St Vincent's goals see off Portlaoise challenge

Portlaoise 0-10 St Vincent’s 3-11

A second half blitzing secured victory for St Vincent’s against a beleaguered Portlaoise side in O’Moore Park earlier today. Two second half goals from Shane Carthy, and a first half Tomas Quinn three pointer, ensured Vincent’s would still be in contention for retaining their Leinster Senior Football Championship title after this quarter final encounter.

The current All Ireland Club champions started the brighter of the two teams with two points within the opening two minutes. Potent centre forward Diarmuid Connolly was involved in both scores. Connolly latched on to an early free from Tomas Quinn before a quick one two set the evergreen corner forward through on goal to score the first point of the match. The Vinnie’s number 11 then embarked on a mazy run through the Portlaoise rearguard before nonchalantly bisecting the posts.

Portlaoise could not handle the pace at which the Dublin outfit were controlling the game. With less than five minutes played, and Portlaoise still to register any meaningful attack, a Michael Savage kick out was fielded by Shane Carthy in the midfield area for Vincent’s. A lofted pass aimed at Ciaran Dorney was palmed down to Connolly who hand passed the ball across to Tomas Quinn. The Vincent’s full forward managed to get the ball across the goal line despite being completed annihilated in the process. Quinn gingerly rose to his feet safe in the knowledge his bravery had given his team an early 1-02 to 0-00 lead.

Portlaoise’s first score of the game came from the boot of Paul Cahillane after a mix up in the Vincent’s full back line. St Vincent’s Gavin Burke and Tomas Quinn then had goal chances of their own which they did not take. Subsequently, Portlaoise grew into the game. Cahillane got his second score of the game after he gained possession from a fortuitous bounce off a Brendan Egan block.

Both teams exchanged points as the first half drew to a close. Zach Touhy pointed before his effort was cancelled out by Shane Carthy. Portlaoise scored the last two points of the half as Craig Rogers and Brian McCormack’s respective points clawed Portlaoise to within a point of their opponents at the half time break, 0-06 to 1-04.

St Vincent's Shane Carthy (L) and Daithi Murphy (R) compete for possession with their Portlaoise opponents

In similar fashion to the opening of the first half, St Vincent’s stormed out of the blocks. After an uncharacteristic wide from Tomas Quinn, the Marino men were intent on building an unassailable lead. As the crowd were still taking their seats after the interval at O’Moore Park, Shane Carthy drilled the ball past Micky Nolan in the Portlaoise goal. St Vincent’s were passing the ball with ease and after some good build up play from Daithi Murphy and Gavin Burke, Carthy made full advantage of his teams dominance.

A pointed Tomas Quinn free followed before Carthy kicked the ball over the black spot with 37 minutes played. After a physical opening 30 minutes, Carthy was continuously improving in what was an outstanding performance from the lively half forward. Portlaoise began to deploy substitutes in the form of Adrian Kelly and Eoghan Feane in an attempt to quell the Vincent’s dominance. Ultimately, their efforts would be in vain.

After a pointed free from Craig Rogers on the 42^nd minute mark and another substitution from Portlaoise, this time Malachy McNulty entering the field for Eoghan Whelan, St Vincent’s hammered home the final nail in the Portlaoise coffin. A quickly taken free from Diarmuid Connolly caused panic in the Portlaoise full back line as ‘keeper Micky Nolan raced to punch clear the dangerously aimed free. Somehow, the ball dropped to Shane Carthy who stroked the ball into an empty net. Carthy will not score an easier goal in his career as the metropolitans had a 0-07 to 3-06 lead with 17 minutes still to play.

St Vincent's full forward Ciaran Dorney celebrates

St Vincent’s are often lauded for the flamboyance of their attack and goal scoring prowess. However, their resilient defending was just as easy on the eye on this occasion. They were intent on working the ball up the field through intricate passing moves. Just like the Dublin SFC final, their full back line was in charge for the entire 60 minutes. The experience of captain Ger Brennan rallied the troops but it was the performance of young Jarlath Curley marking the cumbersome Zach Touhy out of the game that really stood out in a backline which gave very little away.

As the match entered the final ten minutes, Portlaoise legs grew heavier. They could not keep up with the pace of their opponents with Vincent’s superior stamina shining through. With cynical challenging aplenty, Kieran Lillis was shown a black card for dragging Diarmuid Connolly down by the neck. Connolly took responsibility of the resulting free and confidently scored to maintain his team’s nine point lead.

The game petered out as a contest in the last five minutes of play. Both teams had made numerous changes and it was the industrious Cormac Diamond who made a case for a starting berth in the semi final after two deserving late scores. The scoreboard read 0-10 to 3-11 in favour of St Vincent’s after 60 minutes of intense football played at an unstoppable pace throughout.

Portlaoise, the most decorated club in the history of the Leinster SFC, bow out after a regimented St Vincent’s display. The match was befitting of the 12 Leinster titles held between both clubs. The Laois men will be disappointed that they didn’t get to stamp their authority on the match but St Vincent’s were as ruthless as they have been all year. Tommy Conroy has manufactured a team that will strike fear into any opponent. Next up for the Dublin side is a semi final encounter with Garrycastle of Westmeath in Parnell Park.  

Portlaoise Panel and Scorers

M Nolan; D Seale; P Cotter; B Mulligan; E Whelan; C Healy; C Boyle; K Lillis; S Nerney; G Dillon; B McCormack (0-01); B Glynn; P Cahillane (0-06, 4 frees); Z Touhy (0-01); C Rogers (0-02, 1 free); Subs: R Downey; K Fitzpatrick; R Maher; G Brody; L McGovern; A Kelly; M McNulty; M Rogers; E Bland; E Feane; J Nerney.

