Judes narrowly overcome a stubborn Oliver Plunketts

Image Courtesy Micheal Moran

ST JUDE’S 0-25

ST OLIVER PLUNKETT’S/EOGHAN RUADH 0-23

St Jude’s held off a stubborn challenge from St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh at O’Toole Park on Saturday to ultimately preserve their Go-Ahead Ireland Senior 1 Hurling Championship status for 2026.

Seven points clear at the midway point in the action, Jude’s were put to the pin of their collar by Plunkett’s in the second half and found themselves on level terms in the closing moments of an engrossing relegation play-off. Yet with full-forward Conor Nolan bringing his personal tally up to 11 points in stoppage-time, the Templeogue-based outfit eventually squeezed over the line in dramatic style.

In addition to Nolan’s attacking prowess, Joe McManus and Kevin Lahiff also shone brightly for Jude’s over the course of the proceedings. Gerard Ryan led the way for Plunkett’s with an outstanding haul of 0-12 and even though the Navan Road side fell short in the end, they can take plenty of solace from what was a commendable performance on the day.

Playing with the aid of a breeze in the opening period, Jude’s raced into an early two-point cushion courtesy of unanswered efforts by Nolan (free) and inside partner McManus. Plunkett’s initially responded with a fine point from wing-back Irinel Popa, but their southside counterparts laid down a significant marker in the first-quarter at the Kimmage venue.

Supplementing a brace of points each from Nolan and the hard-working Kevin Lahiff, Ciaran McLoughlin, Callum Graham and McManus also found the range to create significant daylight between the teams. Even though Ryan fired back at the opposite end with his first score of the game, Jude’s netminder Ross O’Reilly landed a monster point from inside his own ‘45’ to move the Tymon North men into a 0-10 to 0-2 buffer with less than 12 minutes gone on the clock.

While this threw down the gauntlet to Plunkett’s, they did register back-to-back efforts via the sticks of Ryan and Ben McSweeney – the latter delivering a superb score from a sideline cut.

Despite reinforcing their authority with another 0-2 salvo by Nolan, Jude’s were starting to come under increased pressure as the tie progressed. Although they conceded a point to half-forward Declan O’Connor, Ryan followed up a Jack O'Shea score with a brace as Plunkett’s brought their deficit down to six points by the 27th minute.

Nonetheless, Jude’s continued to attack with great intent and underlined their credentials with three points in as many minutes from Sean Wiley, Nolan and McManus.

Plunkett’s did finish the half with points courtesy of McSweeney and Ryan, but their rivals still held a convincing 0-16 to 0-9 advantage during the interval.

While McLoughlin was on hand to cancel out another Ryan free, Jude’s encountered a determined and highly-motivated Plunkett’s side on the resumption. Following five points on the trot from Brian McDonnell, Sean Clerkin, O’Shea, Ryan and Popa, Plunkett’s were just two in arrears on 38 minutes.

Jude’s were now being asked serious questions in this do-or-die affair, but O’Reilly ventured from his goal once again to knock over another long-distance free – and offer his team-mates some breathing space in the process. Nolan added two more points to his already-impressive individual haul, but Plunkett’s were beginning to build momentum and cut the deficit to the bare minimum with the help of scores from Ryan (two), Clerkin and McSweeney either side of the third-quarter mark.

There was a point between the teams once more when ace marksmen Nolan and Ryan traded scores and in spite of McManus doubling the Jude’s lead in the 51st minute, Plunkett’s simply refused to throw in the towel.

Thanks to two more points by Ryan – one from a free and one from play – Plunkett’s had restored parity on the stroke of 60 minutes.

Extra-time was looking like a very real prospect at this juncture, until Lahiff and Nolan contributed quickfire scores for Jude’s. A third Popa point kept Plunkett’s very much in the reckoning, but a Jude’s victory was eventually sealed when Nolan knocked over a 64th minute free after he had been fouled close to the opposition goal.

Scorers – St Jude’s: C Nolan 0-11 (7f, 1 ‘65’), J McManus 0-4, K Lahiff 0-3, R O’Reilly 0-2 (2f), C McLoughlin 0-2, S Wiley, D O’Connor, C Graham 0-1 each.St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh: G Ryan 0-12 (6f), B McSweeney 0-3 (1 s/line), I Popa 0-3, J O’Shea, S Clerkin 0-2 each, B McDonnell 0-1.

St Jude’s: R O’Reilly; C Langan, G McManus, P Fitzgerald; E Costello, E Dolan, S Wiley; D McLoughlin, K Lahiff; C McLoughlin, J Carty, D O’Connor; C Graham, C Nolan, J McManus. Subs: D Malone for O’Connor (49), C Hogan for Costello (52), M Foley for Graham (56).

St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh: D Farrell; E Boland, C Scully, B Bergin; I Popa, D Phelan, J O’Shea; N Clerkin, G Ryan; S Clerkin, B McDonnell, B Moore; D Bugler, B McSweeney, C Hayes. Subs: E Byrne for Bergin (26), A Boland for McDonnell (53).

Referee: Rory Hanley (St Brigid’s).