Dara De Poire was the penalty saving hero as Dublin's Colaiste Eoin stunned Scoil Mhuire of Clane in the first round of the Top Oil Leinster Senior A football championship on Wednesday.
Ciaran Kelly, a Leinster winning Kildare minor in 2016, had slotted home penalty goals for Clane in both halves to put them in the driving seat.
And he was odds on to get a hat-trick when they were awarded a third spot kick with five minutes to go and with Colaiste Eoin losing goalkeeper Tadhg Ó Braonáin to a black card and the sides level 1-9 to 2-6.
Colaiste Eoin, however, had an ace up their sleeve in centre forward de Poire who was this year’s Dublin minor hurling goalkeeper, and the St Vincent’s clubman went between the posts and dived full length to deny Kelly.
Midfielder Eoghan Mac Giolla Phádraig, a Dublin minor footballer, had earlier thrown Colaiste Eoin a lifeline with a goal but it was de Poire who ensured victory.
Colm O'Rourke's St Pat's of Navan were comfortable 4-13 to 1-4 winners over Coláiste Éanna from Dublin.Cathal Finnegan's 2-2 and Paul Cunningham's 2-1 were decisive with wing back Oisin Martin also impressing for Pat's and Colaiste Eanna reliant on Shane Kennedy and goalkeeper John Roe.
Comfortable winners
Wicklow Schools defeated Drogheda Schools 3-10 to 2-3 in Aughrim, with Darragh Fitzgerald, Cathal Kelleher and Ross Coogan goals proving decisive despite the best efforts of Drogheda's Eoghan Callaghan.
Ethan Devine bagged 2-5 (1-1 from play) as Scoil Dara Kilcock led from start to finish and were comfortable 3-18 to 0-6 winners over St Fintan’s of Sutton.
St Mel's made a winning start debuting on their newly redeveloped pitch in Longford as they saw off Maynooth 3-9 to 0-8 with Darragh O'Connell (2) and Brian Harte grabbing the goals that punished a wasteful Kildare outfit.
It was a day to forget for Ard Scoil na Trionóide of Athy who were over run by Moate by 7-28 to 0-0 with Sean Pettit (2), Robert Forde (2), Sean Clinton, Ben Cox and Harry Cornally the goal scorers.
