Buckley and O'Donovan propel Rochestown College to All-Ireland decider

Sean Healy and Michael Dorrian have eyes on this ball in the All-Ireland Senior B Hurling semi-final between St Francis College Rochestown and St Patrick's GS. Picture: Denis Byrne

All-Ireland Post Primary Schools SBHC semi-final

Rochestown College (Cork) 2-14 

St Patrick's GS (Down) 0-11 

Rochestown College advanced to the Paddy Buggy Cup All-Ireland final after victory over St Patrick's GS on Saturday.

This was a closer game than the scoreline suggests with the Cork side only securing victory in the last five minutes thanks to Conor O'Donovan's second goal of the afternoon. 

Key to their win was the performance of Cork minor William Buckley, whose tally of 0-10, nine from placed balls, was telling. Indeed, it was his inch-perfect 40-metre pass that set up O'Donovan for the second goal to kill off the contest.

On the opposite side, Tom McGrattan was a constant threat for the Down school He was on the scoresheet early on as was Buckley and with 10 minutes gone both had scored to make it 0-3 apiece.

McGrattan hit two more as St Patrick's took the lead, with O'Donovan and Buckley levelling it.

Just before half-time, O'Donovan got his first goal to see Rochestown College lead 1-8 to 0-6 at half-time.

Buckley and McGrattan were amongst the early second-half scorers before two more from the latter made it 0-11 to 1-11 with 45 minutes gone. Buckley raised two more white flags before setting up O'Donovan's second goal to kill off the game. Late on St Patrick's Ryan O'Neill received his marching orders as Buckley, fittingly, rounded off the scoring for Rochestown who now face Claregalway in the final.

Scorers for Rochestown College: W Buckley (0-10, 8f, 1 65), C O'Donovan (2-1), M O'Mahony, E O'Connor (0-1 each).

St Patrick's GS: T McGrattan (0-7, 4f, 1 65), O Coulter (0-3), F Turpin (0-1).

ROCHESTOWN COLLEGE: R Browne (Blackrock); O McAdoo (Blackrock), C Coakley (Blackrock), M O'Callaghan (Douglas); S Brady (Ballygarvan), K Lyons (Ballygarvan), S Healy (Blackrock); W Buckley (St Finbarr's), C Buckley (St Finbarr's); M O'Connell (Blackrock), A Buckley (St Finbarr's), M O'Mahony (Ballygarvan); E O'Connor (Ballygarvan), C O'Donovan (Douglas), C O'Regan (Ballygarvan).

Subs: L Kiely (Blackrock) for C O'Regan (48), C Murphy (Ballygarvan) for S Healy (54), C O'Keeffe (Douglas) for C O'Donovan (58).

St PATRICK'S GS: P Smyth (Portoferry); J Roddy (do), D Mallon (do), D Coulter (Ballygalget); S Mageean (Portoferry), R O'Neill (do), A Rogan (Ballycran); C Leneghan (Liatriom), F Turpin (Portoferry); M Dorrian (Ballygalget), L McCabe (Castlewellan), T McGrattan (Portoferry); O Coulter (Ballygalget), F MacManus (Liatriom), R McGrath (Ballygalget).

Subs: T Connolly (Castlewellan) for A Rogan, (22), S McCarthy (Ballycran) for R McGrath (28), N Rogers (Portoferry) for L McCabe (52), DJ Farrell (Liatriom) for S Mageean (55)

Referee: Anthony Stapleton, Laois.