Three players off as Good Counsel see off Johnstown in Leinster Schools Hurling

Good Counsel of New Ross got the better of Kilkenny school Colaiste Mhuire, Johnstown in a feisty Leinster A Hurling Quarter-Final in Fenians GAA last Wednesday afternoon.

A late brawl which saw three players given straight red cards marred a contest that never really sprung to life with wet conditions dictating a low scoring affair.

Callum Lawlor (Johnstown) and the Good Counsel pair of Joey Tobin and Jack Cullen were dismissed for their part in the late dust-up which was sparked on the back of St Lachtain’s star Cian Donnelly picking up an injury that saw him hobble off for the Kilkenny side.

There can be no doubting that the best team on the day came through however with Good Counsel shutting down their opponents with a dominant second half display.

Mikey Codd’s 40th minute goal set the New Ross outfit and with Sean O’Brien also supplying five points, it was them that booked a semi-final date with St Kieran’s.

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It was a real slow burning start to the last eight affair with the scant total of just three points in the opening 10 minutes a sign of things to come.

Callum Lawlor opened the scoring with a pointed free for the home side before Sean O’Brien notched a pair of scores in response for Good Counsel from play and a placed ball.

Back to back efforts from Eoin Delaney and Cian Donnelly then edged Colaiste Mhuire back in front before a mini-melee broke out as the tempestuous nature of the game began to simmer below the surface.

Callum Lawlor made it a double scores game a couple of minutes later when converting a free from distance but it was Good Counsel who ended the half the better with Joey Tobin and Ronan Shannon finding the range.

The Wexford school also had a couple opportunities at goal before the interval with Johnstown stopper Adam Hogan saving from Mikey Codd and Joey Tobin.

The second half opened up with the sides level at 0-4 apiece but it was all one way traffic throughout the third quarter as combined with the last two points in the first half, Good Counsel hit Johnstown for 1-7 without reply.

Successive points from Sean O’Brien, Joey Tobin and Eoin O’Neill arrived before the side managed by former Kilkenny selector Declan Wall grabbed the only goal of the game.

A long ball from Finn Dillon broke into the path of Mikey Codd and the full forward made nos mistake in shooting to the net as Good Counsel opened up a 1-8 to 0-4 lead. Johnstown’s Bobby D’Arcy had goal chances himself but twice he missed the target during a period where a goal could ave changed the game.

To their credit, Colaiste Mhuire kept at it with the midfield pair of Callum Lawlor and Oisin Deegan helping to reduce the gap going down the stretch but Good Counsel were still able to see the game off with a degree of comfort late on.

Sean O’Brien and 2025 Kilkenny minor star PJ Mackey got the final two points for the winners as the side from the Model County booked their place in the last four.

The match ended on the sad note of the late skermish and Good Counsel are the biggest losers in that regard with two of their players now looking like they will serve a suspension and miss the next game.

Teams and Scorers

Good Counsel: Sean O’Brien (0-5, 2fs); Mikey Codd (1-0); Joey Tobin (0-2, 1f); PJ Mackey, Ronan Shannon, Eoin O’Neill (0-1 each)

Colaiste Mhuire: Callum Lawlor (0-4, 3fs and 1 ‘65); Eoin Delaney (0-1, 1f); Cian Donnelly, Ross Deegan (0-1 each);

Good Counsel: Paddy Quigley; Darragh Murphy, Joe McCarthy, Ciaran Cummins; PJ Mackey, Cian O’Shea, Eoin O’Neill; Robbie Kehoe, Ronan Shannon; Sean O’Brien, Joey Tobin, Finn Dillon; Darren Rossiter, Mikey Codd, Sean Hanrahan.

Subs: Jack Cullen for Kehoe, 45 mins; Darragh Nolan for Dillon, 59 mins.

Colaiste Mhuire: Adam Hogan; Declan Teehan, Noah Scott, Evan Perry; Simon Zhang, Adam Norton, Aaron Dwyer; Ross Deegan, Callum Lawlor; Billy Hogan, Cian Donnelly, Daniel Tobin; Lorcan Bourke, Eoin Delaney, Bobby D’Arcy.

Subs: Tony Mahony for Bourke, h-t; Oisin Quinlan for B.Hogan, h-t.