Coláiste Mhuire back in Leinster final after 37-year wait

Leinster Post-Primary Schools Senior Football ‘A’ Championship Semi-Final

Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar 2-11, Maynooth Education Campus 0-8

by Gerry Buckley

A terrific display in the second half enabled the senior footballers from Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar to defeat Maynooth Education Campus by an unflattering nine-point margin in last Tuesday afternoon’s Leinster ‘A’ semi-final at a well-appointed Killucan.

It is a whopping 37 years since Coláiste Mhuire last featured in a Leinster ‘A’ final, and one has to go back five more years to recall Seanie Hynes lifting what was then a nameless cup after an all-Westmeath final victory against Marist College, Athlone in Kinnegad when the Mullingar school won its only provincial senior title.

The same trophy, now known as the Bro Bosco Cup, will be up for grabs again early next month in what could also be a decider contested by two Lake County sides, with Moate Community School due to face Ardscoil na Trionóide, Athy in the second penultimate round. On the evidence of last Tuesday’s fine all-round team performance, Multyfarnham’s Mattie Thornton has a distinct opportunity to replicate Mullingar Shamrocks’ Hynes in 1983.

Maynooth had the aid of a slight wind in the first half, but it was Coláiste Mhuire who got off to the ideal start when a probing delivery from the right wing by Darragh Smith came back off the woodwork, and Oisín O’Hara was on hand to fist the loose ball to the net from close range.

However, the young men in all-navy soon settled, and four unanswered points had them in front by the 12th minute. The scores came courtesy of Ciaran Dunne (a quality finish), Paddy Ryan (after the winners ought to have cleared the ball), Paul O’Dea (at the end of a patient move), and Liam Jennings (from a free – the award seemed harsh).

A hat-trick of points from the ever-dangerous Will Scahill – a brace of converted frees, either side of a great score from open play with the outside of his right boot – had the boys in the green jerseys ahead by 1-3 to 0-4 with exactly 20 minutes elapsed.

Two points from Jennings, the losers’ most consistent attacker throughout - the second of them from a free - levelled the scoring, but an O’Hara point (via the crossbar) nudged Coláiste Mhuire ahead again in the 29th minute. The lively Scahill was almost in on goal in added time, but it remained 1-4 to 0-6 in favour of the Mullingar school at the interval.

Coláiste Mhuire gave themselves some breathing space by scoring three points without reply in the first nine minutes of the second moiety, via Scahill (a free), a neat effort from skipper Thornton, and Scahill again (a superb score moments after his colleague Michael Moloney was thwarted with a goal as his target).

Jennings reduced the deficit to a goal (1-7 to 0-7) by rifling over a 40th-minute free after he had been fouled. Thornton’s trickery was a constant problem for the Maynooth rearguard, but he was denied a three-pointer in the 43rd minute after a Scahill free had come back off the upright.

The Kildare side’s exertions just three days earlier in the quarter-final began to show in the final quarter, and their opponents never looked in any real danger of being overturned as the game neared its conclusion. Thornton pointed at the end of a swift counter attack, before full back Mikey Weir came forward to finish off a well-worked move with a point in the 48th minute.

Scahill soon tagged on another point, and any lingering doubts about the outcome disappeared in the 52nd minute when Moloney picked out Conor Heffernan who delightfully swept the ball to the net soccer-style.

Both sets of mentors emptied their benches in the closing stages, during which Thornton (a classy finish) and Jennings (a free) traded points. Dunne was unlucky to see his shot for what would have been a consolation goal drift narrowly wide in injury-time.

Scorers – Coláiste Mhuire: W Scahill 0-6 (3f), O O’Hara 1-1, M Thornton 0-3, C Heffernan 1-0, M Weir 0-1. Maynooth: L Jennings 0-5 (4f), P O’Dea, C Dunne, P Ryan 0-1 each.

Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar: Adam Buckley; Ty Masterson, Mikey Weir, Darragh Smith; Ben Sheerin, Michael Moloney, Conor Daly; Eoin Conlon, Donnacha Maguire; Eoin Meehan, Sean Byrne, Will Scahill; Mattie Thornton, Oisín O’Hara, Conor Heffernan. Subs used: Ben McNamee for Meehan (34), Adam Glynn for Sheerin (46), Peter Conneely for Smith (55), Paul Keating for O’Hara (57), James Murtagh for Maguire (58).

Maynooth Education Campus: Josh Flood; Sean Miley, Finn Dowling, Tom Power; Aaron Larkin, Michael Chambers, Oisín O’Giollan; Oran Beirne, Darragh Devine; Aaron Mahoney, Paul O’Dea, Ciaran Dunne; Paddy Ryan, Finn Conheady, Liam Jennings. Subs used: Tom Moriarty for Larkin (48), Sean O’Donnell for Conheady (49), Enan McAuley for Ryan (55), Paul Behan for Mahoney (57), Harry Egan for Devine (58).

Ref: David Sweeney (Laois).