Whitehall Colmcille see off Erins Isle after a strong second half showing

Photo courtesy: Mark McDonagh

WHITEHALL COLMCILLE 0-21 

ERIN’S ISLE 0-16

Whitehall Colmcille confirmed their place in the quarter-finals of the PTSB Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship when overcoming thirteen-man Erin’s Isle by five points at Parnell Park on Friday night. 

Despite suffering their third loss in the group, Isles will join Colmcille in the last eight with St Vincent’s finishing bottom of that particular mini-group as all three teams finished on four points.  

Erin’s Isle were quickest into their stride in the first-half and they enjoyed a deserved 0-12 to 0-8 interval lead with Michael Donohoe’s four points augmented by three Tadhg Gorman scores. 

With their season on the line, Whitehall were far improved in the second-half with Eoghan O’Donnell and Paddy Spellacy landing crucial scores to see their side home.  

There was a sluggish start to the contest before Erin’s Isle opened the scoring through a 4thminute free from Michael Donohoe. 

With Cormac Costello struggling with a calf injury and eventually replaced, it was far from an ideal start for Whitehall as they fell further behind following points from play by Conor Berigan and Tadhg Gorman. 

The latter doubled his tally with another tidy score in the 7th minute before Colmcille finally troubled the umpires as Jamie Raftery burst down the middle before splitting the uprights. 

Michael Donohoe highlighted his threat from open play with two classy points as the first-quarter evolved but Eoghan O’Donnell was proving equally proficient from full-forward for Whitehall, winning two frees converted by Paddy Spellacy before opening his own account at the start of the second quarter. 

Ollie Gaffney and Conor Cummins exchanged scores to leave two points between the teams but that margin was halved as O’Donnell added a cracking score from under the terrace side in the 19th minute. 

A cracking Conor Donohoe point preceded a second Michael Donohoe free as Isles restored their three-point buffer, a margin that was maintained as Conor Sheedy and Gorman traded points towards the end of the half.

The Finglas outfit continued to dictate matters through their dominant half-back line and after Conor Donohoe had landed a monster free, Berigan clipped over the score of the half with a brilliant pick-up matched by an unerring finish over the crossbar. 

Leading by four points at the interval, Isles moved further ahead through a Cian O’Hare point within a minute of the restart but Spellacy landed two frees in quick succession to keep Colmcille in the hunt. 

With tempers becoming increasing frayed, Whitehall narrowed their deficit further through an inspirational score by Daire Gray while Michael Donohoe and Spellacy exchanged frees as we moved towards the final quarter. 

Isles were struggling to find their form from the first-half as points by Spellacy and O’Donnell saw them trail for the first time by the 49th minute and the dismissal of Jamie Perry undermined their challenge even further. 

Sheedy and Raftery pushed Whitehall two points clear in the 54th minute and with Robyn Fitzpatrick sent-off late on for Isles, Whitehall eased to victory with Spellacy and O’Donnell adding insurance scores.    

Scorers – Whitehall Colmcille: P Spellacy 0-9 (9f); Eoghan O’Donnell 0-5; C Sheedy 0-3; J Raftery 0-2; D Gray, C Cummins 0-1 apiece. Erin’s Isle: M Donohoe 0-6 (4f); C Berigan, T Gorman 0-3 each; C Donohoe (1f) 0-2; C O’Hare, O Gaffney 0-1 apiece. 

Whitehall Colmcille: R Murray; L McCarthy, K Nangle, J Thorp; S Kellett, D Gray, S Dunphy; E Moran, J Raftery; Enda O’Donnell, C Costello, L Gannon; C Sheedy, Eoghan O’Donnell, P Spellacy. Subs: C Cummins for Costello (9), M Gainey for Kellett (60). 

Erin’s Isle: A Langan; D Gorman, L Finnegan, E King; F Carroll, C Donohoe, J Perry; R Fitzpatrick, G Farrell; C Berigan, G King, T Gorman; O Gaffney, M Donohoe, C O’Hare. Subs: D Lynch for Farrell (half-time), L Lowndes for O’Hare (39), J Clerkin for G King (57).    

Referee: Kevin McDonnell (St Vincent’s)