LEINSTER COLLEGES SHC A QUARTER-FINAL: St Kieran's, Kilkenny4-13 Dublin South 1-6:DEFENDING ALL-IRELAND champions St Kieran's, Kilkenny, ran out 16-point winners at Dr Cullen Park, Carlow yesterday.
Kieran’s left-full forward Thomas O’Hanrahan, undermined the Dublin South challenge by recording a hat-trick of goals. O’Hanrahan, one of four players on view who won All-Ireland minor hurling medals with Kilkenny last September, struck for his goals in the third, 10th and 25th minutes as the champions established a 3-3 to 0-3 lead.
When right-corner forward Jack Nolan stormed through for a fourth goal on 28 minutes there was no real hope left for the Dublin challengers as they trailed 4-5 to 0-5 at the break.
A 33rd-minute goal from Dublin’s Naoise Greene raised hopes of a comeback but St Kieran’s responded by picking off a succession of points as the challengers failed to raise another flag until Brian McCarthy’s point with almost the final puck of the game.
Cathal O’Neill, William Phelan and Pat Carroll were superb in defence for the winners, Conor O’Shea was dominant in midfield while John Power, O’Hanrahan, Killian Phelan and Michael Brennan were prominent in attack. Brian McCarthy tried his utmost for Dublin South but they were overpowered by the hurling skills of their opponents.
On this form Kieran’s will be hard to separate from their Leinster and All-Ireland colleges titles.
ST KIERAN'S:S Johnson; L Hickey, C O'Neill, R O'Hanrahan; H O'Neill (0-1), W Phelan (0-1, free), P O'Carroll; P Butler, C O'Shea; J Power (0-6, four frees, one 65, K Phelan (0-2), A Cleere; J Nolan (1-0), M Brennan (0-2), T O'Hanrahan (3-0). Subs: R Reid for T O'Hanrahan (45 mins), P Kenneally for Cleere (45 mins), D Cody (0-1) for Reid (55 mins), M Donnelly for Nolan (55 mins), G Allen for O'Neill (58 mins).
DUBLIN SOUTH:G Harrington; D Mulligan, F O'Donoghue, J Barnes; D Butler, T Devlin, B Errity; G Whelan (0-1), B McCarthy (0-5, four frees), C Devins, K McMahon, K Russell; N Greene (1-0), S Harrington, E Prendergast. Subs: K Ward for S Harrington (36 mins), A Jermyn for Devins (38 mins), K Kelly for Prendergast (45 mins), N Salvino for Russell (56 mins).
Referee: P Kehoe (Carlow).
Next Up . . .
Dublin North and St Kieran’s College have now qualified for the Leinster Colleges SH A semi-finals. They will be joined by the winners of tomorrow week’s (Feb 12th) games: Coláiste Eoin v Castlecomer CS, and St Brendan’s Birr v Good Counsel College.
