Vincent’s hold off Lucan in tight finish

ST VINCENT’S 1-14 LUCAN SARSFIELDS 2-8

St Vincent’s were pushed all the way by a brave Lucan Sarsfield in Wednesday night’s Dublin SFC quarter-final.

An Andrew Hope goal five minutes from time left just one point in it as Lucan showed no sign of being over-awed by their more successful opponents.

However, Diarmuid Connolly and sub Albert Martin came up with the late scores to seal their entry into the semi-final where they will face Ballymun Kickhams next Wednesday night.

After being two up at half-time Vins restarted with points from Nathan Mullins, Shane Carthy, who finished with four points from play, Ruairí Trainor and Joe Feeney to lead by 1-9 to 0-6 after 37 minutes.

But Lucan got back into the game with a Brendan Gallagher penalty in the 40^th minute and the introduction of the experience Tommy Brennan fuelled Lucan for the finish.

In the opening half Lucan matched Vinnies every step of the way and by the break the Marino men held a 1-5 to 0-6 lead.

The goal came in the 17^th minute when Ruairí Trainor fired to the net after Tomás Quinn’s penalty rebounded off the upright following a foul on Diarmuid Connolly.

Lucan had a goal chance earlier in the half but Rory Kelly was denied by Michael Savage.

With Darren Gavin and Seán Newcombe growing in influence Lucan hit a purple patch towards the close of the first half with points from Brendan Gallagher, a free following a foul on Seán Newcombe, Dublin minor of this year CJ Smith, an excellent Dan Gallagher score and Rory Kelly’s palmed effort made it four in-a-row to leave it all square, 1-3 to 0-6.

Kelly’s point could have been a goal but he failed to keep his batted effort under the crossbar.

Vincent’s closed out the half well with points from Enda Varley (free) and Shane Carthy, which could have been a goal, to lead by two at the break.

SCORERS– St Vincent’s: S Carthy 0-4, R Trainor 1-1, T Quinn 0-2 (0-1f), N Mullins, G Burke, D Connolly, Cormac Diamond, J Feeney, E Varley (0-1f), A Martin 0-1 each. Lucan Sarsfields: B Gallagher 1-4 (1-0 pen, 0-2f), A Hope 1-0, D Gallagher, CJ Smith, R Kelly, T Brennan (0-1f) 0-1 each.

ST VINCENT’S: M Savage; H Gill, J Curley, C Wilson; B Egan, G Brennan, N Mullins; D Murphy, S Carthy; J Feeney, D Connolly, Cameron Diamond; R Trainor, E Varley, T Quinn. Subs: F Breathnacch for Mullins (32), Cormac Diamond for Cameron Diamond (40), G Burke for Varley (45), A Baxter for Feeney (51), M Concarr for Gill (54), A Martin for Trainor (62).

LUCAN SARSFIELDS: P Green; O Ennis, D Gallagher, CJ Smith; P Casey, S Cleary, C McHugh; B Collopy, D Gavin; R Kelly, S Newcombe, J McCaffrey; J Carey, S O’Shaughnessy, B Gallagher. Subs: J McCormack for McHugh (41), T Brennan for Kelly (43), K Fitzgerald for Ennis (47), M McCaffrey for Carey (48), A Hope for Collopy (55), D O’Shaughnessy for Newcombe (59).

REF: Barry Tiernan (O’Dwyer’s).