Knockbeg have progressed to the quarter final of the Senior ‘A’ Leinster Championship following a convincing win over St Aidan’s College of Dublin in the DCU Sports Campus on Wednesday.
The game started off slowly but some great defending by the Knockbeg fullback line halted the Dublin side’s forwards. Some great build up play lead to the first of Fionn Bergin’s scores which was followed up by a well taken Paddy Regan point. Disaster struck for St Aidan’s as a short kickout went astray and lead to Paddy Regan sticking the ball in the back of the net. Killeshin’s Ross Bolger added a point before St Aidan’s added two points in quick succesion. But St Aidan’s would quickly concede again as Ross Bolger scored a wonder goal that stunned the keeper. Bergin then added another score as Knockbeg’s midfield began to dominate the kickouts. Saint Aidan’s added another point before Knockbeg keeper Craig Doyle pulled out a great save. The Dublin side scored again before Arles Kileen man Colin Dunne got a point for the Carlow side. The half time whistle soon blew with Knockbeg being up 2-05 to 0-04.
Knockbeg opened the half with another Bergin point which was followed by a well worked St Aidan’s point. Bryan McMahon responded with a point following some great skill. St Aidan’s then had a relative purple patch scoring two points in a row before Dylan Doyle added a fine score. Knockbeg then won a penalty which Fionn Bergin coolly slotted away. St Aidan’s then responded with a goal of their own, which would prove to be their only despite hitting the crossbar twice. They followed this up with another score before Bolger got Knockbeg back scoring with another point. Knockbeg then got five scores in a row thanks too Bergin, Regan and Bolger, who’s score came a result from midfielder Ciaran Burke plucking a ball straight from the sky. The full-time whistle was blown with Knockbeg winning 3-14 to 1-08. The side now wait to see who they will face in the next round.
KNOCKBEG: Craig Doyle (Graiguecullen); Jamie Kelly (St Joseph’s), Conor Donlon (Annanough), Orrie Doran (Killeshin); Eoin Fitzpatrick (Killeshin), Ben Crotty (Eire Og), David McDonald (Killeshin), Ian Shanahan (St Joseph’s), Ciaran Burke (Crettyard); Fionn Bergin (Grange, Kildare), Ross Bolger (Killeshin), Bryan McMahon (Palatine); Colin Dunne (Arles-Killeen), Paddy Regan (Tinryland), Dylan Doyle (Clonmore) SUBS: Shane Buggy (Eire Og) for Fitzpatrick, Oisin Hooney (St Joseph’s) for McMahon, Leeson Hughes (Killeshin) for McDonald, Adam Fennelly (Tinryland) for Doran.
