Towers hold steady to reach Inter C’ship decider

ROUND Tower Clondalkin came up with the goods at Monastery Road on Sunday to dramatically secure a spot in the Dublin Intermediate Club Football Championship Final at the expense of Scoil Ui Chonaill.

Trailing for the majority of the second and third quarters, Towers subsequently moved into the ascendancy thanks in no small part to the dead-ball prowess of Tom Lyons.

However, their Clontarf Road counterparts turned the tables on their hosts once again and were back in front as the clock passed the 60-minute mark.

Yet a Micheál Walsh point restored parity in swift fashion and, just as extra-time was looming large, Towers edged in front when Conor Flannery fired over for a breathtaking 0-13 to 0-12 victory.

As a result of this success, the Clondalkin outfit will face St Pat’s, Donabate in the forthcoming intermediate decider.

Although it was a slightly different competition back then, Towers were crowned Dublin IFC champions in 1952.

That triumph was a case study in perseverance, following their previous final reversals in 1948, 1950 and 1951. They were intermediate hurling champions as recently as 2019 and a similar victory in the big-ball code will come as a welcome boost for the club.

Towers had enjoyed a largely unblemished march to the last-four of this competition. After topping Group Three with successive wins over St Pat’s, Palmerstown, St Brendan’s and Garda/Westmanstown Gaels, they dug deep to overcome Naomh Barrog on penalties at the quarter-final stage.

Scoil Ui Chonaill’s Eoghan O’Connail feels the effects of Ian Ward’s challenge in Sunday’s clash with Round Tower in Clondalkin. Photo by Paddy Barrett

While Sunday’s affair was not on the same scale as the latter encounter, it was a test of endurance nonetheless for the Towers supporters.

The home team had started the game with back-to-back points, including a mark from experienced attacker Ian Ward.

Adam Doyle was close to rattling the net off a resulting attack but, after he fell short of finding the target, Scoil grew substantially into the game.

They pulled three points clear at one point, but this was the cue for Towers to spring back into life. Courtesy of three unanswered scores – including efforts by Jay Joyce and Eric Finn – the sides were inseparable at half-time (0-5 apiece).

This appeared to offer Towers momentum, but Scoil were quicker out of the blocks on the restart. Three points on the trot left their opponents with further ground to make up, though Towers once again responded in emphatic fashion.

Finn, Lyons and Ward all found the range to ensure that Scoil’s lead had been wiped out in time for the second half water break.

Mick Hallows and Lyons pointed for Towers when the play resumed, but, despite Lyons adding to his ever-growing individual tally, the sides were level on no fewer than three occasions in the closing minutes.

When Walsh hit the Clondalkin side’s 12th point of the game, there was a sense of relief amongst the Towers faithful – given Scoil had just regained the lead moments earlier. This was followed by overwhelming elation as their team ultimately made it five wins on the bounce when Flannery struck.

They may have their work cut out against a Pat’s side that defeated Clanna Gael Fontenoy 4-15 to 1-8 on the opposite side of the draw, but Towers will give it everything in their forthcoming showpiece clash.