‘ IT HASN’T SUNK IN YET’
WITH just a few minutes to go in Drimina’s final game in last Wednesday’s Spar FAI Primary Schools 5- a- side finals at the Aviva stadium, it looked as if the Tubbercurry school students were about to fall agonisingly short of their dream of becoming national champions.
They were facing Boyerstown National School from just outside Navan in Meath in their final game, and while both groups went into their final showdown with two wins from their two starts against Scoil Mhuire of Fanad, Donegal, and Little Flower NS from Cashel in Tipperary, Drimina’s inferior goal difference meant that they needed to win.
They got off to a flier too when Ciara Brennan struck for an early goal, but it all went badly wrong as the concession of two quick goals left them with a mountain to climb. Up to that point Brennan’s goal was the only time Boyerstown had conceded in the competition, but when Eimear Hunt took down Brennan’s left wing cross and slammed a perfect half- volley to the net just before half time, all the momentum shifted and Drimina were able to unpick the Meath lock three more times.
With their green- and- gold clad supporters in full voice from the start of the second half, Drimina dug deep and produced their best football of the competition when they needed it most.
Eimear Hunt returned the favour to Ciara Brennan by making great ground down the left and squaring the ball for Brennan, who went on to collect the “Player of the Tournament” award, to fire to the net for the lead goal.
A long range free that deceived attackers, defenders and goalkeeper alike rounded off her hat- trick and gave Drimina some breathing room, while the celebrations could really kick into gear when she was on hand to add her fourth of the day from close range, capitalising on confusion in the defence after a corner kick.
“I’m chuffed, in just our first time to enter the competition, it’s absolutely fantastic, they’re a great bunch of girls” beamed Ruth Kelly, their teacher and coach, afterwards.
“It went right down to the wire and it was in the lap of the Gods after that. But the girls never gave up, they kept their heads down and kept going until the final whistle. They were incredible. I can’t even imagine what they must be feeling. I’d say it hasn’t even sunk in for them yet but when it does, they’ll know they’ve achieved something remarkable”.
Ciara Brennan’s cultured left foot may have stolen the show in the final, but the same character and resolve was shown by the whole team in the earlier rounds of competition. It would have been easy to underestimate the Scoil Mhuire team who looked very small and light by comparison, but the sheer brilliance of the smallest of the lot, Rachael Ní Fhríl, soon left Drimina in no doubt as to the scale of the challenge facing them. Ní Fhril scored a wonderful goal and ran the show for the Donegal girls so Sligo Champion readers would do well to remember that they heard the name here first, for when she goes on to bigger things – but on this occasion the more balanced Drimina side, led by some excellent link up play between Eimear Hunt and Macayla Burke at the head of the attack, were able to prevail.
Hunt struck first and then Burke added two to wrap up the victory, and things didn’t get any easier next time out against the Munster champions from Little Flower NS in Cashel.
This was to be a fixture where strong defensive play and some outstanding goalkeeping from Holly Gannon proved critical, and as the match crept into the closing stages, it looked as if a 0- 0 result was on the cards. Macayla Burke again stepped up with a crucial late strike however, and gave them the momentum that they badly needed in advance of their big showdown with Boyerstown.