Whitehall Colmcille beat St Judes To Secure Quarter Final Place

Image courtesy Mark McDonagh 

WHITEHALL COLMCILLE 0-25 

ST JUDE’S 0-14 

Whitehall Colmcille impressed from the outset and they eased past St Jude’s by eleven points in their Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship Group 2 encounter at Parnell Park on Saturday afternoon.

The win secured a place in the quarter-finals for Whitehall and they’ll look forward with confidence when they take their chance in the knock-out stages in a fortnight’s time.

Whitehall dominated the opening half with six scores from placed balls by Paddy Spellacy helping build a deserved 0-15 to 0-6 buffer by half-time.

Despite opening the scoring through Conor Nolan within forty seconds, it proved a hugely challenging first quarter for St Jude’s as they struggled to keep up with their impressive opponents.

Points from Eoghan O’Donnell and Enda O’Donnell saw Whitehall take the lead by the 5^th minute and a trio of placed balls by Spellacy were just reward for Colmcille’s dominance. 

While Danny Sutcliffe replied at the opposite end in the 11^th minute, that score failed to turn the tide of Whitehall control as the influential Enda O’Donnell doubled his personal tally prior to his brother Eoghan adding two points in quick succession.

Spellacy and Mikey Noonan enhanced their position soon after with Jude’s showing a sporadic threat up front despite fine scores from Callum Graham and John Carty.

Daire Gray landed a trademark score from deep in the 21^st minute and while Carty turned smartly to add his second of the half five minutes later, Whitehall finished the half on the front foot through an Adam McDermott score and two Spellacy frees to move nine points clear by the interval.

Eddie Moran and Diarmuid McLoughlin traded points in the early stages of the second-half, a half that didn’t exactly burst into life.

Eoghan O’Donnell did add a sublime point in the 38^th minute and the first goal of the game could and should have arrived three minutes later as the typically Jamie Raftery burst through but placed his shot too close to Ross O’Reilly, with the sliotar diverted over the crossbar.

St Jude’s improved in terms of securing primary possession with Diarmuid McLoughlin, Finbarr Wardick and Eoin McLoughlin all splitting the uprights but Whitehall preserved their margin with Spellacy landing a delightful sideline ball in the 45^th minute.

The contest petered out as it progressed although there was sufficient time for Cormac Costello to mark his return to the small ball with an excellent point while Spellacy took his personal tally to ten points by the final whistle.

Scorers – Whitehall Colmcille: P Spellacy 0-10 (8f, 1 ‘65’, 1 sideline); Eoghan O’Donnell 0-4; A McDermott, Enda O’Donnell, J Raftery 0-2 each; D Gray, E Moran, C Cummins, M Noonan, C Costello 0-1 apiece. St Jude’s: J Carty (1f), E McLoughlin 0-3 each; J McManus (2f), D McLoughlin 0-2 each; D Sutcliffe, F Wardick, C Nolan, C Graham 0-1 apiece.

Whitehall Colmcille: R Murray; J Thorp, C Murphy, S Kellett; D Gray, E Moran, L McCarthy; A McDermott, Enda O’Donnell; P Spellacy, M Noonan, C Costello; N O’Connor, Eoghan O’Donnell, J Raftery. Subs: C Cummins for Murphy (19), C Sheedy for O’Connor (40).

St Jude’s: R O’Reilly; C Mangan, G McManus, C Hogan; C Langan, E McLoughlin, J Nugent; A Connolly, C McLoughlin; C Nolan, D McLoughlin, D Sutcliffe; J Carty, J McManus, C Graham. Subs: D Malone for Langan (16), F Wardick for Connolly (41), M Foley for Nolan (48), S Wynne for Graham (51), P McNally for J McManus (57).

Referee: Seán McCarthy (St Vincent’s).