Brilliant Rice College qualify for Hogan Cup final
ALL-IRELAND SCHOOLS SFC A SEMI-FINAL
Rice College, Westport ..................0-13
Naas CBS .......................................1-7
RICE College, Westport, advanced to the All-Ireland Schools SFC 'A' final following their fully deserved three-point victory over Leinster champions Naas CBS, in the semi final played in Padraig Pearses GAA grounds in Ballinasloe today.
Only two weeks ago Rice College contested and won their first ever Connacht senior schools title and now stand just 60 minutes away from making it a historic double when they play in the Hogan Cup final in Croke Park on Saturday, April 7.
This was a vintage performance by Rice College who came back from a three-point deficit at the interval to overpower Naas CBS in the second-half.
The Leinster side, who like Rice College, won their first ever Leinster senior title two weeks ago, could have few excuses about the final outcome as they had no answer to the sheer power of their opponents.
However, CBS must have felt they had a great chance of making the final at the break when they led by a goal. After starting brightly when they scored three unanswered points in the opening five minutes, they got the crucial score of the opening half in the 29th minute when Tony O'Connor scored a brilliant goal. But that was as good as it got for CBS.
Rice College after a nervous start, wipped out their opponents three opening points with fine points from Keith Joyce (2) and Patrick Chambers by the 11th minute.
They continued to improve as the half progressed and were unlucky when two fine efforts came crashing back off the crossbar. However, just lapse in concentration a minute from the break allowed their opponents in for a goal which divided the teams at half time, 1-5 to 0-5.
On the resumption Rice College certainly upped the ante and took total control in most areas of the field. By the 46th minute they had turned a three-point deficit into a four-point lead after scoring seven unanswered points.
Five of these points came from team captain Pat Lambert with Mark Moran and Stephen Loftus also finding the target during this period.
In the closing quarter Rice College kept Naas at bay with some some fine solid defending and advanced to the final after a fine team performance.
Rice College: C. Kennedy, L. Dawson, R. Brickenden, R. Walsh, J. Carney, E. McLoughlin (0-1), M. Brady, F. McManamon, P. Chambers (0-1), K. Joyce (0-3), M. Moran (0-1), L. Tunney, S. Loftus (0-1, 1f), P. Lambert (0-5, 1f) C. Heaney (0-1.
Subs: C. Calvey for (Loftus).
Naas CBS: D.Morrissery, E. Prizeman, C. Ó Gallchobhair, J.Hamill, C. Daly (0-1), J. Sargent, I. Blackburne, R. Boran, B. Kehoe, T. O'Connor (1-0), K. Thompson, C. Joyce (0-2, 1f), L. Griffin (0-3, 1f), D. Kirwin.
Subs: L. Broderick for (Blackburne), A. Deegan for (Kirwin), S. Davis (0-1) for (Thompson), H. Carroll for (Kehoe), M. O'Byrne for ((Daly), J. Lawlor for (Carroll, B/C).
Referee: M. McNally (Monaghan).