Coláiste Mhuire journey ended by gritty Mayo men

St Colman's, Claremorris 4-4 Coláiste Mhuire 1-7

Coláiste Mhuire's dream of reaching the Hogan Cup final was dashed in South Roscommon on Saturday, as St Colman’s of Claremorris proved more clinical in front of goal, edging an otherwise evenly contested battle at Pádraig Pearses GAA grounds.

It was a disappointing end to a historic campaign for the Mullingar school, who had ended a 42-year wait for provincial glory by claiming the Leinster title earlier this month. The sides notched eight scores apiece but the four Claremorris goals were decisive.

At half-time it was 1-2 to 0-3 in St Colman's favour following a mediocre and uninspiring opening 30 minutes, in a game dictated largely by the lively breeze which favoured the Mayo side in the first half.

The four goals were killer blows and the old cliché ‘goals win games’ was never more fitting than at the end of this semi-final tie, but it was the third Claremorris goal in the 40th minute that proved a telling moment. Dangerman Darragh Beirne booted the ball low to the net when it fell kindly for him after ‘keeper Adam Buckley got a hand to Seán O’Connell’s low drive and controversially, the free in the build-up was not taken from the correct position, leading to strong protests from the Coláiste Mhuire players. That goal put six points between the teams and there was no way back for the Mullingar side, who saw an earlier shot from Will Scahill strike the crossbar with Conor Heffernan unable to finish off the rebound.

With almost 1,500 spectators creating a vibrant atmosphere, this was a clash between two schools that had reawakened their past glories. Coláiste Mhuire, seeking to build on their Leinster breakthrough, started brightly despite a torrential downpour that followed St Colman’s opening score from Craig Cassidy, a fine finish after only 20 seconds. The Mullingar side adapted well to the tricky conditions, managing possession effectively and drawing level through a well-taken Darragh Smith point, even as the wind made long-range shooting a near impossibility. Smith's strike with the outside of the right boot, struck with a low trajectory, found the range impressively in the fifth minute and Will Scahill's free 10 minutes later had Coláiste Mhuire ahead for the only time in this semi-final.

Midway through the first half, at 0-2 apiece after a Beirne free and Coláiste Mhuire looked well set to push on, but they were hit with a sucker punch when Nathan Gill found the net for St Colman’s. The tenacious corner back showed his class to finish off a fine move after exchanging passes with midfielder Ronan Kelly in the 18th minute. The response from the Mullingar college side was impressive, as they dominated possession for the remainder of the half, with Michael Weir’s point keeping them in touch, after Seán Byrne's pass gave the centre back the opportunity.

Beirne and Coláiste Mhuire's Ty Masterson clashed a few times and it drew the wrath of the referee who booked both players. Masterson was later warned and it forced Coláiste Mhuire into replacing their full back for fear of being reduced to 14 men. The second half was defined by St Colman’s ability to carve out goal-scoring chances, netting three times from close range. The first came after 90 seconds when Tom Hession ghosted in behind the defence before rounding the goalkeeper to score, stretching the gap between the sides to five points. The telling pass came from Craig Cassidy. Yet one of the game’s crucial moments came at the other end in the 34th minute, when Coláiste Mhuire’s Will Scahill, a standout performer all season, found himself through on goal. However, a slight miscontrol forced him into an awkward attempt, and his ground shot cannoned off the crossbar. Conor Heffernan’s follow-up was brilliantly smothered by Evan Campbell, denying the Mullingar side a much-needed lift.

Undeterred, Coláiste Mhuire responded with two quickfire points - both Scahill frees - but misfortune struck again on 40 minutes when Seán O’Connell’s shot was parried into the path of Darragh Beirne, who converted an easy goal for the Mayo side. In the build-up, a free was clearly taken from the incorrect position and while Coláiste Mhuire protested strongly the goal stood. The Mullingar side showed resilience and Matthew Thornton kicked a wonderful point with the left boot to reduce the deficit in the 45th minute - 0-6 to 3-2 at that stage. However, Beirne then turned provider, setting up Dara Flanagan for another green flag with 10 minutes remaining. Although Scahill did find the net in reply a minute later, the damage had been done. Scahill's goal was reward for persistence more than anything else as the ball was fed across by Ben McNamee initially before Conor Heffernan tried to fist home; when it spilled loose, the corner forward pounced to score.

St Colman’s regrouped strongly, though and held firm to secure a place in the final against either Mercy Mounthawk or St Pat’s Maghera, with Coláiste Mhuire's Conor Heffernan picking up a late black card for a foul on Ronan Kelly.

For Coláiste Mhuire, it was a heartbreaking end to what had been a landmark season, one that restored their standing at the top table of schools' football.

Their Leinster triumph will live long in the memory, and with a talented crop of players emerging, this may only be the beginning of a resurgence for the Mullingar outfit on the national stage. Afterwards the management team of Dean McNicholas, Matthew Kearney and Brian Murtagh spoke of their pride in the players' collective effort and said winning a Leinster senior title for the first time in 42 years represents a significant achievement.

Scorers - St Colman’s, Claremorris: D Beirne 1-2 (0-2f), N Gill 1-0, T Hession 1-0, D Flanagan 1-0, C Cassidy 0-1, D Hurley 0-1.

Coláiste Mhuire: W Scahill 1-4 (0-4f), D Smith 0-1, M Weir 0-1, M Thornton 0-1.

COLÁISTE MHUIRE, MULLINGAR (Mullingar Shamrocks unless stated): Adam Buckley; Ben Sheerin, Ty Masterson, Conor Daly (The Downs); Darragh Smith (The Downs), Michael Weir (St. Loman’s), Ben McNamee; Eoin Conlon (Shandonagh), Donnacha Maguire; Oisín O’Hara (St. Loman’s), Matthew Thornton (Multyfarnham), Michael Moloney (The Downs); Seán Byrne (St. Loman’s), Conor Heffernan, Will Scahill (Shandonagh). Subs: Adam Glynn for Masterson (19), Paul Keating for Maloney (50), T Masterson for McNamee (55), James Murtagh for Weir (59).

ST COLMAN’S, CLAREMORRIS: Evan Campbell; Rio Mortimer, Nathan Gill, Mark Noonan; David Hurley, Dara Flanagan, Tom Hession; Craig Cassidy, C Tierney; Adam Gallagher, Ronan Kelly, Dylan Burke; Seán O’Connell, Darragh Beirne, Ciarán Treacy. Subs: Ben Sheridan for Gallagher (46), Jack Comer for Burke (60).

REF - Dermot Lyons (Roscommon).