Buckley and O'Donovan fire Rochestown College through to All-Ireland hurling final
Kevin Lyons fires a pass from Dara Coulter in All-Ireland Senior B Hurling semi-final between St Francis College Rochestown and St Patrick's GS. Picture: Denis Byrne
Rochestown College 2-14 St Patrick's GS 0-11
Rochestown College are through to the Paddy Buggy Cup final after a hard-fought win over their Down opponents in Portarlington.
St Francis College, Rochestown, to give them their full name will now face Claregalway in the Senior B final in a few weeks.
Overall they are deserving winners with former Cork minor William Buckley outstanding from start to finish. He was backed up by the likes of Conor O'Donovan, Sean Brady, Adam Buckley and Micheál O'Mahony, in what was a great team display.
St Patrick's Tom McGrattan opened the scoring from a free, showing the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. His father Gerard, was the only Down hurler to ever win an All-Star.
They doubled their lead through Finn Turpin before William Buckley got Rochestown off the mark from a free. The same player had the sides level in the sixth minute.
Two minutes later they were unlucky not to goal when Evan O'Connor's effort went narrowly wide. But from the restart, he regained possession and slotted over the bar to put them in front for the first time.
Their lead didn't last long with Oisin Coulter having the sides level again before McGrattan put his side back in front. Conor O'Donovan levelled it for third time when he raised a white flag, with McGrattan replying at the other end.
A Buckley free made it 0-5 apiece before he put Rochestown in front, a lead they kept until the final whistle. He was on target from another dead ball and a 65 to make it 0-7 to 0-5, with 23 minutes gone.
Two minutes later and the game swung in the Cork side's favour when a long ball broke in the danger area, with O'Donovan fighting hard to win possession before blasting to the back of the net, to make it 1-7 to 0-5.
Buckley pointed another free, with McGrattan replying to see Rochestown lead 1-8 to 0-6 at half-time.
Now playing with the wind Buckley increased their lead two minutes into the second half.
Coulter showed his hurling skills as he took on the Rochestown defence and without breaking stride, he struck a magnificent point from out near the sideline.
McGrattan pointed from a free to reduce the deficit before Buckley was on target again.
With 39 minutes gone Rochestown had keeper Ross Browne to thank as he denied St Patrick's what looked like a certain goal.
McGrattan played an inch-perfect crossfield pass to Michael Dorrian but somehow Browne managed to get his hurley to his shot to deny him.
O'Mahony raised a white flag for Rochestown, before two McGrattan points kept the game in the melting pot, as he made it 0-10 to 1-11.
Another long-distance score from Coulter saw only three points between the sides with 46 minutes gone.
Two Buckley white flags from frees kept the scoreboard ticking over for Rochestown, before any chance of a St Patrick's comeback were well and truly dashed.
A superb pass from Buckley found O'Donovan on the run and he caught the sliothar, rounded a defender, to bat home his second goal, to make it 2-13 to 0-11.
Shortly afterwards St Patrick's were down to 14 when Ryan O'Neill received a straight red card for an off the ball incident. To their credit, they kept piling forward in search of scores, with Browne making another good save – from Dorrian again.
Despite five minutes of injury-time, there was only one more score, a Buckley free, as Rochestown deservedly are through to the All-Ireland.
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