RTE Sport: Connolly & Quinn combine for St. Vincents win

November 5, 2016 Peter Smyth

Connolly and Quinn combine for St Vincent’s win

Newly-crowned All Star Diarmuid Connolly and old reliable Tomas Quinn combined again to secure a third Dublin SFC title in four seasons for St Vincent’s thanks to a 0-15 to 0-10 win over Castleknock at Parnell Park.

The Marino men were hot tips to dispose of the first time finalists, even with fellow All Star Ciaran Kilkenny on board for the underdogs, and they duly delivered.

Veteran Quinn hit five points with three of those coming in the third quarter when they turned the screw on Castleknock, while team captain Connolly supplied him with a number of sumptuous kick passes.

Progressive Castleknock, who competed in the county junior final here four years ago, gave a good account of themselves but couldn’t pull off a famous win even when Vins lost lost Ger Brennan to a red card.

The former Dublin defender and All-Ireland winning club captain walked to the line after a second booking with 15 minutes to go but Vins held firm.

Tommy Conroy’s side are already strong fancies for All-Ireland glory again and will play Palatine in the Leinster club championship on November 13 in Carlow.

The sides were tied at the break on 0-07 apiece though Vincent’s kicked themselves for not being ahead at that stage.

County star Connolly was billed as their key attacker though, once again, it was Gavin Burke that rose to the occasion initially.

The wing-forward scored two early points and set up another for Cormac Diamond with a probing run.

Burke was their joint top-scorer when Vins previously won the title in 2014 and blasted six points in the drawn final of 2013.

Enda Varley, an All-Ireland finalist with Mayo in the past, was one of three late additions to the Vins team and contributed two early points.

They helped the favourites move 0-03 to 0-00 clear and Castleknock looked nervous, slicing and skying a number of point attempts.
Kilkenny finally broke his team’s scoring duck after 13 minutes with a brilliant kick from a tight angle on the right and by the 19th minute there was just one in it at 0-04 to 0-03.
Youthful Castleknock’s pace and ability to retain possession troubled Vins, like St Judes in the semi-finals, though they found scores harder to come by.

Kilkenny did kick his second point and put in a clever flick to help Eoin O’Brien get on the score sheet though the west Dubliners trailed by two approaching the break.

Two quick fire pointed frees by Des Carlos against the run of play tied it up at half-time though it slightly flattered Castleknock.

Vins restored their lead and moved significantly clear after the restart with four points in a row, three of them coming from Quinn who came storming into the contest.

But Brennan’s dismissal for a high tackle on Kevin Kindlon, and a resulting second yellow card, looked like it might change the game.

Carlos converted the free that came from the challenge and one soon after to leave Vins just 0-11 to 0-09 up.

That was as close as Castleknock came to catching Vins though with four of the game’s last five points going to the men in blue and white, two of those coming from adopted club man Varley.

St Vincent’s: M Savage; J Curley, C Wilson, M Concarr; B Egan, G Brennan, Cameron Diamond; D Murphy, S Carthy (0-01); G Burke (0-02), D Connolly, Cormac Diamond (0-01); R Trainor (0-01), E Varley (0-04, 0-01f), T Quinn (0-05, 0-02f).

Subs: A Martin for Murphy, J Feeney (0-01) for Cormac Diamond, A Baxter for Varley.

Castleknock: M Connolly; E O’Brien (0-01), P Bourke, T Shiels; G Hannigan, P Sherry, T Quinn; C Kilkenny (0-02), J Sherry; D Carlos (0-05, 0-05f), B Galvin, K Kindlon (0-02); M Galvin, S Boland, C Lynch.

Subs: M Griffin for M Galvin, J Kindlon for Lynch, M Brady for B Galvin.

Referee: Darragh Sheppard (Round Tower, Lusk)

Camogie

Ladies Football

Connolly and Quinn combine for St Vincent’s win
Updated / Nov. 5, 2016 16:35 0
St Vincent’s Gavin Burke (l) with Jarlath Curley of Castleknock
St Vincent’s Gavin Burke (l) with Jarlath Curley of Castleknock
Newly-crowned All Star Diarmuid Connolly and old reliable Tomas Quinn combined again to secure a third Dublin SFC title in four seasons for St Vincent’s thanks to a 0-15 to 0-10 win over Castleknock at Parnell Park.