AIB Leinster Club SFC final: St Vincent’s (Dublin) 1-16 Rhode (Offaly) 0-12
ST Vincent’s went joint-top of the table of Leinster club champions when they saw off Rhode at their ease in O’Moore Park, Portlaoise yesterday.
The Dublin champions, who now sit alongside Portlaoise with seven titles, dominated throughout and were spurred on by a sixth minute goal from Diarmuid Connolly.
Rhode will look back on this game and feel they got their tactics wrong on the day. They had won the Offaly title playing a fast, running game. Yesterday’s performance could not have been more different.
Their play was slow and ponderous, playing a hand-passing game over and back across the pitch. They allowed St Vincent’s to get back in numbers and then break at pace.
This was something St Vincent’s manager Tommy Conroy alluded to after the game.
“Look if you move the ball slowly against any team now you’re leaving yourself open to being hit hard on the break,” he said.
“We started doing it a little bit, going laterally, and we got turned over a few times in the second half.
“The lads know they haven’t been going well, even though they’ve won a county title. They are honest enough to sit down with themselves and say more was required and they delivered today.”
Gavin Burke got the scoreboard ticking after three minute with a good point after a one-two with Enda Varley. A minute later Paul McPadden was on target for Rhode to level.
St Vincent’s took a firm grip on the game when, from nothing, Diarmuid Connolly’s mis-kick from 20 metres skidded to the net beyond Kenny Garry.
Rhode responded with a brace from Niall McNamee, the first a free and the second a well worked move ending with a good strike.
Connolly responded with a great point and we were back to the three-point gap thanks to a Tomás Quinn point.
The Offaly champions deployed Stephan Hannon as a sweeper but it totally backfired. All too often when they did manage to move into St Vincent’s territory they were short of players to pas to.
Conor McNamee and Shane Carty swapped points but the champions soon built up a five-point lead after Varley and Cormac Diamond scored.
Rhode did score two more points from McNamee and Darren Garry but St Vincent’s hit back with a brace from Connolly and Burke to lead 1-8 to 0-6 at the break.
In between those two points Rhode had a golden opportunity to get right back in the game when McNamee was tripped by Ger Brennan, who got a black card for his troubles.
McNamee stood up to take the penalty but his weak shot flew straight at Michael Savage.
Rhode came out after the interval in a different frame of mind, playing with far more urgency but Quinn extended the St Vincent’s lead before a massive Niall Darby point cancelled that out.
Two further points from Garry and Ciaran Heavey had the Rhode supporters in full voice.
Varley and McNamee swapped points while another Quinn free gave St Vincent’s a five-point lead in the 42nd minute.
Play was then held up for quite a while after St Vincent’s Nathan Mullins picked up a bad injury.
The break allowed the Dublin champions to regroup while Rhode lost all momentum.
St Vincent’s got the next three points, Quinn, Joe Feeney and Ruairí Trainor on target, to take a firm grip on proceedings.
From there, St Vincent’s played keep-ball, scoring just one more point from Shane Carty.
Rhode managed two frees from McNamee but there was going to be no shock as St Vincent’s marched on towards All-Ireland honours.
