Historic victory by Ballisodare

ST. MARY’S B’DARE 4-9 COOLA 2-4

ST. MARY’S Ballisodare won their first ever Sligo Schools Juvenile competition on Thursday in a wind swept Kilcoyne Park with a superb second half display in which Paddy O’Connor(2) and Gavin Cailpin netted for the winners.

Ballisodare managed by teacher Ollie Sexton got off to the best possible start against the breeze with Ross Taheny netting a low goal. However Coola responded in excellent fashion with Vincent Corcoran responding immediately with a well taken point before a great ball over the top from Corcoran found the lively Mark Keegan free to put the East Sligo school in front for the first time.

Almost immediately after Keegan had the ball in his hands in the exact position but a superb save from Lorcan O’Callaghan who parried the shot over the bar. The schools went tit for tat for the next ten mins with points from Conor Turner and Corcoran for Coola and James Duffy and Ross Taheny for Ballisodare making the score 1-4 to 1-3 in favour of the east Sligo outfit.

With the half coming to a conclusion it seemed that a point would separate them, that was until a rasping shot from Oisin Gilmartin the Coola centre forward found the back of the net and gave Coola a four point lead entering the half way point.

The second half started well with St Marys Ballisodare hitting three points on the trot one ach from O’Connor, Taheny and the extremely hard working Brian Mahon. In fact it was this work rate from Mahon and his midfield partner Klaudis Bak that was the platform for their second half revival.

Halfway through the second period they equalised with a superb free from Mahon and quickly afterward blitzed there opponents with two goals from the highly skilful O’Connor and Cailpin. Coola fought hard to get back into the game but Callaghan once more proved to good as he made two excellent saves for his school. The last goal was the insurance one for the Ballisodare outfit and they finished off the game with three points Mahon(2) and Taheny. BALLISODARE: Lorcan O’Callaghan, Thomas Keaveney, Conall Kearns,. Joe McMunn, John Mahon ,Gavin Cailpin(1-0), Thomas Brady, Klaudis Bak, Brian Mahon (04), Aaron Keaveney, Paddy O’Connor (2-1, Paul Quigley, Stephen Mulligan, Ross Taheny (1-2) James Duffy (0-1) COOLA: Steven Keegan, Daragh Hailstones,Conor Clancy, Cian Mc Hugh, Ryan Healy ,Kieran Kilfeather, Enda O’Connell, Vincent Corcoran (0-2), Caolan McCann, Conor Turner (0-1) ,Oisin Gilmartin (1-0), Ryan Walsh, Mark Keegan (1-1), Kyle Crawley, Daire Kearns.