O'Tooles Edge Out St Vincents in PTSB Dublin Intermediate Hurling Final Thriller

O’TOOLE’S 3-20

ST VINCENT’S 2-18 AET

O’Toole’s secured the PTSB Dublin Intermediate Hurling Championship title when overcoming St Vincent’s by five points after extra-time in their absorbing decider at O’Toole Park on Sunday morning.

The clash of the northside rivals was a pleasure to witness with both teams giving their all with the Larriers doing just enough to secure the coveted prize as they struck for crucial goals in the second period of extra-time.

Both Conn Rock and Danny O’Loughlin netted in the final six minutes of extra-time after their opponents had kept their hopes alive when netting through Eoghan O’Neill deep into injury time to force the extra twenty minutes.

There was never much to separate the teams on a gloriously sunny morning in Kimmage with O’Toole’s making the brighter start courtesy of points by Conn Rock and Joe Hoey.

Vinnies slowly but surely settled into the encounter through points by Daniel Peel, David Garland and Bobby Peel but they struggled to make much of an impression up front with Fionn Rock enjoying an influential showing from centre-back.

Scores by Daithí Concarr, Conn Rock and Mikey Farnham kept O’Toole’s on the front foot but they were gradually reeled in by the Marino outfit as Garland and Daniel Peel added to their personal tallies.   

With Ryan Rooney a lively presence from wing-forward, O’Toole’s finished the half strongly as late points by substitute Andrew Morris and Hoey edged them into a 0-8 to 0-7 interval lead.

That lead was short-lived as the classy Alan Moore popped over two points within a minute of the restart to hand St Vincent’s the lead for the first time but they failed to build on that momentum as Conn Rock replied with a brace of his own, including a sublime effort from play from the sideline.

His free-taking kept the Larriers scoreboard ticking over and two further points from play by their attacking talisman pushed O’Toole’s into a three-point lead early in the final quarter.

The contest seemed to be slipping away from Vinnies at this stage but they found themselves back on level terms in the 49th minute as Ronan O’Neill’s strong run down the right culminated in a low shot that deceived Ciaran Sheehy in the Larriers goal as it trickled over the line.

A Bobby Peel point briefly edged Vins in front but they were soon facing a two-point deficit as Scott Walker nipped inside and struck a superb, rising shot beyond the stretch of Euan Maguire in the St Vincent’s goal.

While Ken Ryan impressed with two points for Vinnies off the bench, they faced an uphill task as their opponents moved closer to the finish line through scores by Conn Rock, Sheehy and Ciaran Kimmage.

However, there was one final twist in normal time as Sheehy produced a miraculous save four minutes into added time but Eoghan O’Neill followed up to crash home to leave the teams deadlocked at 2-15 to 1-18 by full-time.    

O’Toole’s crucially regained their composure in extra-time, seizing the initiative through points from Conn Rock and Sheehy but two frees by Daniel Peel saw the teams back on level terms two minutes into the second period.

Peel clipped over a point from play to edge his team in front soon after but Rock’s fortuitous goal from a free proved the pivotal moment of this trilling final while O’Loughlin added the icing on the cake with a cracking goal in the 79th minute, providing a fitting conclusion to a memorable encounter.

Scorers – O’Toole’s: C Rock 1-12 (1-5f, 0-1 sideline, 0-1 ’65); S Walker, D O’Loughlin 1-0 each; C Sheehy (2f), J Hoey 0-2 each; C Kimmage, M Farnham, A Morris, D Concarr 0-1 apiece. St Vincent’s: D Peel 0-9 (8f); E O’Neill, R O’Neill 1-0 each; A Moore 0-3; D Garland, B Peel, K Ryan 0-2 apiece.

O’Toole’s: C Sheehy; C Mulligan, C Brabazon, S Finlay; A Cooling, F Rock, D Concarr; C Rock, D O’Loughlin; R Rooney, L Fennelly, A Keating; M Farnham, C Wilson, J Hoey. Subs: A Morris for Fennelly (25), S Walker for Wilson (half-time), C Kimmage for Keating (35), S Walker for Rooney (61), Fennelly for Concarr (64), Rooney for Farnham (69), L Webster for Hoey (71).   

St Vincent’s: E Maguire; D McKenna, P Donnelly, A Gilroy; A Tancred, A Dunne, S Gormley; T Hunter, D Garland; B Peel, E O’Neill, R O’Neill; A Moore, D Peel, C Williams. Subs: K Ryan for Tancred (37), D O’Connell for Gilroy (37), J Walsh for Hunter (53), G Dunne for Moore (53), G Giblin for Williams (71), C Sheridan for E O’Neill (78).

Referee: Colm McHale.