Ardscoil progress to tie with Colmcille's

GAELIC GAMES: DUBLIN JH 'A' SEMI-FINAL

By Daire Walsh

Excellent individual displays from Seán Currie and Conor Burke were pivotal in Ballyroan last Friday afternoon, as Ardscoil Rís booked their place in the Dublin Post-Primary Schools Junior Hurling 'A' decider with a ten-point triumph (3-17 to 3-7) over hosts Coláiste éanna. This was a second victory in three days for the Griffith Avenue school over their southside counterparts after their senior team had recorded a 2-16 to 2-11 success in the same venue the previous Wednesday.

They will now progress to meet St Colmcille's CS in the U16 showdown following their five-point win (2-14 to 2-9) against Coláiste Eoin on Monday.

é anna embarked on this contest with a great deal of confidence, and thanks to strong work from defensive lynchpins Thomas Glynn and James Holland, they were able to establish a platform during the opening moments.

They held a slender advantage over their north Dublin rivals inside the first-quarter, but once they gained a foothold on the play, Ardscoil started to display their undoubted quality.

Currie and lively forward John Walsh both found the éanna net before the half's end, and although the home team also raised a green flag prior to the interval, Ardscoil brought a 2-6 to 1-4 buffer into the second period.

Credit must be given to éanna, though, who remained in contention upon the resumption thanks, in no small part, to the dead-ball accuracy of Ben Kelly.

Team captain Luke Connor delivered an impressive performance from midfield, and in addition to a 1-2 salvo from full-forward Ciarán Ryan, the industrious Holland broke forward from centre-back to register 1-1 of his side's final total.

A somewhat fortuitous Burke goal, ten minutes from time, put a spring in Ardscoil's step, however, and offered them the momentum they needed to see off éanna's challenge.

Currie and Burke finished with a combined total of 2-11, while a 1-2 contribution by Walsh was also vital towards the Ardscoil cause.