CELEBRATIONS WERE MUTED as St Vincent’s sealed a return to the top flight of Dublin football after beating St Oliver Plunkett Eoghan Ruadh in the senior 2 semi-final.
They’ll play St Slyvesters in the final.
It was an emotional afternoon for the Marino club and midfielder Nathan Mullins who lined out the day after his father Brian sadly passed away.
The Dublin legend was a massive figure in Vincent’s, where he won six Dublin SFC titles, three Leinsters and an All-Ireland during his playing career. He remained immersed in the club after his playing days, serving as manager and chairman.
A minute silence was held prior to the game in his honour before Vincent’s sealed a place in the final with a 2-11 to 1-10 victory.
Mullins was somewhat harshly red carded after the linesman adjudged he stepped on Sean O’Connor as he walked across the Plunkett’s forward in the 42nd minute. The sideline official brought it to the referee’s attention, and the former Donegal midfielder was handed a straight red.
It was a debatable call and video footage of the incident was inconclusive.
This was a good game of football between two teams that contested the Dublin SFC final as recently as 2014. Big names such as Diarmuid Connolly and Bernard Brogan have retired in recent years for either club.
A Sean O’Malley goal shortly before half-time after a mistake from goalkeeper Gavin Broughan left Vincent’s 1-5 to 0-7 ahead.
Sean Lowry was a constant threat throughout and linked up brilliantly with the evergreen Mossy Quinn in the full-forward line.
The Vinnies hit the net through Quinn to move seven clear by the 38th minute. Even after Mullins’ dismissal, Shane O’Leary added the first of his two points to steer them 2-9 to 0-7 ahead.
Driven on by Dublin’s Sean Bugler, who scored two excellent first-half points, Plunkett’s mounted a brave comeback. They added two points and then saw a mishit from Conor Walsh deceive Michael Savage and rattle the net.
Quinn added an important score near the end as Vincent’s held firm in the closing stages to secure an immediate return to the top flight.