Round Tower Clondalkin capture IHC final honours

Wed, 9th October 2019

DUBLIN IHC FINAL

ROUND TOWER, CLONDALKIN 0-13 CLONTARF 1-9

Round Tower, Clondalkin came with a storming finish to snatch victory in Wednesday night's Dublin IHC final at Parnell Park.

If the game was lacklustre in the early exchanges it certainly finished in a welter of excitement as the Clondalkin men twice came from behind to eventually secure the title, they now face Scoil Uí Chonaill (recently crowned SHC 'B' champions) to decide who represents Dublin in the Leinster Club IHC.

That game will provide the curtain-raiser to the Dublin SHC 'A' final at the Donnycarney venue on Sunday, October 20.

Clontarf, after playing with wind advantage led 0-7 to 0-3, at the break with Ronan McDyer converting four frees for the Dublin 3 side.

However, Tower's improved in the second half and their increased work-rate around the field saw them mount a comeback around the three-quarter mark.

They hit five unanswered points between the 43rd and 56th minute to go 0-10 to 0-9 in front, it was the first time in this encounter that they led.

The scores came from Eric Finn, who hit three valuable points from play overall, when he raced onto a long puckout from keeper Joey Murray which cleared the half-forward line.

It ignited his team-mates and points from Liam O'Connor (free from 50 metres) and Jack Whelan, after being cleverly picked out by keeper Murray from a free on the terrace side added momentum to Tower's challenge.

Whelan's long-range effort from the standside was given after the referee Mark Ryan over-ruled an umpire on the advice of his linesman on the standside.

O'Connor edged the Clondalkin side in front in the 56th minute but during all that they had also conceded a penalty when Tom O'Flaherty was fouled but Murray brilliantly saved McDyer's effort and then chased down the sliotar to force it out for a '65' that 'Tarf failed to convert.

The drama was far from finished when Clontarf retook the lead with two minutes of normal time to play when O'Flaherty's underhit free was mishandled by keeper Murray and spilled to the net to give the northsiders a 1-9 to 0-10 lead.

It was Tower's who showed the greater grit and will to win over the conclusion of the game, while in defence Gary Quinlivan, Alex Darby and Adam Doyle put in a hard night's graft, and points from O'Connor (free) and Finn brought the sides level two minutes into added time.

A minute later Páidí Stapleton brilliantly struck over the winner from the standside to huge roars from the sizeable Clondalkin contingent.

In the opening half Clontarf held the upperhand with three frees from McDyer giving them a 0-3 to 0-1 lead by the 15th minute.

Wing-forward Brian Forde showed good opportunism to put over a snapshot as the sliotar emerged from one of many first half rucks.

Further points from the industrious John Mullins and Steven Russell, after a good clearance from Dublin senior Paddy Smyth, pushed Clontarf 0-6 to 0-1 clear by the 23rd minute.

But before the interval Tower's were showing small signs of improvement with scores from Finn and a well-struck free form halfway from top-scorer O'Connor.

SCORERS - Round Tower, Clondalkin: L O'Connor 0-8 (0-6f, 0-1 '65'), E Finn 0-3, J Whelan, P Stapleton 0-1 each. Clontarf: R McDyer 0-6 (0-5f), T O'Flaherty 1-0 (1-0f), S Russell, B Forde, J Mullins 0-1 each.

ROUND TOWER, CLONDALKIN: J Murray; E Fitzgerald, G Quinlivan, P McGeever; A Darby, A Doyle, J Whelan; L O'Connor, E Young; E Finn, A O'Neill, E Walsh; P Stapleton, E Moran, B Finn. Subs: C O'Brien for Walsh (39), L Currivan for Fitzgerald (43), B Keogh for Finn (51).

CLONTARF: D Patton; K Mangan, P Smyth, A Casey; J Walls, C McGinn, K Byrne; F Maher, J Mullins; B Forde, S Russell, F Maher; T O'Flaherty, N Enright, R McDyer. Subs: J Higgins for McDyer (55), M Higgins for Forde (55).

REF: M Ryan (St Pat's, Palmerstown).

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2019 DUBLIN IHC

FINAL

9 October Parnell Park Round Tower Clondalkin 0-13 Clontarf 1-9

SEMI-FINAL REPLAY

4 October Parnell Park Round Tower, Clondalkin 2-22 Erin's Isle 0-24

SEMI-FINALS

22 September O'Toole Park Round Tower, Clondalkin 1-23 Erin's Isle 1-23 (after extra-time)

21 September O'Toole Park Clontarf 4-11 Kilmacud Crokes 1-11

GROUP 1: (1) Round Tower, Clondalkin (9 pts, +22 scoring difference), (2) St Maur's (6, +35), (3) Clontarf (6, +21), (4) St Mark's (4, -3), (5) Kevins (4, -35), (6) St Vincent's (1, -40)

28 August St Anne's Park Clontarf 2-19 St Vincent's 0-14

21 August Dolphin Park Kevins 1-10 Clontarf 3-14

14 August McGee Park St Mark's 2-19 Clontarf 1-18

10 July Rush St Maur's 5-25 Kevins 1-8

10 July McGee Park St Mark's 3-15 St Vincent's 2-7

10 July Monastery Road Round Tower, Clondakin 1-13 Clontarf 0-14

12 June Dolphin Park Kevins 2-15 Round Tower, Clondalkin 2-15

12 June Rush St Maur's 2-16 St Mark's 1-12

15 May Páirc Naomh Uinsionn St Vincent's 4-15 Kevins 3-18

15 May Monastery Road Round Tower, Clondalkin 4-15 St Maur's 2-16

4 May Rush St Maur's 3-14 St Vincent's 1-10

4 May Monastery Road Round Tower, Clondalkin 1-14 St Mark's 1-7

6 April McGee Park St Mark's 1-11 Kevins 1-15

6 April Páirc Naomh Uinsionn St Vincent's 0-17 Round Tower, Clondalkin 2-19

6 April St Anne's Park Clontarf 1-16 St Maur's 1-10

GROUP 2: (1) Kilmacud Crokes (8 pts, +32 scoring difference), (2) Erin's Isle (8, +12), (3) St Sylvester's (6, +37), (4) Nh Mearnóg (4, -8), (5) Parnell's (4, -9), (6) St Peregrine's (0, -64)

14 August Portmarnock Nh Mearnóg 1-5 St Sylvester's 2-23

10 July Broomfield St Sylvester's 6-23 St Peregrine's 3-10

10 July Chanel Parnell's 3-26 Kilmacud Crokes 3-11

10 July Portmarnock Nh Mearnóg 1-18 Erin's Isle 3-13

12 June Blakestown St Peregrine's 1-13 Nh Mearnóg 2-19

12 June Broomfield St Sylvester's 0-20 Parnell's 1-14

12 June Finglas Erin's Isle 3-14 Kilmacud Crokes 4-18

15 May Chanel Parnell's 0-15 Erin's Isle 0-19

15 May Silver Park Kilmacud Crokes 5-17 St Peregrine's 1-13

4 May Blakestown St Peregrine's 1-14 Erin's Isle 2-18

4 May Broomfield St Sylvester's 1-17 Kilmacud Crokes 2-16

4 May Portmarnock Nh Mearnóg 4-16 Parnell's 1-8