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St Jude's star Kevin McManamon. Laszlo Geczo/INPHO
Quarter-Final

St Jude's send dismal St Vincent's packing from Dublin SFC for second year in succession

St Vincent’s scored just 0-4 in a disappointing seven-point defeat.

St Jude’s 0-11

St Vincent’s 0-4

FOR THE SECOND year in-a-row, St Jude’s have knocked St Vincent’s out of the Dublin SFC.

St Jude’s had nine points to spare over the Marino club in the 2018 semi-final and they were equally dominant in tonight’s last-eight encounter, prevailing by seven this time around.

St Vincent’s had a dismal 0-3 on the board at the interval and things only got worse after half-time. They went 28 minutes without scoring in the second period and looked clueless offensively at times.

The forward line containing Diarmuid Connolly, Tomas Quinn, Enda Varley and Cormac Diamond never even remotely looked like catching fire throughout.

Substitute Joe Feeney kicked their only score of the half before he was sent off in stoppage-time for a reckless hit on a St Jude’s defender.  

St Vincent’s competed in five Dublin county finals between 2013 and 2017, winning four, but they’ve slipped in recent times and look a long way off the top now. 

St Jude’s were happy to rely on frees as their dangermen of Dublin forward Kevin McManamon, former Cork panellist Niall Coakley and Padraic Clarke contributed 0-8 between them, including six pointed frees.

There were farcical scenes in Parnell Park when the floodlights failed after 33 minutes, only returning with seven minutes of normal time left to play.

It was a bad look for the Dublin county board given the game was being televised live on RTÉ, but fortunately for all involved, there was still enough daylight for the game to continue in the meantime. 

St Jude’s, who were beaten by Kilmacud Crokes in last year’s final, topped their group unbeaten and now head into the last four full of confidence after this convincing victory.

Managed by Tony Diamond, a legend of their 1970s and ’80s teams, St Vincent’s lacked the sort of ruthless efficiency that was associated with this team over the last decade.

diarmuid-connolly Diarmuid Connolly was held scoreless. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO

They had just three scores on the board in the opening period from nine shots. Connolly roamed around from centre-forward but sent his only first-half strike at the posts wide from a free shortly before the interval, while Quinn left three chances behind him.

McManamon was wasteful at the far end for St Jude’s, missing four of his first five shots. Yet his direct play brought others into the game, particularly midway through the opening half as St Jude’s surged 0-4 to 0-2 clear.

They held a two-point lead at the interval but surged clear due to the fouling in the St Vincent’s defence. Four pointed frees – three from Padraic Clarke and one from Niall Coakley – pushed Gareth Roche’s team 0-9 to 0-3 ahead.

By this stage, the lights weren’t the only thing that had failed – the St Vincent’s attack was misfiring spectacularly too. Diamond had his full slate of six subs used by the 50th minute – an indication of the trouble they were in – but those changes had little effect on the proceedings.

Connolly went close to scoring a point – striking a shot off the upright – but was largely ineffective throughout.

McManamon stroked over his second delightful effort off the left and then sent a free from the ground between the posts. Feeney ensured St Vincent’s at least scored in the second-half with a decent point, but it was about all they could muster.

Scorers for St Judes: Padraic Clarke 0-4 (0-4f), Kevin McManamon 0-3 (0-1f), Niall Coakley (0-1f), Tom Devlin, Diarmuid McLoughlin and Ronan Joyce 0-1 each.

Scorers for St Vincent’s: Tomas Quinn, Cormac Diamond, Cameron Diamond and Joe Feeney 0-1 each.

St Judes

16. Paul Copeland 

2. Oisin Manning
3. Jack McGuire
4. Ciaran Fitzpatrick

5. Tom Lahiff
6. Chris Guckina
7. Rob Martina 

8. Mark Sweeney
12. Kieran Doherty

10. Tom Devlin
11. Diarmuid McLoughlin
27. Ronan Joyce

13. Niall Coakley
14. Kevin McManamon
15. Padraic Clarke

Subs

22. David Sheehy for McLoughlin (47)
9. Seamus Ryan for Fitzpatrick (50)
24. Paul Cunningham for Joyce (53)
21. Dara Kavanagh for Clarke (60)
25. Rian Wallace for Devlin (61) 

St Vincent’s 

1. Michael Savage

2, Michael Concarr 
3. Jarlath Curley 
4. James McCusker

24. Sean Lambe
5. Gavin Burke
6. Cameron Diamond 

9. Nathan Mullins
18. Albert Martin

12. Cormac Diamond
11. Diarmuid Connolly
17. Sean Lowry

13. Enda Varley
25. Adam Baxter
15. Tomas Quinn

Subs

14. Fiachra Breathnach for Baxter (36)
29. Adam Giblin for Martin (39)
21, Joe Feeney for Lowry (45)
8. Eamon Fennell for Mullins (46)
23. Greg Murphy for Varley (47)
20. Sean O’Meara for Cormac Diamond (50)

Referee: James King

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