Late Good Counsel onslaught sinks St Brendan's
ST Brendan's quest for a first Leinster Colleges' senior hurling championship crown since 1986 goes on after they were powerfully swept aside in the closing quarter by a physically imposing Good Counsel outfit at Palmerstown (home of Dicksboro GAA Club) on Monday afternoon.
Leinster Colleges SHC
St Brendan's CS, Birr 1-14
Good Counsel 1-18
SCORERS:
St Brendan's: Kevin Connolly (1-6, 0-5 frees), Brendan Murphy (0-3 frees), Liam Brady (0-2), Eoin Dunne (0-1), Aodhan Kealey (0-1), Tom Carroll (0-1).
Good Counsel: Syl Barron (0-6, 0-5 frees), Sean Lester (0-5) Conor Joyce (1-0), Nicky Doyle (0-2), Matthew Hanlon (0-2 frees), Bernard Furlong (0-1), Jack Guiney (0-1), David Crowdle (0-1).
WIDES:
St Brendan's 5 (2 1st half); Good Counsel 9 (2 1st half).
CARDS:
Red: None. Yellow (3): Bernard Furlong (14 mins), Kevin Donovan (48 mins), Shane O'Gorman (59 mins).
Indeed, after springing a major upset to defeat St Kieran's, Kilkenny in last year's quarter-final, St Brendan's went on to fall foul of Good Counsel at the penultimate hurdle, losing 1-14 to 3-19.
Good Counsel had three of their '09 side in action – Matthew Hanlon, Syl Barron and Nicky Doyle, and this trio left an indelible impression as they accounted for ten points between them. Jack Guiney and Colm Foran also featured as subs against St Brendan's last year.
St Brendan's, coached by Michael Lyons and Alan Franks, had six survivors from that '09 game against Good Counsel – Donal Regan, John McIntyre, Brendan Murpphy, Aodhan Kealey, Adrian Hynes and Kevin Connolly. Tom Carroll was unavailable due to suspension.
Good Counsel's reward for winning is a difficult quarter-final tie against St Kieran's this Saturday.
St Brendan's, after enjoying the benefit of the stiff breeze, led 1-9 to 1-8 at half time and their inability to rack up a substantial score left them vulnerable.
The teams were deadlocked for the sixth and final occasion at 1-10 apiece with 37 minutes elapsed and from there to the shrill of the referee's long whistle, Good Counsel outscored the Birr school by double scores 0-8 to 0-4 to seal a merited victory.
Good Counsel, who were dominant in the key central diamond positions, also struck seven 2nd half wides. And the only occasion they looked under the cosh was in the second minute of additional time when Aodhan Kealey came close to nicking a goal after Kevin Donovan hoisted in a teasing free.
In a tough battle and on a tight pitch where space was at a premium, St Brendan's struggled to spread the play out. They re-jigged their attack many times in an effort to achieve greater penetration but sampled little joy.
Three of the starting forwards failed to raise a flag, as did two subs introduced to this sector. In contrast, five of Good Counsel's forward sextet scored from play.
The referee made some dubious decisions both ways and at the start of the second half St Brendan's failure to hold the cool cost them dearly. They'd won a free but following retaliation a throw-in was given.
St Brendan's then conceded a free at the throw-in and this was duly dispatched between the uprights by Good Counsel centre back Matthew Hanlon. It was a sickening score to concede and set the trend for a half where St Brendan's were always on the back-foot and got practically no decent supply into the inside forwards.
Conor Joyce cleverly slipped in behind the St Brendan's cover to kick a fifth minute goal that provided Good Counsel with a 1-2 to 0-1 cushion. The St Brendan's point came after Brendan Murphy's stinging 21m free was deflected over the bar.
Two uplifting long range points Aodhan Kealey and Liam Brady raised St Brendan's cockles but Good Counsel responded per Syl Barron (free) and David Crowdle.
St Brendan's were back in business in the 13th minute after Kevin Connolly skilfully blasted to the roof of the onion bag. Murphy (free) levelled it, 1-4 all. Points by Hanlon (free) and impressive centre forward Sean Lester regained the lead for Good Counsel. By the 22nd minute, it was St Brendan's that were ahead, 1-7 to 1-6, after Connolly (2) and Brady fired over points.
Jack Guiney's 25th minute point tied proceedings for the fourth time at 1-7 apiece before St Brendan's edged two clear as Connolly (free) and Eoin Dunne were on target.
Lester pulled a point back for Good Counsel and on the resumption excellent long range frees by Hanlon and Barron saw them edge 1-10 to 1-9 ahead.
Connolly, easily St Brendan's most threatening forward, equalised from a free won by him-self in the 37th minute. But from there to the finish Good Counsel were the complete masters with Nicky Doyle (2), Bernard Furlong, Barron (3) and Lester (2) firing over quality points from an array of distances and angles. Three of St Brendan's closing four points came from frees.
With a sprinkling of Wexford and Kilkenny minors in their ranks, Good Counsel were full value for their win. Eoin Doyle, Matthew Hanlon, Syl Barron, Sean Lester and Nicky Doyle caught the eye for the New Ross school.
St Brendan's will be disappointed to have exited the championship at the first hurdle. With the exception of Kevin Connolly, the attack failed to ignite and was well smothered by a tenacious, no nonsense and strong Good Counsel defensive unit. Donal Regan, John McIntyre, Brendan Murphy and Kevin Donovan defended resolutely for St Brendan's while Liam Brady's first half points were a highlight of the game.
ST BRENDAN'S: Joe Connors; Cathal Murray, Donal Regan, John McIntyre; Kevin Donovan, Brendan Murphy, Craig Pardy; Liam Brady, Eoin Dunne; Tom Carroll, Aodhan Kealey (capt.), Seanie Carroll; Damien Maher, Adrian Hynes, Kevin Connolly. Subs: Paddy Mullins for S Carroll (half time), Paul McCarthy for D Maher (41 mins), Eoin Hayes for P Mullins (55 mins).
GOOD COUNSEL: John Sutton; Eoin Doyle, Alan Nolan, Garrett Foley; Colm Foran, Matthew Hanlon, Matthew Cody; Syl Barron, Bernard Furlong; Nicky Doyle, Sean Lester, Conor Joyce; David Crowdle, Jack Guiney, Shane O'Gorman. Sub: Tom Murphy for S Barron blood (26 – 28 mins), Mark Mansfield for C Joyce (60 mins).
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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