Athlone CC 0-9 Scoil na Tríonóide, Athy 0-6:Athlone Community College earned a well deserved victory over relative newcomers Scoil na Tríonóide in Athy.
Ina Coffey hit four points for the Midlanders and would have had a goal but for a spectacular full-length save from Athy goalkeeper Darroch Mulhall.
Athlone struggled to harness the very strong wind in the opening half and with Laois minor James Doyle and Bart Blanchfield getting on the scoresheet, the home side looked to have the advantage, trailing by two points with time almost up.
But Robert Kenny pointed from a position close to the endline and scores from Coffey and Kenny pushed Athlone 0-7 to 0-2 ahead at the interval.
The visitors had to defend in numbers to repel a determined Athy recovery in the second half and points from John Egan and Coffey saw them hold on to their advantage at the end of the third quarter.
Andrew Behan and Doyle hit late scores for Athy but the goal they badly needed eluded them.
ATHLONE COMMUNITY COLLEGE: J McMahon; B Moran, A Hanna, N Byrne; N Daly, D Donohoe, J Byrne; A Fitzpatrick, E Sheehy; J Egan (0-1), M McCallion, A Ward; I Coffey 0-4 (1 free), R Kenny 0-2 (2 frees), D Dolan (0-1). Subs: J Nicell for Egan (54); P Cunningham for Ward (59).
SCOIL NA TRÍONÓIDE: D Mulhall; B Gorman, C Ronan, E Luttrell; E Kenna, D Brennan, J Kinahan; D O'Keeffe, D McGovern; J Doyle (0-3, 3 frees), B Blanchfield (0-1), R Waters; G Walsh (0-1), C Reynolds, A Behan (0-1). Subs: J Farrell for Waters (44); J Mahon for Reynolds (57)
Referee: P Moran (Laois)
