Castleknock 2-18
St Oliver Plunkett’s Eoghan Ruadh 2-15
Kevin O’Brien reports from Parnell Park
CASTLEKNOCK OVERCAME A titanic challenge in the form of Oliver Plunkett’s Eoghan Ruadh after extra-time to seal their passage into the last eight of the Dublin SFC.
Castleknock, who are in just their third year at senior ranks, proved their run to the 2016 final was no flash in the pan. New recruit Seamus O’Carroll, who plays county football with Limerick, has added a serious edge to their forward line.
He scored 1-10, while Ciaran Kilkenny was simply sublime for the well-drilled outfit.
This win over a Plunkett’s side featuring names like Bernard Brogan, Alan Brogan, Paul Galvin and Gareth Smith confirms that Castleknock are one of the elite sides in the county.
The youthful Castleknock played a hard running hand-passing game with two-time All-Star Kilkenny in electric form. He scored 1-2 but his contribution ran far deeper than that and everything good Castleknock produced went through him.
Three late frees from O’Carroll, who was excellent, delivered the win in style.
Three former Footballers of the Year started in the Plunkett’s attack – the Brogan brothers and Paul Galvin – but it was former Cavan forward Gareth ‘Nesty’ Smith who carried the brunt of their scoring threat.
Castleknock operated with Matt Griffin as a sweeper and he spent much of his time covering the space in front of Bernard Brogan. They dropped deep and left oceans of space for them to attack at the far end of the field, which is perfectly suited to Kilkenny’s direct runs from deep.
Plunkett’s didn’t have the legs to live with the winners, who scored the last four points of normal-time and the last four of extra-time to secure their progression.
Castleknock trailed by 0-7 to 0-4 at half-time, but had Colin Lynch or O’Carroll scored either of their goal chances in the opening period they would have been closer.
Smith clipped over four scores for Plunkett’s in a cagey first-half, but the game really took life after the interval.
Niall Walsh and Kilkenny traded goals in the 37th and 39th minute, before the latter won a penalty that O’Carroll converted.
With all the momentum in their favour, Castleknock handed Plunkett’s a way back into the game. A miss-hit short kickout fell to Paul Brogan who slipped in Alan Brogan to slot home from close range, leaving it at 2-11 to 2-7 after 52 minutes.
Castleknock forced extra-time with four frees from O’Carroll as their running game continued to draw fouls from the opposition.
O’Carroll and Kilkenny sent Castleknock 2-14 to 2-12 in front in the first period of extra-time before a brace from Smith and one from James Brogan put Plunkett’s one in front on 73 minutes.
But Castleknock had the legs on their opponents and they finished the game with four unanswered scores, including three O’Carroll frees, to seal the win.
Scorers for Castleknock: Seamus O’Carroll 1-10 (1-0 pen, 0-8f), Ciaran Kilkenny 1-2, Tom Shields 0-2, Matt Griffin, Colin Lynch, Graham Hannigan and Eoin O’Brien 0-1 each.
Scorers for Plunkett’s: Gareth Smith 0-7 (0-4f), Niall Walsh 1-2, Alan Brogan 1-2, Bernard Brogan 0-2 (0-1f), James Brogan 0-1.
Castleknock
1. Morven Connolly
18. Sean O’Connor
3. Tom Quinn
4. Colm Neville
7. Matt Griffin
2. Graham Hannigan
5. Ross Mullins
6. Tom Shields
8. Shane Boland
15. Ciaran Kilkenny
10. Rob Shaw
11. Ben Galvin
13. Colin Lynch
14. Seamus O’Carroll
9. James Slattery
Subs:
17. Paul Burke for Neville (20)
19. Peter Sherry for Lynch (57)
22. Kevin Kindlon for Galvin (71)
12. Dessie Carlos for Mullins (71)
St Oliver Plunkett’s Eoghan Ruadh
1. Sean Hawkins
2. Rory O’Connor
3. Shane Lyons
4. Eamonn Clarke
5. James Brogan
19. Declan Lally
7. David Kelly
8. Ross McConnell
9. Craig Dunleavy
12. Daragh Brogan
10. Paul Galvin
21. Niall Walsh
13. Gareth Smith
17. Alan Brogan
14. Bernard Brogan
Subs:
18. Sean O’Connor for Darragh Brogan (42)
20. Paul Brogan for Kelly (43)
11. Conor Walsh for Dunleavy (55)
24. James O’Donoghue for O’Connor (57)
7. Kelly for Walsh (60)
9. Dunleavy for Paul Brogan (60)
26. Conor Gunn for Galvin (67)
21. Walsh for Smith (72)
20. Paul Brogan for James Brogan (74)
All the best to the Cox family I hope ye have all the help ye deserve. Best wishes :)
@David O Brien: He won’t. Nobody with a brain injury in this country gets anywhere near the level of care that they should do. It’s a disgrace what they had to go through, but at least their profile helped get him some decent rehab. Others aren’t so lucky and just get banished to a nursing home & left to rot. Hopefully his case will help change that
@David O Brien: I second that.
Good luck Sean..
Best wishes to Sean and his family. It will certainly be an inspirational read. Well done Martina
YNWA
It has to be said, Liverpool FC have been remarkable to Sean & his family, Sean was name checked in the celebrations on winning the league. Well done JURGEN & LFC
Apologies something went wrong with my twitter account when replying to another story from Journal.ie sorry for any offence caused
@Maurice Frazer: no offence taken Maurice these things happen
God if the HSE got 2
@Maurice Frazer: what you on about?
@Looney Tunes: yea wtf is he on about ?
@Ronan Dunne: sorry all, something went wrong while replying to a post from Journal.ie ??
@Maurice Frazer: ah fair play Maurice, the journal messed up again,it’s the people that gave a thumbs up to a comment that doesn’t make sense,that has me puzzled
❤