Carnew in control
Coláiste Bhride boys get upper hand after the interval
COLAISTE BHRIDE 6-17 COL CILL MHANTAIN 6-05
COLÁISTE Bhride, Carnew were worthy winners of the Godfrey Timmons Cup when they overcame Coláiste Cill Mhantain in the final of Post Primary 1st Year ‘A’ Football competition played at Pearse’s Park, Arklow on Monday.
As the final scoreline would suggest, this game was keenly contested all the way but Coláiste Bhride gained the upper hand in the second half and kept adding on the points steadily.
However, they could never relax totally as Colaiste Cill Mhaintain possessed an outstanding player in centre half forward Toby Lee Curran, who scored 4-4 of his side’s total of 6-5.
He was excellent at carrying the ball forward at pace and the Carnew goal stood in danger whenever he gained possession.
The Wicklow lads got on the scoreboard straight from the throw in when Toby Lee Curran soloed through the heart of the Carnew defence and banged home his first goal.
He followed with a point a minute later. Carnew steadied and began to come into the game with midfielders Brendan Rossiter and Sean Hughes getting on top.
A goal from centre forward Brendan Bolger was quickly followed by another from Sean Hughes.
On nine minutes, Toby Lee Curran gained possession again and once more cut through the defence to score his second goal.
It was level at 2-1 apiece when Brendan Rossiter pointed.
Colaiste Bhride switched full back Tim Ivers to shadow Curran at this stage and he did get some control over the Colaiste Cill Mhaintain man.
A Curran pointed free followed by a goal by full forward Jack Haughton put Wicklow ahead again.
The South Wicklow side countered immediately with a Rossiter pointed free and a goal from full forward Shane Byrne who volleyed home a ball which was knocked into his path in front of the goal.
Back again came the Wicklow men with a goal from midfielder Joe Nielan.
It continued in like vein right up to half time.
Colaiste Bhride substitute Ben Gilligan netted their fourth goal. Brendan Bolger and Calum Patterson added two more points.
Just before the half time break, Scott Devlin and Toby Lee Curran pointed for Colaiste Cill Mhaintain to leave Carnew ahead by 4-5 to 4-4.
Cill Mhaintain were awarded a penalty in the first minute of the second period when a Carnew defender was adjudged to have touched the ball on the ground within the small square.
Lee Curran goaled to complete his hat trick. From here on Colaiste Bhride got on top.
They brought out Shane Byrne to play further out field and made very good use of their footballing half forward line.
Small in stature compared their immediate opponents Daniel Bolger, Brendan Bolger and Richard Greene were very comfortable with the ball in hand and seldom wasted possession.
Calum Patterson also came to the fore and gradually Colaiste Bhride began to pull away, totting up the points.
Patterson scored the first of his two goals after eight minutes. Sean Hughes, Shane Byrne, Dan Bolger, Calum Patterson and Ben Gilligan kept taking their points.
Colaiste Cill Mhaintain continued to battle with full back James O’Donnell, centre back Mikey Merrigan, midfield men Conor Luddy and Joe Neilan trying hard to stem the tide.
Curran pointed a free after twenty minutes (their second score of the half).
Three minutes later he burst through the defence for the final time and scored his fourth goal. Carnew saw out the remainder of the game with points from Sean Hughes and a second goal from Calum Patterson to leave a final scoreline of 6-17 to 6-5.
Jim Murphy presented the Godfrey Timmons Cup to the captain of the winning Colaiste Bhride team, Brendan Rossiter.
Scorers: Colaiste Bhride, Carnew – Daniel Bolger 0-1, Sean Hughes 1-5, Brendan Rossiter 0-4, Brendan Bolger 1-1, Shane Byrne 1-2, Calum Patterson 2-2, Ben Gilligan 1-2.
Colaiste Cill Mhaintain – Toby Lee Curran 4-4, Jack Haughton 1-0, Joe Neilan 1-0, Scott Devlin 0-1.