CBS Kilkenny target St Kieran's College scalp after opening day loss

School rivals St Kieran's College and CBS Kilkenny will do battle in the Leinster Colleges Senior A Championship on Tuesday afternoon at 2pm in St Kieran's with both sides entering the match with differing fortunes.

Reigning All-Ireland champions St Kieran's got their 2024/25 campaign off to the best possible start with a comfortable win over Good Counsel College two weeks ago, while CBS Kilkenny were points adrift of the same opposition at the final whistle last Wednesday afternoon.

St Kieran's College 1-18 Good Counsel 0-7 - The winners controlled the game from the throw-in and led 1-6 to no score after twenty minutes. Three early points from Eoghan O’Brien plus a brace from Noah Manogue gave an early indication that it would be a tough afternoon for the New Ross college.

The game’s only goal arrived on fifteen minutes when Kieran’s full-forward Eoghan O’Brien hit a delightful cross-field delivery to Eoghan Cahill who finished impressively.

Good Counsel did not help themselves with some wayward shooting in the first half and it took the hosts twenty-five minutes to land their first score. 

By half time the winners led 1-8 to 0-2 with the game effectively decided by that stage.

Good Counsel moved the ball around well in the early stages, but struggled to make any headway against a rock solid winner’s defence. Darragh Vereker, David Kennedy, Jason Cody and Andrew Murphy tried hard for the New Ross college against superior opponents. However, Kieran’s attack saw plenty of the ball throughout the half with Ciallin Brennan, Noah Manogue and Eoghan O’Brien impressing.

St. Kieran’s College - Luke Lawlor, Mikey Rohan, Evan Murphy, Bill O’Shea, Conor Brophy, Sean Deely, Jim Conlon (0-2), Ed Lauhoff (0-1), Ruairi Murphy, Noah Manogue (0-8, 0-6 frees), Ciallin Brennan (0-3), Bill McDermott (0-1), James O’Neill,
Eoghan O’Brien (0-1), Eoghan Cahill (1-0). Subs (Used) – Cian Phelan (0-2), Conor Holohan, David Barcoe, John Fitzpatrick and Michael Lynch.

Good Counsel - Paddy Quigley, David Kennedy, Joe McCarthy, Mitch Cullen, Tom Cummins, Darragh Vereker, James Reid, Cian
O’Shea, Sean Fitzharris, David Foley, Sean O’Brien (0-3, frees), Conn Mernagh, Jason Cody (0-1), ColmKavanagh, Andrew Murphy (0-3, frees). Subs (Used) – Cian Rossiter, Darren Rossiter, P.J. Mackey, Martin Sinnott and Ross English.

Referee – Gearoid McGrath (Wexford).

Good Counsel College 1-13 CBS Kilkenny 1-8 - Good Counsel were deserving winners in a game that struggled to catch fire on a bitterly cold day in Palmerstown.

The city team made a marginally better start, leading 1-3 to 0-3 midway through the first half. A hat-trick of points from Sean O'Brien and three white flags courtesy of Zac Scanlon, Patrick Lacey and Anthony Clifford had the teams deadlocked after 12 minutes with the all important coming from an alert Paddy O'Brien who capitalised on a malfunctioning short puck-out.

However, wasteful shooting and a 24 minute period without score from the CBS left the door open for Good Counsel who took firm advantage and turned a 1-4 to 0-4 deficit into a four point advantage. 

CBS did register an inaugural second half score from a Patrick Lacey free but they would never turn the game around.

A 51st minute deflected goal from Jason Cody who got the all important touch from a Jamie Reid long distance free was the boost Good Counsel needed to see out the five point win.

Good Counsel - Sean O'Brien (0-8, 0-5 f); Jason Cody (1-2); Darragh Vereker (0-2); Conn Mernagh (0-1).

CBS Kilkenny - Patrick Lacey (0-5, 0-4 f); Paddy O'Brien (1-1); Anthony Clifford, Zac Scanlon (0- each).

Referee - Julian O'Dwyer (Windgap)

Listen to the latest episode of the Kilkenny People Sport Podcast below: