Ardscoil Ris defeat Athenry with a late surge to reach All-Ireland hurling semi final

LIMERICK kingpins Ardscoil Ris booked their place in the semi finals of the All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Senior A Hurling Championship this Monday evening.

Under the floodlights of the NUIG sportsgrounds in Dangan it finished Ardscoil Ris 1-18 Presentation College Athenry 1-12.

The sides were level for a fifth time at 1-12 inside the final quarter when the Limerick city side found another gear to score six unanswered points to seal the win.

There is little time to rest for the North Circular Road secondary school with a Croke Cup semi final against Good Counsel of Wexford on Saturday in Banhsa at 3pm. Victory would power the Limerick side into a Croke Park final on St Patricks Day.

This quarter final tie was a refixed game after the original tie was abandoned with 10-minutes to play due to an injury. The Limerick side were two points clear on that occasion and confirmed victory with a sterling finish in this thrilling tie.

The Galway side started well with frees from Galway senior hurling panelist Gavin Lee but then David Kennedy had a cracking goal for the Limerick side.

When the same player added a point Ardscoil Ris were 1-1 to 0-2 ahead.

Aaron Niland hit back with an Athenry goal and his side were 1-5 to 1-2 ahead after a pulsating opening 10-minutes.

Rian O'Byrne and Niall O'Farrell frees kept Ardscoil Ris in touch as the Galway side did much of the first half hurling.

Athenry were four points clear when Jack Golden had a fine Ardscoil Ris point and three from Niall O'Farrell left it 1-9 to 1-8 to Athenry at half time.

Shane O'Brien and another O'Farrell free had the Limerick side ahead after four minutes of the restart.

Lee struck back for Athenry but another from Golden tied up the quarter final at 1-12 each and 18-minutes played in the second half.

Remarkably that was it from the Connacht champions. 

They had a number of key wides and Ardscoil Ris profited.

O'Brien (2) and O'Farrell had points for a three point advantage on 60-minutes.

The win and passage into the semi final was sealed with three injury time scores.

SCORERS: Ardscoil Ris: Niall O'Farrell 0-9 (7frees 1 '65), David Kennedy 1-2, Shane O'Brien 0-4, Jack Golden 0-2, Rian O'Byrne 0-1. Athenry: Aaron Niland 1-4 (0-1free), Gavin Lee 0-6 (4frees, 1 '65), Darragh McCurtin and Tiernan Leen 0-1 each.

ARDSCOIL RIS: Seimi Gully (Clonlara); Evan O'Leary (Ahane), John Fitzgerald (Na Piarsaigh), Colm Flynn (Sixmilebridge); Brian O'Keeffe (Murroe-Boher), Vince Harrington (Na Piarsaigh), Michael Gavin (Ballybrown); JJ Carey (Na Piarsaigh), Rian O'Byrne (Crecora-Manister); Oisin O'Farrell (Askeaton), Niall O'Farrell (Broadford), Jack Golden (Monaleen); Diarmuid Stritch (Clonlara), Shane O'Brien (Kilmallock), David Kennedy (Sixmilebridge). Subs: Riain McNamara (Cratloe) for Brian O'Keeffe, inj (45mins), Dylan Lynch (Na Piarsaigh) for Diarmuid Stritch (47mins), Fintan Fitzgerald (Mungret) for Colm Flynn (58mins), Patrick O'Neill (Na Piarsaigh) for David Kennedy (60mins).

ATHENRY: Darragh Walsh (Turloughmore); Conor Lawless (Athenry), Cian Shaughnessy (Turloughmore), Cian Donoghue (Clarinbridge); Luke Martyn (Clarinbridge), Tiarnan Lee (Craughwell), Darragh McCurtin (Craughwell); Liam Leen (Clarinbridge), Matthew Tarpey (Turloughmore); Thady Moran (Abbeyknockmoy), Gavin Lee (Clarinbridge), Oisin Quirke (Craughwell); Ryan O'Donnell (Athenry), Eanna Brady (Athenry), Aaron Niland (Clarinbridge). Subs: Adam Stewart (Craughwell) for Darragh McCurtin (47mins), Nigel Kelly (Craughwell) for Eanna Brady (51mins), Conor Rooney (Craughwell) for Oisin Quirke (54mins), Shaun Gilligan (Craughwell) for Ryan O'Donnell (56mins).

REFEREE: Richie Fitzsimons (Offaly).