De La Salle College, Waterford 5/1 Presentation College, Bray
Waterford’s De La Salle College, last year’s beaten All Ireland finalists, are on route to yet another All Ireland appearance after brushing aside Presentation College, Bray in unfavourable conditions on Thursday last (March 21)
The Bray outfit weren’t seeing the effects of Dylan Barnett’s absence as the youngster was on International duty with Tom Mohan’s U17 squad as Presentation went a goal up courtesy of the lively Dan Treanor: A mix up between defender and goalkeeper saw Treanor slot the ball into an open net inside 90 seconds
It took 20 minutes for the Munster side to find an equaliser as James Brown saw his strike sail past Adam Hayden in the Bray goal mouth
Six minutes later, DLS found their rhythm and their second of the afternoon as Shane Macklin provided the finish from a well placed header:
Andrew Phelan turned supplier for DLS’s third goal eight minutes from the interval as Brown was again on target inside the box
Luke Power got DLS’s fourth on 38 minutes as Waterford were finding it easy going
Dessie Hutchinson rattled the crossbar on the hour mark and was unlucky not to find his name on the score sheet after a wonderful passage of play with Daniel Pender
DLS’s fifth of the game came seven minutes from time as substitute Aaron O’Connor played a neat ball to Andrew Phelan whose powerful strike was too much to handle for keeper Hayden as the ball slipped into the back of the net:
De La Salle will now meet Ulster Champions Scoil Mhuire, Buncrana in the All Ireland decider on Wednesday, April 10: The Waterford lads were defeated 3/1 in last year’s All Ireland Final as St: Eunan’s College, Letterkenny got the better of them: Can DLS make amends this time around against the Buncrana boys?
DE LA SALLE COLLEGE, WATERFORD: Stephen Doheny, Ross Fitzpatrick (Eddie Meaney, 78) Ross Bailey, Shane Macklin, Maurice Shanahan, Dessie Hutchinson, Andrew Phelan, Daniel Pender, Luke Power, James Brown (Hayden Gilbert, 74) Jack Maher (Aaron O’Connor, 52)
Subs not used: James Grogan (GK), Jeff De Silva
Teachers: Robbie Power, Pete Munroe
PRESENTATION COLLEGE, BRAY: Adam Hayden, Dan Blackbyrne, Glenn Connor, Darren Walsh, Gareth Dowling, Conor Byrne, Dan McGrath, Barry Gleeson, Steven Mullins, Dan Treanor, Cathal Martin
Subs not used: Ibak Baky, Sean O’Connor, Edward Tew, Ross White, Kevin Kane
Teacher: Tadhg O’Donovan