Dublin SFC: Diarmuid Connolly returns to bolster Vincent’s

By Rónán Mac Lochlainn

Diarmuid Connolly made a welcome return to his beloved St Vincent’s as they advanced to the semi-finals of the Dublin Senior Football Championship when defeating Castleknock by 1-21 to 1-9 at Parnell Park yesterday.

Connolly was introduced in the 50th minute as a replacement for Lorcan Smyth with the contest already effectively settled, as Vinnies enjoyed a nine-point lead.

But his low-key but effective input was probably the most apt manner in which to assimilate him back on to the panel.

The holders were initially rocked by the concession of a goal in the first minute, with Castleknock’s Tommy McDaniel firing confidently past Michael Savage from 10 yards.

St Vincent’s replied with a goal of their own three minutes later as they seized on a poor kick-out to present Tomás Quinn with the simplest of tasks of netting from six yards.

McDaniel added two points to augment a further score by Ciaran Kilkenny but they proved isolated moments of positivity for the underdogs as points from Quinn, Adam Baxter, Shane Carthy, and Eamon Fennell pushed St Vincent’s 1-9 to 1-6 ahead by half-time.

It proved one-way traffic after the break as Quinn and second-half substitute Enda Varley shared six points as the holders eased into the last four.

Earlier in the afternoon, late goals from Paul Mannion and Callum Pearson helped Kilmacud Crokes past St Sylvester’s by 2-17 to 0-15.

Crokes started on the front foot thanks to points in the opening quarter by Mannion, Shane Cunningham, Pat Burke, Craig Dias, and Pearson, with Sylvester’s staying in touch against the breeze through points from Ed Walsh and Micheál McCarthy.

Trailing by 0-10 to 0-4 at the break, the Malahide outfit gained momentum following a brace of scores by midfielder Jack Hazley but conceded too much space at the opposite end as Cunningham, Pearson, and Horan all had scores.

However, with McCarthy landing three sublime points from play, Sylvester’s had trimmed their deficit to just two points by the 54th minute but their efforts flagged in the closing stages and a Mannion penalty in the 60th minute and Pearson’s classy effort three minutes later helped put a flattering complexion on the final scoreline.

On Saturday afternoon, St Jude’s registered a surprise 1-11 to 2-9 win against Ballymun Kickhams at Parnell Park, Kieran Doherty kicking the winning score in the third minute of added time.

The Templeogue outfit made a dream start as former Cork senior Niall Coakley palmed home from close range following excellent approach play from Kevin McManamon.

However, two Paddy Small points and a 20th minute penalty by Dean Rock ensured the sides were tied at 1-4 apiece by the break.

Rock added three points from play to augment further scores by Ted Furman and Carl Keeley as Kickhams pushed four points clear with 10 minutes remaining but a Tom Lahiff point and Chris Guckian’s 57th-minute goal restored parity before Doherty’s dramatic late heroics.

The second match of the double-header proved far more one-sided as Ballyboden St Enda’s cruised past Na Fianna by 3-13 to 0-15.

Ryan Basquel was in sparkling form for the 2015 winners and his goal at the end of the first quarter handed his team the momentum to push on, with younger brother Colm adding a second goal before the break as Boden enjoyed a healthy 2-9 to 0-6 interval lead.

Basquel converted a penalty within two minutes of the restart and although Conor McHugh struck eight points in reply, Na Fianna never looked likely to launch a comeback, despite the late dismissals of Michael Darragh Macauley and Cathal Flaherty.