St Vincent’s 3-9
Garrycastle 1-10

ST VINCENT’S SURVIVED A storming second-half fightback from Garrycastle before booking an AIB Leinster senior club football final berth yesterday in Parnell Park.

The reigning All-Ireland champions were in cruise control in the early stages and went ahead by 10 points at one juncture. Mossy Quinn showed a great turn of pace to skip clear and fire a shot to the top corner of the net in the opening moments.

From there St Vincent’s dominated but fluffed a series of goal chances. The second goal did arrive from Shane Carthy in the 24th minute with both Carthy and Gavin Burke having wreaked havoc in the opening period for St Vincent’s.

The winners were in front 2-6 to 0-2 with five minutes left to the break but then Garrycastle mounted a revival with James Dolan (2), Dessie Dolan and Justin Barrett striking over points before the interval.

The Westmeath champions trailed 2-6 to 0-6 at half-time and they came out in a determined fashion for the second-half. Gary Dolan, Karl Henson and Michael Monaghan all made a good impression while Dessie Dolan orchestrated matters in attack.

Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Dolan scored a pair of points and then got clear of Ger Brennan before expertly striking home a goal in the 37th minute. Garrycastle’s supporters were in full voice and their team drew level courtesy of Monaghan in the 42nd minute.

St Vincent’s were left reeling but they steadied themselves. Quinn knocked over a free and then Brennan hit an important point to push them two points ahead entering the final quarter.

The decisive score arrived five minutes from time when Quinn tucked home a penalty following a foul on Ruairi Trainor that saw Garrycastle goalkeeper Cathal Mullin shown a black card.

Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Garrycastle poured forward in the closing stages but Vincent’s defended stoutly and Quinn struck the insurance point in injury-time as they advance to a final against Offaly’s Rhode on 14 December.

Scorers for St Vincent’s
Tomas Quinn 2-2 (1-0 pen, 0-1f), Shane Carthy 1-1, Gavin Burke, Diarmuid Connolly (0-1f), Ger Brennan 0-2 each.

Scorers for Garrycastle
Dessie Dolan 1-5 (0-3f), James Dolan 0-2, Justin Barrett, Matthew Guiheen, Michael Monaghan

Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

ST VINCENT’S

1. Michael Savage

2. Kevin Bonnie
3. Jarlath Curley
4. Hugh Gill

5. Brendan Egan
6. Ger Brennan
7. Mick Concarr

8. Eamon Fennell
9. Daithi Murphy

10. Gavin Burke
11. Diarmuid Connolly
12. Shane Carthy

13. Ruairi Treanor
14. Ciaran Dorney
15. Mossy Quinn

Subs
18. Cameron Diamond for Dorney (37)
22. Cormac Diamond for Murphy (37)
21. Tiernan Diamond for Burke (56)
20. Mark Loftus for Fennell (58)
19. Shane Byrne for Brennan (black card) (61)

Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

GARRYCASTLE

1. Cathal Mullin

3. Jack Donohoe
2. Mark McCallon
4. Alan Fox

5. Karl Henson
6. John Gaffey
7. Gary McCallon

8. Justin Barrett
9. Aidan Browne

12. Matthew Guiheen
11. Dessie Dolan
22. Damien Rushe

21. Michael Monaghan
10. Gary Dolan
15. James Dolan

Subs
14. Alex Gardiner for Rushe (half-time)
20. David O’Shaughnessy for Browne (46)
24. James Duignan for Gardiner (46)
16. Shane O’Connell for Mullin (black card) (54)
13. Conor Cosgrove for Monaghan (60)

Referee: John Hickey (Carlow)

- This article was first published on 23 November at 17.53pm

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