St Pat's set up Valentine's weekend quarter-final tie
Defending Leinster champions St Patrick's CS, Navan survived lots of their own deficiencies when they advanced to the quarter-final of the Schools PP SFC at Pairc Tailteann this evening with a hard-earned and flattering 1-13 to 1-8 victory over Moate CS.
St Pat's will face Westmeath opposition again in the last eight when they tackle St Joseph's, Rochfortbridge on Saturday week.
Robert Keeleghan's late goal put a little bit of gloss on a performance that will need some fine-tuning ahead of the next test, but the Navan students merited a quarter-final ticket although at times they looked as if they really wanted to gift the tie to the opposition.
Moate had the benefit of a first round victory over Clonkeen to their credit and they were quickly out of the traps in a frantic opening 10 minutes during which Aaron Farrell found the net for the Westmeath side.
That goal arrived in the sixth minute and gave Moate a platform to push on, but they were pegged back by a hard-working and talented St Patrick's side and it was all-square at the interval (0-6 to 1-3).
David Fox scored the three Moate points (two frees) while St Pat's stayed in touch with a consistent return on the scoreboard from play and frees.
Impressive centre-back Shane Gallogly (free) opened St Pat's account, Keeleghan also converted a free close to the end of the first-quarter as the game settled and some of the early fizz evaporated.
Further Points from Thomas O'Reilly, Daire Lynch, Sean Meade and another Keeleghan free completed the tally for the Navan side.
St Pat's dominated completely after the resumption.
They tallied five points and four wides in a one-sided opening 10-minute period as they surged clear.
Keeleghan (two), Sean Noonan, Lynch and Eanna O'Kelly-Lynch split the posts and at that stage it looked as if the Navan students would ease into a comfort zone on the way to victory.
However, Lynch collected a black card after he was penalised for a challenge on Rory Cunnningham and that appeared to have an unsettling effect on St Pat's who were on the backfoot for the remainder of the half.
Moate gradually took control again closed the gap to the minimum with three David Fox points and one from substitute Padraig Fox, but they couldn't muster a leveller despite a series of chances when St Pat's defenders gifted possession to the opposition.
St Pat's eventually made it out of their own half and ended a 19-minute barren spell when Conor Nash sent over while Keeleghan converted a free after a great forward surge by James O'Malley.
The gloss was applied by that Keeleghan goal while Nash collected a black card in the third miniute of added time. From the resultant free, David Fox completed Moate's tally.
St Patrick's CS, Navan – Colm Honan (Navan O'Mahonys); James O'Malley (Navan O'Mahonys), Aaron Farrelly (Simonstown Gaels), Thomas McGuinness (Rathkenny); Daire Lynch (Trim 0-2), Shane Gallogly (Dunshaughlin 0-1 free), Eanna O'Kelly-Lynch (Wolfe Tones 0-1); Stephen Monaghan (Navan O'Mahonys), Conor Nash (Simonstown Gaels 0-1); Sean Noonan (Seneschalstown 0-1), Robert Keeleghan (Navan O'Mahonys 1-5 four frees), Corey Leddy (Navan O'Mahonys); Sean Meade (Nobber 0-1), Thomas O'Reilly (Wolfe Tones 0-1), Brian McGrath (Wolfe Tones).
Subs – John Morley (Skryne) for Leddy 39 mins, Adam Carey (Seneschalstown) for O'Malley 46m, O'Malley for McGuinness 55m, Cathal McConnell (Bective) for Noonan 57m.
Black cards- Padraig McGowan (Slane) for Lynch, Nash (not replaced in final minute).
Moate CS – Jamie Colgan; Brian Daly, Damien Carroll, Boidu Sayeh; Darragh Healy, Andrew McCormack, Liam Varley; Gavin Murray, Fergal Hynes; Cathal Daly, Rory Cunningham, Liam Cassidy; Aaron Farrell (1-0), Robert Hickey, David Fox (0-7 six frees). Sub – Padraig Fox (0-1)for Cassidy 43 mns.
Referee – Conor Dourneen (Cavan).
St Pat's supporters were in fine voice also (see short video)
QUARTER-FINALS(15th February)
St Pat’s Navan v St Joseph’s Rochfortbridge
Marist Athlone v Wicklow Schools
Knockbeg College v Good Counsel College
St. Peter’s Wexford v Colaiste Eoin
SEMI-FINALS (1st March)
St Pat's Navan or St Jospeh's v St Peter's, Wexford or Colaiste Eoin
Marist Athlone or Wicklow Schools v Knockbeg or Good Counsel.
Conall Collier