Counsel earn spot in semis
Late goals embellish win
GOOD COUNSEL COLAISTE MHUIRE 2-13 1-6 AFTER COMING out on the right side of a three-game saga, it would have been an awful waste of energy and effort if Good Counsel (New Ross) had followed up with defeat in the next round of the Top Oil Leinster Post-Primary Schools Senior football ‘A’ championship.
And thankfully their progress to a semi-final clash with Moate Community College was never in any major doubt amid heavy underfoot conditions in Geraldine Park, Athy, on Thursday as they built on that absorbing victory over Scoil Dara (Kilcock) by dismissing Coláiste Mhuire (Mullingar).
Two late goals copper-fastened a superiority that had only been threatened briefly near the end of the third quarter when the midlanders goaled to narrow the deficit to 0-11 to 1-4.
When Mullingar followed up with a point it was time for Counsel to shake off any signs of lethargy and return to the form that had helped them to an interval lead of 0-8 to 0-3.
And they weren’t found wanting, with Sam Wall settling the team with a point before Jamie Myler converted a free after Luke Sinnott was fouled.
The goal which ensured there would be no way back for the Mullingar side arrived in the 58th minute. Eoin Porter’s standing foot seemed to slip as he took aim, but it worked out just fine as the kick fell short and was gathered by hard-working midfielder Richard Hennessy in the left corner-forward position.
He fed Jamie Myler with a swift handpass and the centre-forward crashed the ball to the net for an emphatic 1-13 to 1-5 lead.
And Counsel’s superiority was emphasised less than two minutes later when Seán Nolan made a lung-bursting run down the middle before finding Sam Wall on his right. The Gusserane attacker popped the ball to the far post where Luke Sinnott was on hand to coolly palm it home.
While the win was convincing in the end, the game could have developed as a much closer contest if Mullingar had made the most of an early goal chance.
Seán Nolan and Darragh Lyons had set up Eric Cummins for the opening Counsel point after 34 seconds, but the first Coláiste Mhuire attack ended in a push on wing-forward T.J. Cox and a clearcut penalty.
Shane Boyce stepped up to the spot kick but dragged it to the left and wide, and the Barrowsiders made the most of that lucky let-off.
A foul on Cummins led to a first pointed free for his clubmate Eoin Porter, and the gap was widened to four by the tenth minute after Jamie Myler (free) split the posts before Richard Hennessy collected the kick-out and returned it over the bar with interest.
Mullingar were enjoying lots of possession but weren’t as equipped with finishers up front, although they did get off the mark in the twelfth minute through Tom Molloy.
The scorer then set up Conán O’Hara to make it 0-4 to 0-2, but Counsel were the superior side for the remainder of the half despite the long-term absence of influential midfielder Andy Walsh.
Jamie Myler sold a lovely dummy before firing over sweetly in the 20th minute, and points followed from Porter (free), Myler and Seán Nolan before Mullingar defender Ciarán Nolan pulled one back.
Nolan and Myler widened the gap to seven on the re-start, and Counsel were motoring along quite comfortably during the third quarter as a T.J. Cox point for the Westmeath side was cancelled by another Porter free.
Perhaps they needed that Mullingar goal to give them a jolt though, and it arrived in the 44th minute.
It came out of nothing, with Tom Molloy pumping in a high ball which was gathered by Conán O’Hara who twisted and turned before kicking to the net (0-11 to 1-4).
When T.J. Cox added a point it was clear that Counsel’s work wasn’t fully done just yet. The more casual approach before that goal was quickly replaced with an all-out determined effort, with the victors outscoring their rivals by a decisive 2-2 to 0-1 from the 53rd minute onwards.
Incidentally, Counsel claimed four of the game’s seven marks, two from Darragh Lyons in the firsthalf and two from Gavin Sheehan after the interval.
Their next opponents, Moate Community College, have been installed as favourites by many of the other schools in north Leinster, and they have added Galway’s Anthony Cunningham to their backroom team as a measure of their intent.
Still, the prospect of a first all-Wexford final since 1996 is a live one, with St. Peter’s set to meet Wicklow Schools on the other side of the draw in St. Patrick’s Park on Wednesday.
Good Counsel: Fionn Slattery (Rathgarogue-Cushinstown); Cathal O’Connor (Rathnure), Darragh O’Connor (Cloughbawn), Eamonn O’Sullivan (Horeswood); Gavin Sheehan (Gusserane), Eoin Porter (Rathgarogue-Cushinstown, 0-3 frees), Diarmuid Kehoe (Geraldine O’Hanrahans); Richard Hennessy (Glenmore, 0-1), Darragh Lyons (St. James’, capt.); Seán Nolan (Horeswood, 0-2), Jamie Myler (St. James’, 1-5, 0-2 frees), Eric Cummins (Rathgarogue-Cushinstown, 0-1); Sam Wall (Gusserane, 0-1), Luke Sinnott (Taghmon-Camross, 1-0), Emmett Coakley (Graiguenamanagh). Subs. - Oisín Knox (Mullinavat) for Coakley (35), Jim Ryan (Glenmore) for Cummins (42), Richard Gill (Tullogher-Rosbercon) for Ryan, inj. (51), Jamie Wallace (St. James’) for Sinnott (60+1).
Coláiste Mhuire: Trevor Martin; Liam Faulkner, Conor Gavin, David Mimnagh; Ciarán Nolan (0-1), Eddie Whelehan, Seán Keena; Dylan Hunt, James Maxwell (capt.); T.J. Cox (0-2), Tom Molloy (0-1), Shane Boyce; Luke Price, Adam Loughrey (0-1 free), Conán O’Hara (1-1). Subs. - Oisín Hogan for Mimnagh, temp. (24-28), Donal Coughlan for Boyce (42), Hogan for Hunt (50).
Referee: Brendan Hickey (Kildare).