Goals boost St Mary’s in teen contest

Expert Electrical

U-17 ‘A’ Football C’ship Final St Mary’s Drumcliffe-Rosses Point

T2-8 0-6

HE SURPRISE wasn’t that St Mary’s won last Sunday’s Expert Electrical U-17 ‘A’ Football Championship final at Markievicz Park.

They had the better players – the likes of Stefan Roche, Clyde Regan, Ronan O’Hehir, Eli Rooney, Robert O’Kelly-Lynch and captain Ronan Niland – they simply played better and they scored more, 10 scores compared to six from the beaten finalists, Drumcliffe-Rosses Point.

What was unusual about this eventually onesided fixture – the fourth meeting of these rivals in this age group this year – was that there was a conclusive margin between them at full-time as St Mary’s won by eight points, 2-8 to 0-6.

Just a point kept them apart on the scoreboard in their three previous duels – DrumcliffeRosses Point triumphed when they met in the group stage of the championship but their two meetings in the Expert Electrical U-17 ‘A’ Football League went the way of St Mary’s, including the final.

With the sides level at half-time, 0-3 each, and again by the 37th minute, 0-4 to 0-4, a tit for tat second-half was in the offing. Not quite. Cohesive St Mary’s went back in front via a 41st minute pointed free from Eli Rooney – who had more of an influence in the second-half – and they never looked back.

When Ronan Niland landed a big point from a converted free three minutes later, making it 0-7 to 0-4, St Mary’s were already getting into their stride.

Connor Flynn’s well-taken goal after 46 minutes – with Shea O’Neill and Eli Rooney involved in the build-up followed by Robert O’KellyLynch’s assist – Drumcliffe-Rosses Point were in trouble.

But the beaten finalists still had something in the tank – Sean McCabe lashed a goal shot over for his side’s fifth point and centre-back Rian Callaghan went upfield for the second time to loft a fine point, the ball clipping an upright on its way over.

These were the only points that DrumcliffeRosses Point managed in the second period, however, and they conceded a further 1-1 in the last five minutes.

Connor Flynn’s second goal, a powerful shot that was better than his earlier finish, wrapped up a fine afternoon’s work by the Aidan Rooneymanaged St Mary’s, who have completed the U-17 ‘A’ double.

Drumcliffe-Rosses Point, who finished with 14 players because of a second booking for wing-forward Diarmuid Dunleavy, will reflect how they failed to bring their first-half momentum into the second-half.

They matched St Mary’s in that opening period, score for score, with Rian O’Callaghan kicking a brilliant point and Conor Gillen also pointing with style. But Drumcliffe-Rosses Point shot 10 wides, five in each half, and that was four more than an efficient St Mary’s.

The fact that Drumcliffe-Rosses Point goalkeeper Donnchadh O’Brien made eight saves – each of them to keep out goalbound shots – tells a story of how he kept his side in this game until he was unable to stop those efforts from Connor Flynn.

In the first-half O’Brien kept out goalbound