Whitehall Colmcille edge past Plunketts To Seal Senior 2 Final Place

Image courtesy Mark McDonagh 

WHITEHALL COLMCILLE 1-12 

ST OLIVER PLUNKETT/ER 1-11 

Whitehall Colmcille did just enough to progress to the final of the Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin Senior 2 Football Championship when pipping St Oliver Plunkett/Eoghan Ruadh by the bare minimum at a damp Parnell Park on Sunday afternoon.

Colmcille led by 1-7 to 0-7 at the break with their goal arriving through Cormac Costello in the 20^th minute but a goal early in the second-half from Jack O’Shea left matters delicately poised until the final whistle.

It was Plunkett’s that served early notice of their intent through a free from Gareth Smith within forty seconds with Whitehall levelling matters thanks to a smart Cormac Costello effort two minutes later.

Plunkett’s pushed on however with Seán Bugler kicking a sublime point in the 4^th minute and the quality of the scores was maintained as Ben McSweeney clipped over from distance to leave his side two points clear.

Smith nonchalantly added a ‘45’ soon after and McSweeney could well have netted from Conor Walsh’s pass in the 9^th minute but shot too close to Stephen Lawless, who parried to safety.

In the 12^th minute, Conor Tyrrell kicked a superb score to extend the Plunkett’s lead to four points, a scoreline that reflected their general control in the first quarter.

However, Whitehall slowly but surely began to claw their way back into contention as Adam McDermott and Tony O’Sullivan split the uprights from the right-hand side and Sean Gannon was also on target to leave just a point separating the teams.

In an instant, Colmcille struck for the game’s opening goal as Costello turned sharply past Tyrrell and he executed a cracking left-foot finish across Gavin Broughan from ten yards.

Walsh replied with a deserved and much-needed point for Eoghan Ruadh but a brace of Costello points and a Sean Foran score left Whitehall entering the break with a three-point buffer.

That margin was eroded within thirty seconds of the restart as McSweeney and Neil Clerkin combined well, allowing Jack O’Shea sufficient time and space to fire past Lawless from eight yards.

Whitehall’s poor start from the first-half was mirrored after the break as their attack lacked cohesion and it was of scant surprise to see them fall behind following a Paul Brogan point and Bugler free.

In keeping with the theme, Colmcille gradually found their collective gears with Costello (free) and Foran restoring the deadlock before Eddie Moran edged them in front early in the fourth quarter.

While substitute Ted Furman popped over a brace of frees for Plunkett’s, Whitehall managed to retain their slender lead through a Costello free and Tony O’Sullivan as we entered added time.

Furman missed a presentable chance of forcing extra-time as he shot narrowly wide while Clerkin was dismissed in the dying seconds as Whitehall secured a welcome return to the top flight.

Scorers – Whitehall Colmcille: C Costello 1-5 (0-3f); T O’Sullivan, S Foran 0-2 each; E Moran, S Gannon, A McDermott 0-1 apiece. St Oliver Plunkett/ER: J O’Shea 1-0; S Bugler 0-3 (1f); G Smith (f, 45), T Furman (2f) 0-2 each; B McSweeney, C Tyrrell, C Walsh, P Brogan 0-1 apiece.

Whitehall Colmcille: S Lawless; D Wehrley, J Thorp, E Moran; T Kellett, R Kerins, D Scanlon; M Moran, S Foran; A McDermott, K Campbell, T O’Sullivan; L McCarthy, C Costello, S Gannon. Subs: J Raftery for Campbell (50), O Murray for Kerins (50), C Ashmore for McCarthy (56).

St Oliver Plunkett/ER: G Broughan; J O’Donoghue, C Tyrrell, A Keating; L Keating, C Dunleavy, N Clerkin; J O’Shea, B McSweeney; S Bugler, G Smith, T Adamson; G McCormack, P Brogan, C Walsh. Subs: I Geoghegan for L Keating (half-time), I Popa for Smith (36), T Furman for Brogan (44), J Carroll for Adamson (44), D McSweeney for O’Shea (57).

Referee: Ronnie Malone (St Mary’s Saggart).