Wides: 4

St Vincent's Panel and Scorers

M Savage; K Bonnie; J Curley; H Gill; B Egan; G Brennan; M Concarr; E Fennel; D Murphy; G Burke; D Connolly (0-02, 1 free); S Carthy (2-02); R Trainor (0-02); T Quinn (1-03 2 frees); C Dorney; Subs: D Jordan; M Moore; Cameron Diamond; S Byrne; M Loftus; Tiernan Diamond; Cormac Diamond (0-02); A Baxter; G Murphy; L Bree; B Quigley; M McNally; A Martin; K Malone; Turlough Diamond; L Sheehy; E Brady; C Brennan; J Brennan.

Wides: 8

S.DAWSON 09/10/14

Dublin Senior Football Championship quarter final round up

The Dublin Senior Football Championship draw was announced yesterday with reigning champions St Vincent’s due to play Ballyboden St Enda’s and St Oliver Plunkett’s facing off against St Jude’s.

The big shock of the quarter final stage was the exit of early favourites Ballymun Kickhams at the hands of St Oliver Plunkett’s E.R. The Cabra outfit dispatched of their north Dublin rivals thanks to goals from cousins James and Alan Brogan. The first goal of the match was registered on the 15^th minute mark, just four minutes before Alan Brogan slid a shot past Sean Currie with the inside of his left boot.

Brothers in arms, Alan and Bernard Brogan of Plunkett's.

Paul Curran’s men were unable to deal with numerous fast paced attacks from Plunkett’s. Dublin underage star Niall Walsh was constantly dropping back from his corner forward position to give Plunkett’s midfielder Craig Dunleavy a consistent outlet, as the Cabra men bossed this physical encounter. Plunkett’s were fully deserving of their 2-12 to 0-10 victory.

A spectacular effort from Bernard Brogan summed up the match as everything seemed to sail over the black spot for Plunkett’s. Ballymun will be rueing missed opportunities on a day when they were outclassed across the pitch and outscored by tactically smart Plunkett’s team.

In the second match on Saturday afternoon in Parnell Park, current All Ireland Club champions St Vincent’s saw off Templeogue Synge Street with a comprehensive 11 point victory. A second half hat trick from Tomas Quinn ensured victory after a first half which was very much in the balance. The teams were level at the interval, 0-09 to 1-06, after a Ger Vickery goal had St Vincent’s on the back-foot.

St Vincent’s blitzed their opponents in the opening 14 minutes of the half scoring 3-06 without reply. Diarmuid Connolly was pulling the strings from centre forward with ease. The evergreen Tomas Quinn capitalised on every moment of possession given to the potent corner forward. St Vincent’s other corner forward Ruairi Trainor also scored four magnificently taken points to see Vinnies over the line.

Templeogue Synge Street managed to score an unanswered 2-02 in the last five minutes of the match thanks to a brace of points from Niall Scully and goals from Eoghan O’Gara and substitute Jack Swaine. However, it was too little too late for the south Dublin outfit. Vinnies quelled the aerial threat of Eoghan O’Gara by doubling up on him for most of the match thanks to a resilient full back line.

St Vincent’s quick movement of the ball was a joy to behold scoring from acute angles with ease. With Ballymun bowing out of this years Championship, it is hard to look past St Vincent’s regaining their Dublin Senior Football crown after a pulsating performance in Parnell Park, finishing 3-20 to 3-09.

St Vincent's Daithi Murphy under pressure form a resilient Templeogue defence.

On Sunday in O’Toole Park, St Jude’s got the better of St Brigid’s. Their performance was inspired by a mesmerising display from centre forward Kevin McManamon. The Dublin inter-county star scored 3-05, with all but one point coming from play, to see his team see off St Brigid’s on a score line of 3-11 to 0-12.

The result was beyond doubt at half time with St Jude’s leading 1-07 to 0-01, after a rampant opening 30 minutes. Tony McEntee’s men attempted to regain respectability after an embarrassing first half which saw St Brigid’s miss a plethora of kickable opportunities. In a near flawless performance, St Jude’s were on top in every area of the pitch. St Jude’s will meet a confident St Oliver Plunkett’s team in the pick of the two semi finals.

In the last quarter final match to be played, Ballyboden St Enda’s beat Lucan Sarsfields 0-14 to 0-09 in O’Toole Park. ‘Boden scored the first four points of the match without reply, led masterfully by former Dublin star Declan O’Mahony. It was another former Dublin player, Stephen O’Shaugnessy, who was linking up well in the Lucan forwards line.

O’Shaugnessy, whose favoured position is across the full back line, was creating problems for ‘Boden along with young Emmet O’Conghaile. However, Ballyboden showcased a regimented performance leading from start to finish. The Rathfarnham outfit were leading by seven points with just 20 minutes played in a match they thoroughly dominated.

Try as they might, Lucan could not manage to get a foothold in the match. Ballyboden were in firm control of this quarter final which was largely expected before throw in. ‘Boden will face a stiff test against St Vincent’s knowing they will be up against much tougher opponents in their next outing.

The date and throw in times of this years semi final matches are due to be announced later this week.

 Full list of Dublin Senior Football Championship Semi Final matches:

St Vincent’s vs Ballyboden St Enda’s

St Jude’s vs St Oliver Plunkett’s Eoghan Ruadh

S.DAWSON 06/10/14