St Kieran's keep up final appearance record with triumph over Ardscoil Rís
MORE ON THE CARDS? Winning St Kieran's College team celebrate with the Leinster Cup. Pic: St Kieran's College
St Kieran’s College have rolled into an incredible ninth successive Croke Cup final with an eight-point victory over 2022 champions Ardscoil Rís.
Either side of the Covid interruption, the Kilkenny kingpins haven’t missed a decider since 2013 and they will target a seventh title to cap that streak when meeting St Raphael’s from Loughrea in the final.
Under the snow-topped Galtee Mountains in Bansha, St Kieran’s had 10 different scorers but it was inside forwards Seán Hunt (1-2) and Rory Glynn (0-4) who did the most damage as they were only headed once by Ardscoil.
That came in the 11th minute after quickfire points from Fintan Fitzgerald and the impressive Michael Collins moved the Limerick school 0-3 to 0-2 ahead.
From the short puck-out, Kieran’s worked it through the lines with corner-back Seán Bergin delivering the ball into Hunt. He beat his marker before dispatching a low finish to the far corner.
Despite losing Kilkenny minor Ed McDermott to injury, the combination of Hunt and Glynn were an effective first line of defence, hounding the Limerick backs throughout.
Glynn added three points and assisted another pair before the break, Aaron McEvoy kept ticking over from frees, and captain Jeff Neary surged forward from centre-back to score.
Ardscoil had some joy from puck-outs and were hauled down for a couple of close-range Marc O’Brien frees as they trailed by seven, 1-11 to 0-7, at midway.
They moved Jamie Moylan into midfield and he immediately won a free for O’Brien to convert on the restart. They pressed up on the Kieran’s puck-outs with some success and cut the deficit to five thanks to Collins’s third point, Eoin Begley, and O’Brien’s accuracy.
When their defence was opened up, keeper Fionn O’Brien twice denied McEvoy a goal, including one super low save entering the final five minutes.
By then, Kieran’s had weathered the storm, lifted by the work of Dicksboro wing-back Tom McPhillips. He produced an 80-yard dash to score, caught a long clearance to instigate the move for a Tom Brennan point, and won a free for goalkeeper Stephen Manogue to launch between the posts.
Their defence has been teak-tough throughout this campaign, conceding just 2-51 in their five games. True to form, Manogue held his clean sheet through some stoppage-time bombardment, saving from Moylan and an O’Brien free.
A McEvoy (0-6, 6 frees); S Hunt (1-2); R Glynn (0-4); S Manogue (free), J Neary, T McPhillips, T Roche, E Lauhoff, T Brennan, J Hughes (0-1 each).
M O’Brien (0-6, 4 frees, 1 65); M Collins (0-3); F Fitzgerald (0-2, 1 free); E Begley, C Lohan, D Chaplin (0-1 each).
S Manogue (James Stephens); E Murphy (Dicksboro), T Kelly (Bennettsbridge), S Bergin (James Stephens); T McPhillips (Dicksboro), J Neary (Graigue-Ballycallan, capt), C Hickey (St Lachtain’s); R Connellan (Thomastown), S Deely (James Stephens); E McDermott (James Stephens), T Roche (John Lockes), A McEvoy (Graigue-Ballycallan); E Lauhoff (James Stephens), R Glynn (Clara), S Hunt (St Martin’s).
J Hughes (Bennettsbridge) for McDermott (28, inj), T Brennan (Clough-Ballacolla) for Deely (46), O Bateman (James Stephens) for Roche (51), J O’Neill (St Martin’s) for Glynn (58), B Murphy (The Harps) for Lauhoff (60+1).
F O’Brien (Bruree); S Morrissey (Dromin-Athlacca), J Finn (Na Piarsaigh), S McMahon (Smith O’Briens, j-capt); R McNamara (Cratloe), J Moylan (Cratloe), D Scully (Dromin-Athlacca); M O’Halloran (Sixmilebridge), C Lohan (Cratloe); J Cosgrove (Ahane), F Fitzgerald (Mungret St Paul’s, j-capt), M Collins (Clonlara); E Begley (Clonlara), M O’Brien (Cratloe), P Kearney (Adare).
J O’Keeffe (Na Piarsaigh) for Morrissey (40), S Arthur (Newmarket-on-Fergus) for Begley (40), D Gleeson (Adare) for Cosgrove (42), D Chaplin (Sixmilebridge) for Kearney (51), J Coughlan (Ballybrown) for Lohan (58).
A Tierney (Tipperary).
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