A SUPERB EFFORT!
Missed chances spoil Coláiste Eoin’s Leinster dream
O’CAROLAN COLLEGE 3-12 C0LÁISTE EOIN 2-12
IT Blanchardstown was the venue on Wednesday last for this game and what a beautiful day it was for football. Both teams were well matched physically and played an attacking brand of football which was fantastic to see.
The Meath outfit were out of the blocks first with two unanswered frees from Ben Blackmore on the second and third minutes.
Kiltegan’s Andy Foley was the first to get Hacketstown on the scoreboard with a fine individual effort on four minutes.
However, the Royals looked dangerous on the attack and were winning the breaks in the middle third of the field.
Centre-forward Killian Price pointed in the seventh and 12th minute, both from placed balls, and with a free from Ruairi Tompkins on the 13th minute it left the score at 0-4 to 0-2 in favour of the Meath men.
Coláiste Eoin did have their chances to put distance between the sides. Between the 13th and 16th minute they had no fewer than three goal chances. Some gritty defending by Nobber saw off the onslaught.
Missed chances from placed balls also were to prove costly for the Wicklow border side. Nobber failed to score from play in the opening quarter and Coláiste Eoin were defending in numbers.
That was until the 16th minute when Niall Bennett pounced on to a loose ball and fired to the net giving O’Carolan College a fivepoint advantage.
However, the response was swift. Ruairí Tompkins won a mark from the resulting kick-out, offloaded to Eoin Byrne who in turn found Clonmore’s Billy Lawlor who unleashed a shot from 14 yards out on the left which took Niall McMahon by surprise in the Nobber goal. Now we had a game on our hands!
Tinahely man Eoghan Byrne’s free on 17 minutes meant there was a point between the sides. The Meath college responded in kind and raised another green flag on the 20 minute mark. This time Ben Blackmore split the defence and rattled the net.
Points were then exchanged by both sides with the classy Jordan Tallon scoring three times for the Carlow outfit before the break floating two 45s and scoring an outstanding individual effort from open play. At half-time the score was 1-6 to 2-8 in favour of O’Carolan College.
From the restart Luke Connolly’s explosive run forward almost 40 yards ended up with him bearing down on goal and drilling the ball over the bar from close range. A sigh of relief could be heard from O’Carolan’s College fans on the near sideline!
Across the other side of the field, Darragh Kelly had his head in his hands as did the majority of the Hacketstown supporters behind him who had travelled in numbers. A goal was on surely.
However, the score from the young Clonmore man was significant. It was a warning shot. It sent a message of intent. Coolkenno’s Ruairi Tompkins’ effort on 33 minutes left three points between the sides.
But Nobber had other ideas and they always looked like scoring on approaching the Hacketstown goal. Ben Blackmore got his side’s third goal on seven minutes and when Bennett raised a white flag two minutes later it left seven between them.
However, Coláiste Eoin to their credit fought back and had their purple patch between the 37th and the 50th minute. Nobber didn’t score in this period and the Wicklow border school were winning the breaks at midfield with both Byrne and Tompkins leading the charges.
Tallon’s accuracy from placed balls was crucial and he stitched two more 45s and Tompkins pointed in the 37th and 40th minute. The margin was cut to three until Bennett again scored from play.
On 56 minutes that man again, Billy Lawlor, saw his shot dribble into the net which set the crowd up for a remarkable finish.
With the clock ticking down all the momentum was with Coláiste Eoin and some hard work by Reid Byrne was rewarded with a free on the 21-yard line. Ruairi Tompkins had the chance to level the game but his effort went agonisingly wide.
With two minutes remaining it was the Meath side who finished stronger and Niall Bennett settled matters with two late scores. When the final whistle went it was elation for Nobber who themselves had lost this decider last year.
For Coláiste Eoin it was bitter disappointment.
They played a lot of good football in the second half outscoring their opponents 1-6 to 1-4. Had they taken their chances in the opening half who knows what the outcome could have been.
This group of lads have represented their school with distinction over the past four years and there’s no doubt that they will be back again next year.
In the meantime they have two more medals to add to their already impressive haul as Coláiste Eoin Hacketstown are both Junior ‘C’ and Senior ‘D’ South Leinster football champions.
Coláiste Eoin (Clonmore unless stated): Melvyn Kinch; Sean Tompkins, Cormac Connolly, Luke Doyle (Knockananna); Jake Hickey, Jordan Tallon (0-5, 4 45s), Rory McGuire; Ruairí Tompkins (Coolkenno) (0-4, 3f), Eoghan Byrne (Tinahely)(0-1); Luke Connolly (0-1), Eoin Byrne, Reid Byrne (Knockananna); Billy Lawlor (2-0), Noel Byrne, Andy Foley (0-1). Subs: 16. Keith Bowes, 17 Jake Murphy (Tinahely), 18. Anthony McDonald, 19. Sean Moran for Luke Doyle 19’, 20. Eoin Connolly, 21. Sean Mulvaney, 22. Darragh McKernan.
O’Carolan College: N. McMahon (Nobber); M. Clare (Killary Emmets), J. O’ Hare (Rathkenny), L. O’ Fionnagain (Wolfe Tones); C. O’Reilly (St. Michael’s), K. Markey (Killary Emmets), J. Fagan (Kilmainhamwood); A. Tolan (Wolfe Tones)(0-1), R. Summersby (Killary Emmets); T. Carolan (Drumconrath/Meath hill), K. Price (Killary Emmets)(0-2f), P. Dillon (Killary Emmets); Ben Blackmore (Killary Emmets)(2-2,0-1f), B. McCormack (Moynalty)(0-1), N. Bennett (Kilmainhamwood) (1-6,0-3f).