Round-Up PTSB Leagues Dublin AFL 3 & AFL 4

Whitehall Colmcille took another positive step towards securing promotion from Division 3 of the PTSB Dublin Adult Hurling League as they dominated the first-half on their way to a comfortable 3-20 to 1-14 victory against Cuala at Shanganagh Park last Saturday afternoon.  

The visitors led by 3-10 to 0-5 at the break with scoring talisman Paddy Spellacy raising two green flags and while the hosts responded well after the break, hitting 1-4 without reply, Whitehall completed their third win on the bounce with Spellacy finishing the contest with 2-8 to his name. 

That victory was all the more crucial as previous leaders Round Towers Clondalkin suffered their third loss of the campaign when falling narrowly to Bray Emmets by 0-20 to 0-18. 

Bray now move into joint second spot alongside both Towers and a Lucan Sarsfields side that impressed up front when accounting for Naomh Fionnbarra by 2-29 to 3-13 at The Bogies. 

Having lost their previous two matches, Crumlin got back on track when beating St Vincent’s by 2-21 to 2-17 at Páirc Naomh Uinsionn. 

There was little to separate the teams throughout with a goal by full-forward Kevin Byrne and points by Lee Coleman, Phil Burgess and Phil Kavanagh edging the visitors into a 1-10 to 1-9 interval lead. 

The free-taking of Coleman (0-7) kept Crumlin in the driving seat and with Adam Power and Ryan Smith adding to their tally, they did enough to prevail thanks to strong defensive showings from Daniel Hanks, Darragh Fitzgerald, Kavanagh and David Kellett. 

At the opposite end of the table, Setanta’s relegation was all but confirmed as they succumbed to Kilmacud Crokes (1) by 4-25 to 4-12 in Poppintree.    

PTSB AHL3: Bray Emmets 0-20 Round Towers Clondalkin 0-18; Setanta 4-12 KilmacudCrokes (1) 4-25; St Vincent’s 2-17 Crumlin 2-21; Naomh Fionnbarra 3-13 Lucan Sarsfields2-29; Cuala 1-14 Whitehall Colmcille 3-20; Kilmacud Crokes (2) 1-16 Scoil Uí Chonaill 2-13. 

In AHL4, much of the action was focussed towards the bottom of the table as Good Counsel/Liffey Gaels secured a precious 2-16 to 0-21 victory over Skerries Harps at Galtymore Road. 

Having tasted defeat in their previous four games, the hosts moved away from the bottom two with a goal by Cillian Egan and excellent displays by Fiach Lupton, Shane Kirby, Ciaran Norton, Conor Dunphy, Brian Mahon and Luke Thomas getting them over the line. 

St Peregrine’s were another team that moved towards mid-table security as they eased past a struggling St Jude’s by 2-26 to 1-17 at Tymon Park. 

An early goal by Mark Sweeney from Caelum Moriarty’s pass set the visitors on their way and the latter kept the away scoreboard ticking over through placed balls as Peregrine’s led by six points at the interval. 

Sweeney, who finished with 2-3, effectively settled the issue early in the second-half while Moriarty (0-9) and Isaac Quinlan (0-3) ensured there was no way back for the battling hosts.  

Elsewhere, Clanna Gael Fontenoy seized the initiative from the outset as they proved too strong for Ballyboden St Enda’s, winning by 4-19 to 2-14 at Sean Moore Park. 

The hosts led by 3-11 to 0-7 by the turnaround with 2-1 from Séamus McCann added to by Enda Carroll’s goal and they continued to control matters thanks to the efforts of centre-forward Jack Doyle, wing-back Ben Twomey and corner-back Niall Madill.  

At the summit of the table, Na Fianna gave themselves some breathing room as they beat Lucan Sarsfields by 2-23 to 0-19 with second-place O’Toole’s drawing a thriller with Castleknock in Somerton Park on a scoreline of 2-21 to 4-15.   

PTSB AHL4: Lucan Sarsfields 0-19 Na Fianna 2-23; Kevins w/o Raheny scr; Good Counsel/Liffey Gaels 2-16 Skerries Harps 0-21; Clanna Gael Fontenoy 4-19 Ballyboden St Enda’s 2-14; Castleknock 2-21 O’Toole’s 4-15; St Jude’s 1-17 St Peregrine’s 2-26.