Athy strike early to prevail
Ard Scoil, Athy 2-4
Knockbeg College 1-6
Ard Scoil na Trionoide qualified for the final when they were deserving winners over Knockbeg in Carlow yesterday.
Mick Kelly struck for a goal inside the first minute and when Monurudeen Mustapha slid the ball to the net at the end of the first quarter it enabled his side to enjoy a 2-2 to 0-1 half-time lead over a listless Knockbeg outfit.
The eventual losers were reduced to 14 players going into the last quarter but the setback re-ignited their challenge. John Joe Mahon swooped for a goal but Knockbeg were undone by a series of bad wides and Athy's Paddy Kehoe knocked over a free.
While Mark Lyons and Peter Shaw hit late points for Knockbeg they couldn't make up the lost ground.
Scorers -- Ard Scoil: M Mustapha 1-0, M Kelly 1-0, P Kehoe 0-2 (2f), J Merrins, P Connell 0-1 each. Knockbeg: JJ Mahon 1-0, S Attride, M Lyons 0-2 each, P Shaw, A Norton 0-1 each.
Ard Scoil -- S Conway; T Foley, K Mulhall, M Behan; T Maye, J Merrins, L Doyle; D Hyland, P O;Connell; S McGovern, S Ronan, P Kehoe; M Mustapha, D O'Toole, M Kelly.
Knockbeg -- D Halpin; D Brophy, P Manning, D Ramsbottom; C Hogan, J Cox, M Wall; P McEvoy, E Mahon; E Dwyer, S Attride, M Kehoe; A Norton, D O'Connor, D Booth. Subs: M Lyons for O'Connor, A Campion for Brophy, P Shaw for Dwyer, JJ Mahon for Booth, A Mullins for Kehoe.
Ref -- B Hickey (Kildare).
Irish Independent
