Lucan Sarsfields Rally Past Whitehall Colmcille to Secure Semi-Final Spot

Picture Courtesy Mark McDonagh

LUCAN SARSFIELDS 0-25

WHITEHALL COLMCILLE 2-13

Lucan Sarsfields progressed to the semi-finals of the Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship following their six-point victory over Whitehall Colmcille at a blustery Parnell Park on Sunday afternoon.

Whitehall enjoyed a wind-assisted 1-7 to 0-6 advantage by the interval with their goal coming through Jamie Raftery early in the second quarter.

That lead looked insufficient at the time and so it proved upon the restart as Lucan struck ten unanswered points in the third quarter to assume control of matters with Ciaran Dowling leading the way with an exceptional individual display.

Despite playing into the teeth of the breeze, it was Lucan that opened the scoring through a fine Dowling score in the 2^nd minute with Raftery levelling matters three minutes later for Whitehall.

Lucan’s Ben Coffey and Colmcille’s Paddy Spellacy traded placed balls soon after with Sarsfields failing to avail of some presentable chances that came their way in the opening quarter.

Dowling did manage a superb second score in the 12^th minute but the sides were deadlocked at 0-3 apiece by the end of the first quarter as Spellacy nonchalantly converted a free from deep.

Point followed through Adam McDermott and Cormac Costello before Whitehall pounced for the game’s opening goal in the 18^th minute as Spellacy gathered superbly before transferring to Eoghan O’Donnell, and his pass to Raftery culminated in a smart finish beyond the helpless Cillian Murray.

Further points from Spellacy and Costello pushed Colmcille seven points clear as Lucan struggled to make any impression up front, their focus primarily fixed on curbing the threat of O’Donnell at the opposite end.

However, they slowly but surely played their way back into the game with Dowling, almost inevitably, providing the inspiration with another cracking score and further points from Coffey and Sean Harkness saw them to within four points by half-time.

Dowling briefly took over the free-taking duties from Coffey to reduce Lucan’s deficit even further and the latter turned sharply in the 35^th minute to help maintain his side’s momentum.

Matt McCaffrey and substitute Jack Behan added points to restore parity by the 37^th minute and with Whitehall struggling to regain any control at midfield, Lucan pulled ahead through a brace of Coffey scores.

Whitehall were in dire need of inspiration at this stage but their position became even more precarious as Dowling, Chris Crummey, Paul Crummey and Coffey all added to the Sarsfields tally by the end of the third quarter.

Eddie Moran ended a scoreless period of twenty-six minutes for Colmcille when popping over a fine solo score and there was further encouragement in the form of Costello’s third point of the afternoon.

However, these scores never looked likely to prompt a comeback as Lucan piled on the misery in the closing stages before Spellacy netted a consolation free for Whitehall in added time.

Scorers – Lucan Sarsfields: B Coffey 0-9 (4f, 1 ’65, 1 sideline); C Dowling 0-7 (1f); P Crummey, C Walsh 0-2 each; C Stritch, C Crummey, M McCaffrey, S Harkness, J Behan 0-1 apiece. Whitehall Colmcille: P Spellacy 1-5 (1-5f); J Raftery 1-1; C Costello 0-3; E Moran, A McDermott, Eoghan O’Donnell, C Sheedy 0-1 apiece.

Lucan Sarsfields: C Murray; C Stritch, P Rigney, L Walsh; C Crummey, J Bellew, M McCaffrey; R Smith, C Walsh; P Crummey, K Fitzgerald, C Keher; S Harkness, B Coffey, C Dowling. Subs: J Behan for Fitzgerald (28), M Coogan for Keher (47), L Garrigan for Harkness (54), D Flannery for Smith (56), D Lyons for P Crummey (61).

Whitehall Colmcille: R Murray; S Kellett, E Moran, J Thorp; L McCarthy, J Barry, D Gray; A McDermott, Enda O’Donnell; J Raftery, M Noonan, C Cummins; P Spellacy, Eoghan O’Donnell, C Costello. Subs: C Sheedy for Noonan (53), N O’Connor for Barry (57).

Referee: Thomas Gleeson (Naomh Fionnbarra).