The heat was on after losing start to all-Irish speaking school

GOOD COUNSEL got off to a losing start in the Top Oil Leinster Schools Senior football ‘A’ championship, falling to Coláiste Eoin in U.C.D. recently.

The New Ross school were right in contention entering the final 15 minutes but went off the boil down the stretch, and the Stillorgan kingpins did enough to edge away and take victory.

There was one big chance for Good Counsel to snatch something from the game, four minutes into added time, and trailing by 0-12 to 0-9, when Adam Sinnott broke away after a defensive error deep in the Coláiste Eoin half.

The Taghmon-Camross forward had just Oisín Ó Cróinín to beat, but the ‘keeper got his foot to the shot and the ball clanked agonisingly off the post to safety.

Coláiste Eoin moved up the field and sealed the win through Oisín Ó Grádaigh.

Good Counsel had got off to a quick start, with points from Sinnott and A.J. Redmond putting them 0-2 to nil ahead. However, as the game settled down, Coláiste Eoin built a lead with five points in a row.

As focused as the Counsel lads were, it must take a little getting used to hearing your opponents communicate in Irish.

The ‘an mhaith’ calls were at a heightened level as Liam Ó Fiachna (two), Rían Ó Maoileóin, Dara Púirséil and the impressive Cuán Ó Maoileóin all scored to put the all-Irish school 0-5 to 0-2 ahead at the end of the first quarter.

Good Counsel found their feet as the half wore on. Paddy Whitty and Redmond pointed, as did Rúairí O’Brien after Cian Byrne’s shot came back off the crossbar.

The deficit was just two at the interval (0-7 to 0-5), and that was slowly eroded after the break.

The hosts actually got the first point to go up by three, but Good Counsel looked the better side as Cian Byrne’s three frees brought his team level heading into the last 15 minutes.

Two things happened in the 49th minute, and it’s difficult to know which had the bigger impact. Cuán Ó Maoileóin broke a twelve-minute scoring drought for his side to put them ahead again, and

Good Counsel chose to take off Donal Porter. Both seemed to be significant as Counsel started to struggle and Coláiste Eoin pushed on.

Three points in five minutes gave the boys from the capital a lead of four with 58 minutes on the clock.

Byrne did pull one back with a free, but there was no miraculous goal when Sinnott broke on the mistake from a late punt forward and Coláiste Eoin survived.

Good Counsel: Kyle Martin (Rathnure); Dylan Whelan (Fethard), Killian Griffin (Glenmore), Páraic Wickham (Adamstown); Pádraig Dempsey (Mullinavat), Jack Kehoe (Horeswood, capt.), Jamie Sheehan (Gusserane); Emmet Cullen (Gusserane), Mark Kehoe (Gusserane); A.J. Redmond (Rathnure, 0-2), Donal Porter (Rathgarogue-Cushinstown), Cian Byrne (Fethard, 0-4 frees); Rúairí O’Brien (Adamstown, 0-1), Paddy Whitty (Cloughbawn, 0-1), Adam Sinnott (Taghmon-Camross, 0-1). Subs. - Joe O’Sullivan (Horeswood) for Porter (49), Stephen Dundon (Clongeen) for Wickham (56), Colman O’Sullivan (Tullogher-Rosbercon) for Kehoe (58).

Coláiste Eoin: Oisín Ó Cróinín; Maitiú Mac an Tuile, Pádhraic Ó Luineacháin, Cormac Ó Duibhir; Rían Ó Maoileóin (0-1), Finn Ó Murchú, Barra Ó Donnchú (0-1); Séamus Ó Fiachna (0-1 ‘45), Dónal Mac Duinnsléibhe (0-1); Finán Mac Ambróis, Liam Ó Fiachna (0-2, 1 free), Luke Breathnach; Cuán Ó Maoileóin (0-4), Dara Púirséil (0-2), Conall Ó Tuathaill. Subs. - Brian Mac Síthigh for Ó Tuathaill (31), Oisín Ó Grádaigh (0-1) for Mac Ambróis (42), Conall Seaghach for Mac an Tuile (45), Breandán Ó Scanláin for Ó Maoileóin, inj. (47), Cuán Nuinseann for Breathnach (60+5).

Referee: David Sweeney (Laois).