for Firman.

Down by 0-10 to 0-8 with 41 minutes on the clock, St. Peter’s blinked. It was still a tight game but the scores dried up.

In a 25-minute spell from the 37th minute, St. Kieran’s scored just three points but it was enough to ease them five clear.

Again the visitors threatened a revival when Codd scored two dead-balls in a minute as the game headed into added-time, but raised white flags from Jack Doyle and Guilfoyle made the result safe for St. Kieran’s.

While St. Peter’s must now win their final game against Dublin North, they will still need a helping hand to make the semi-finals, having drawn their opening game with Coláiste Eoin.

That might proved difficult to come by, with St. Kieran’s already in the last four after opening with a pair of wins. Coláiste Eoin will join them if they avoid defeat by fewer than five points to the Kilkenny school.

St. Peter’s: Cian Byrne (St. Mary’s, Rosslare); Liam Cassin (Faythe Harriers), Jack O’Leary (St. Fintan’s), Robbie Hillis (Glynn-Barntown); Justin Moran (St. Anne’s), Conor Kelly (St. Martin’s), Shane Walsh (St. Martin’s); Conor Mahoney (Glynn-Barntown),

Dylan O’Neill (Shelmaliers); Luke Kavanagh (St. Martin’s), Billy Dunne (Oulart-The Ballagh), Diarmuid O’Leary (St. Martin’s); Tomás Murphy (Blackwater), Zac Firman (St. Martin’s, 0-2), David Codd (St. Martin’s, 0-7, 5 frees, 1 ‘65). Subs. - David Cantwell (St. Martin’s, 0-1) for Murphy, inj. (38), Rory Devereux (St. Martin’s) for Dunne (50), Conor Devereux (St. Martin’s) for O’Neill (56), Michael Butler (Buffers Alley) for D. O’Leary, inj. (58), Luke Roche (Shelmaliers) for Codd, inj. (60+3).

St. Kieran’s: Diarmuid Galway; Andy Hickey, Stephen Keoghan, Tom Carroll; Peter McDonald, Pádraic Moylan, Darragh Maher (0-1); Denis Walsh, Killian Rudkins; Cian Kenny (0-2), Harry Walsh, Jamie Harkin; Eoin Guilfoyle (08, 6 frees), Peter Donohoe, Conor Kelly (0-1). Subs. - Ciarán Brennan (0-2) for Harkin (31), Seán O’Keeffe for Hickey (31), Liam Barron for Donohoe (48), Jack Doyle (0-1) for H. Walsh (52), Conor Brett for D. Walsh (58).

Referee: David Cody (Kildare).