Árdscoil Rís fire themselves into All-Ireland Schools Senior ‘A’ Hurling Croke Cup semi-finals

ARDSCOIL Rís have fired themselves into the semi-finals of the Masita All-Ireland Post-Primary Schools Senior ‘A’ Hurling Croke Cup after beating Presentation College Athenry 1-14 to 1-9 in Tulla on Sunday afternoon. 

After the heartbreak of losing the Harty Cup final by a single point to Nenagh CBS, Ardscoil Rís now have a semi-final in the All-Ireland competition to look forward to. 

Full-forward for Ardscoil, Marc O'Brien, scored 1-9 for his side, with a vital goal in the second-half helping his team to victory in the end. The Limerick school will now face St Kieran’s College of Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final. 

Presentation College Athenry started the brighter of the two sides with a fantastic goal from Ciarán Leen putting them well ahead of the their Limerick rivals after three minutes of play. 

Ardscoil Rís hit back with vital frees from Daniel Chaplin and Marc O'Brien, but the goal remained the difference throughout the entire first half. 

In an extremely physical game, both teams struggled to get scores for more than a 10 minute period, with Ardscoil Rís hitting five wides in the opening half with a missed goal opportunity for Ardscoil Rís after 15 minutes well saved by Ciarán White.

Presentation College Athenry pushed on with scores from Jason Rabbitte, Darragh Kearney and Aaron Niland. Ardscoil replied with points from Marc O'Brien, their top scorer in the first 30 minutes with four points, before replacement Patrick Kearney slotted over two points from play at the end of the half to leave it 1-05 to 0-07 in the Galway school's favour. 

It was a Marc O'Brien masterclass after the break with the full-forward scoring three points for Ardscoil Rís before firing an incredible goal into the back of the net to leave them in front of Athenry. 

Despite the fast start by the Galway school, they struggled to get scores in the second-half with Ardscoil's goal spurring them on with every score. 

Aaron Nilland continued to slot over frees for Athenry, but in the end they couldn't find an answer to Ardscoil Rís' fast play and and physicality which left the Munster side deserved winners on a scoreline of 1-14 to 1-09. 

SCORERS- ARDSCOIL RÍS: Marc O'Brien 1-9 (0-6 frees), Patrick Kearney 0-2, Daniel Chalpin 0-1(0-1 free), Fintan Fitzgerald and Jack Cosgrove 0-1 each. 

SCORERS- PRESENTATION COLLEGE ATHENRY: Aaron Nilland 0-5 (0-4 frees), Ciarán Leen 1-0, Darragh Kearney 0-2, Orin Burke and Jason Rabbitte 0-1 each.

ARDSCOIL RÍS: Fionn O'Brien (Bruree), James Coughlan (Ballybrown), Séan McMahon (Smith O'Briens), Seán Morrissey (Dromin Athlacca), James Finn (Na Piarsaigh), Jamie Moylan (Cratloe), Daniel Scully (Dromin Athlacca), Rían McNamara (Cratloe), Matthew O'Halloran (Sixmilebridge), Jack Cosgrove (Ahane), Fintan Fitzgerald (Mungret St Paul's), Michael Collins (Clonlara), Daniel Chaplin (Sixmilebridge), Marc O'Brien (Cratloe), Eoin Begley (Clonlara).  SUBS: Patrick Kearney (Adare) for Chaplin (28 minutes), Darragh Gleeson (Adare) for Begley (47 minutes), Seán Arthur (Newmarket on Fergus) for Coughlan (51 minutes), Cathal Lohan (Cratloe) for Kearney (59 minutes)

PRESENTATION COLLEGE ATHENRY: Ciarán Wilde, Lucas Keane, Conor Lawless, Dylan Quirke, Oscar Fitzpatrick, Seán Murphy, Michael Fallon, Darragh Counihan, Mark Kilgannon, Darragh Kearney, Orin Burke, Jason Rabbitte, Ciarán Leen, Shane Kennedy, Aaron Niland.  SUBS: Robert Burke for Fallon (37 minutes), Ian Ward for Kilgannon (42 minutes), Eamonn McGlynn for Kennedy (51 minutes), Eoin Hannon for Leen (51 minutes). 

REFEREE: Matthew Farrell (Roscommon)