Templeogue get the better of Vincents in relegation playoff

TEMPLEOGUE SYNGE STREET 1-17

ST VINCENT’S 0-16

Templeogue Synge Street produced an excellent final-quarter display at O’Toole Park on Saturday to ultimately get the better of St Vincent’s in a Go-Ahead Ireland Senior 1 Football Relegation Play-Off.

Senior 2 Championship finalists in 2024, TSS were facing the prospect of an immediate return to that grade when they trailed by two points with 47 minutes gone on the clock. However, with Scott McConnell, Luke O’Brien and substitute Killian O’Gara leading the way, the southsiders edged out the challenge of Vincent’s to retain their Senior 1 status for 2026.

Considering they still top the roll of honours in the Dublin SFC with 29 titles, this result will come as a disappointment to Vincent’s. Yet the Marino men were Dublin Senior 2 champions as recently as 2022 and will no doubt be setting their sights on an automatic return to the top-tier next year.

In his side’s group stage encounter against Castleknock at the same venue 13 days earlier, TSS attacker McConnell hit the ground running with an opening minute goal. The former Dublin minor also had an instant impact in this game as he kicked a superb two-pointer from play with less than 60 seconds gone in the action.

Vincent’s responded with single efforts from Sean Lowry and Albert Martin, however, and while TSS edged back in front when Sky Blues senior star Lorcan O’Dell scored a point off an advantage, their northside counterparts subsequently asserted their authority in confident fashion.

Following unanswered scores by Lowry (two), Paul Reynolds Hand, Kalem O’Brien and raiding half-back Darragh Cummins, Vincent’s had pulled four points clear by the 12th minute.

Yet 10 minutes would pass before the next score of the game and a routine free from McConnell for TSS was directly preceded by a black card for opposition midfielder Ronan O’Neill. Despite later conceding a pointed free to Reynolds Hand, Synger took advantage of their temporary numerical supremacy.

James McCormack, McConnell and O’Brien found the range as TSS registered three points in as many minutes towards the end of the opening period and this ensured the Dolphin Park outfit were trailing by the bare minimum (0-8 to 0-7) on the resumption.

Even though Vincent’s had been restored to their full compliment before the interval, there was a sense that this game was now there for the taking for either side.

A successful McConnell free enabled TSS to build further momentum at the start of the second half, only for Reynolds Hand to get Vincent’s back on track with a fine point from play off a loop move.

Fintan Dignam did get his name on the scoresheet for TSS as the action progressed, but Michael O’Rowe and Cummins created some daylight by chipping over points in quick succession at the far end.

Traded points between McConnell and O’Rowe left Vincent’s in a 0-12 to 0-10 lead as the closing-quarter approached, but they breathed a massive sigh of relief when James McCormack shook the bottom right-hand post on 47 minutes.

Nonetheless, TSS continued to take the game to Vincent’s and after McConnell converted another free moments later, Conal Cunningham drove forward to kick an equaliser in the 52nd minute.

Although points from Reynolds Hand and Gavin Burke either side of another McConnell effort twice provided Vincent’s with a one-point cushion, TSS discovered an extra gear in the wake of the latter levelling matters once again.

From an extended attack on 59 minutes, O’Brien fisted over a point from play to give TSS the lead for the first time since the seventh minute of the action.

Former Dublin footballer Killian O’Gara (younger brother of ex-Sky Blues attacker Eoghan) provided fresh impetus for Synger upon his introduction off the bench and he knocked over a brace of points to leave his side on the cusp of a precious victory.

The reliable boot of Reynolds Hand offered Vincent’s a fighting chance deep into second-half stoppage-time, but TSS were determined to have the final say. Leading by a single point with just under 66 minutes played, Synger broke at pace into the opposition half and O’Gara was ideally placed to pick out O’Brien for a game-clinching goal.

Scorers – Templeogue Synge Street: S McConnell 0-9 (1 P2, 5f), L O’Brien 1-2, K O’Gara 0-2, C Cunningham, J McCormack, F Dignam, L O’Dell 0-1 each. St Vincent’s: P Reynolds Hand 0-6 (3f), S Lowry 0-3, D Cummins, M O’Rowe 0-2 each, G Burke, A Martin, K O’Brien 0-1 each.

Templeogue Synge Street: M Fitzgerald; D Murphy, C Cunningham, B Dignam; O Denvir, A O’Toole, C McKiernan; N Scully, S McCormack; C Finn, F Dignam, J McCormack; L O’Dell, L O’Brien, S McConnell. Subs: K O’Gara for Finn (39), B Waldron for Denvir (48), K Hughes for F Dignam (56), C Curran for McConnell (65).

St Vincent’s: J O’Neill; S O’Leary, M L’Estrange, S Keogh; C O’Connor, D Cummins, C Wilson; K O’Brien, R O’Neill; C O’Grady, J Kelly, M O’Rowe; P Reynolds Hand, A Martin, S Lowry. Subs: J Curley for O’Connor (37), A Cummins for O’Neill (39), G Burke for Martin (41), H Curley for O’Brien (44), E Duffy for J Curley (53).

Referee: Ronnie Malone (St Mary’s, Saggart).