HRÍDE RETAIN CROWN
from a free and a lovely score from Marty Caplis brought St Kevin’s back from the brink and the sight of James Tyrrell being helped off must have filled the Dunlavin students’ hearts with hope as Peter O’Neill took his place.
This development coincided with St Kevin’s best spell of the game. They went after this game with real ambition and ability for the next 12 minutes and through the superb talent of Aaron Kennedy they clawed back to within two points of Coláiste Bhríde as he fired over four outstanding points in a row.
Whether by design or by his own ingenuity, Sean Forde appeared in front of Jim Sharry after 24 minutes and intercepted another St Kevin’s attack. Pat Nolan hadn’t wavered in his concrete belief in his full-back line’s ability to cope with difficult spells and they repaid him in full for the remainder of the game.
The decision to go short with a kick-out cost St Kevin’s dear after 25 minutes. Eoin Darcy was on hand to rob possession and his rocket of a shot crashed back off the stanchion and sickened the St Kevin’s effort.
Alan Deering sent in Conor Deering to try and rescue to the situation but having to throw caution to the wind was leaving the St Kevin’s defence badly exposed. Cillian Gilligan almost profited from this exposure when he set off on a mazy Maradonna run but his cheeky back-heel was saved off the St Kevin’s line and the danger cleared.
It wouldn’t be long before Coláiste Bhríde would have another chance. A move up the field from St Kevin’s was ruined by the big hand of Sean Forde.
The Kilanerin man set off on a voyage into the St Kevin’s defence and fed Eoin Darcy with a ball.
The Tinahely man gathered and walloped a shot that Harpur got his fingers to but he couldn’t stop it and it whacked off the crossbar and down behind the line with Cillian Gilligan following up like a classy striker always should to finish the job.
It was all over bar the shouting now.
The superior firepower had won the day, backed all the way by a big shift around the middle third, with Peter O’Neill filling the boots of James Tyrrell admirably and with plenty of enthusiasm and attitude.
It was a deserved win for Coláiste Bhríde. They dealt with the St Kevin’s resurgence, they trusted in their defence and their attack and they are the Wicklow Schools ‘A’ champions again for that very reason.
Scorers - Coláiste Bhríde Carnew: Eoin Darcy 2-2 (1f), Cillian Gilligan 1-0, James Hedderman 0-02, Sean Forde 0-02, Sean Bardon 0-1, Rory Stokes 0-1.
St Kevin’s: Aaron Kennedy 0-6, Tadgh Barrett 0-2 (2f), John Daly 0-1, Marty Caplis 0-1.
Daragh Brookes (Castletown); Gearoid Donohoe (Tinahely), Jim Sharry (Kilrush), Jaason Bolger (Kilanerin); Cillian McDonald (Tinahely), James Tyrrell (Tinahely), Fionn Furlong (Tinahely); Rory Stokes (Tinahely), Ian Clancy (Aughrim); Sean Bardon (Kilanerin), Frankie Kavanagh (Castletown), Eoin Darcy (Tinahely); Cillian Gilligan (Carnew Emmets), James Hedderman (Tinahely), Sean Forde (Kilanerin). Subs: Conor Hughes for S Bardon, Peter O’Neill for J Tyrrell (inj),
Conor Harpur (Valleymount); Tom Moran (Dunlavin), Mark Reid (Dunlavin), Shane Daly (DonardThe Glen); Darragh Dillon (Dunlavin), MJ Moran (Dunlavin), Brian Crowe Ballymore); Henry Healy (Dunlavin), Mark Barrett (Ballymore); Liam Miley (Valleymount), David Lawlor (Dunlavin), Tadgh Barrett (Ballymore); Marty Caplis (Dunlavin), Aaron Kennedy (St Laurence’s), David Lawlor (Dunlavin). Subs: Alan Miley for D Lawlor, Conor Deering for B Crowe,
Eddie Leonard (St Pat- rick’s)