St Vincent's advance to Leinster semi

PALATINE (Carlow) 0-8 ST VINCENT’S (Dublin) 0-16

Captain Diarmuid Connolly’s first-half black card didn’t derail St Vincent’s from securing a comprehensive Leinster quarter-final in Netwatch Cullen Park.

Palatine’s race was run 10 minutes into the second half when the Dublin champions left them for dust, tagging on five unanswered points. In Connolly’s absence, Tomás Quinn led the way but it was Cormac Diamond’s immense display that had tongues a-wagging.

Palatine did keep their opponents honest for the majority of the game but lost their discipline and shape in the second half and Quinn, Diamond and Shane Carthy capitalised accordingly.

St Vincent’s were electric in the opening stages, going 0-4 to 0-0 up after just five minutes. Diamond had three points to his name by the end of the half, taking two of them in that early spell. Enda Varley had opened the scoring and Carthy added the other.

Palatine settled a little when Shane O’Neill found his range in the fifth minute but that was the last score for 20 minutes as the wide count grew, St Vincent’s guilty for eight of them by the end of the half.

Connolly’s black card came in the 20^th minute after referee Niall Ward consulted with his umpire. Shane O’Neill was yellow card for his involvement in the off-the-ball incident with the All-Star.

Jamie Kenny registered Palatine’s second score in the 25^th minute, which was quickly followed by Diamond’s third point. O’Neill notched his second point in the 27^th minute to finish off the half, reducing Palatine’s deficit to two points, 0-5 to 0-3, going into the interval.

Scorers for Palatine: S. O’Neill (0-3, 1 free); J. Kenny, J. Kane, S. Reilly, C. Crowley, B. Kelly (free) (0-1 each).

Scorers for St Vincent’s: T. Quinn (3 frees), C. Diamond (0-5 each); S. Carthy (0-3); E. Varley, A. Martin, R. Trainor (0-1 each).

Subs for Palatine: P. Reid for J. Kenny (40); J. Reid for S. Reilly (54); B. Kelly for S. O’Neill (59).

Subs for St Vincent’s: J. Feeney for D. Connolly (black, 20); A. Martin for D. Murphy (34); A. Baxter for E. Varley (41); K. Golden for G. Burke (48); J. McCusker for R. Trainor (55); F. Breathnach for G. Brennan (57).

PALATINE: C. Kearney; C. Lawlor, C. O’Doherty, M. Rennick; J. Brennan, C. Crowley, S. Reilly; N. Reid, J. Kane; S. O’Neill, C. Moran, D. Reid; Conor Crowley, J. Kenny, T. Kenny. 

ST VINCENT’S: M. Savage; C. Wilson, J. Curley, M. Concarr; B. Egan, G. Brennan, Cameron Diamond; D. Murphy, S. Carthy; G. Burke, D. Connolly, Cormac Diamond; R. Trainor, E. Varley, T. Quinn.

Referee: N. Ward (Westmeath).