Go Ahead Dublin Senior 1 Football Championship Round-Up

GO AHEAD DUBLIN SENIOR ONE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND-UP 

By Daire Walsh 

St Jude’s produced a second half goal blitz against St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh at O’Toole Park on Sunday to join Lucan Sarsfields at the summit of the Go Ahead Dublin Senior One Football Championship Group Four table.

Having shared the spoils with Lucan (1-14 apiece) at the same venue a fortnight earlier, the Templeogue side enhanced their quest for a knockout spot by defeating their Navan Road counterparts on a scoreline of 3-17 to 1-15. This edges them in front of Lucan on score difference - the 12th Lock men enjoyed a one-point victory over Round Tower Lusk on Saturday - but it remains delicately poised moving into the final round of the group.

Courtesy of three points by former Cork footballer Niall Coakley, Jude’s brought a healthy 0-9 to 0-5 lead into the interval of their clash with Plunkett’s. The game opened up to a considerable degree on the resumption as Gareth Roche’s 2018 finalists rattled the net on three occasions through David Mannix, Alan Connolly and Ronan Joyce.

Aside from this triumvirate, Coakley and Pat Spillane chipped in with four points apiece. Serial Celtic Cross winner Kevin McManamon also helped himself to a brace of scores to cap a fine team performance from Jude’s.

While champions Ballymun Kickhams and Skerries Harps occupy the top-two positions in Group Three, Thomas Davis boosted their chances of reaching the knockout rounds with a 0-11 to 0-9 win over Clontarf at O’Toole Park on Saturday.

Despite the concession of scores to ‘Tarf attackers Nathan Doran and Kieran McKeon, Davis’ were 0-5 to 0-2 in front at the first half water break. Ryan Deegan, Sean Farrelly and Eoin Kirby were in fine form during their narrow opening round reversal to Ballymun, and led the way once again for the Tallaght side in this game.

Nevertheless, McKeon and Stephen O’Quigley added points to leave ‘Tarf just three adrift (0-7 to 0-4) at the interval.

Doran added two points to his individual tally on the restart to supplement solitary efforts from Andy Foley and Maitias McDonncha, but Davis’ remained in the ascendancy on the third-quarter mark. Scores were few and far between in the closing moments, though a Doran free in the 57th-minute did leave things on a knife edge as the final whistle approached.

Still, Davis’ had done enough to prevail and set up a tantalising showdown with Skerries next month.

At St Margaret’s on Friday night, Raheny bounced back from an earlier defeat to Ballyboden St Enda’s by overcoming the challenge of Whitehall Colmcille in an entertaining Group One encounter. While six goals were shared between the two sides, Raheny had just enough in reserve to claim a 3-14 to 3-9 victory. Raheny now face Na Fianna in the final group game, with Whitehall taking on Ballyboden St Endas. Boden beat Na Fianna in their Group 1 tie on Sunday. 

It was also a successful weekend for Ballinteer St John’s, who had five points to spare (2-15 to 1-13) over Castleknock at O’Toole Park. This keeps them in the reckoning ahead of an upcoming meeting with Group Two leaders Kilmacud Crokes. Crokes themselves overcame a resurgent comeback from St Vincent's on their way to a 1-15 to 2-7 victory in their Group 2 Round 2 encounter at Parnell Park.