Patrician Academy Mallow claim first All-Ireland senior football title
The Patrician Academy Mallow have claimed their first All-Ireland senior football title seeing off St Pauls Secondary School Oughterard in a thrilling final in Limerick today.
After dominating long periods of the first half the Cork side led by just three at the break (1-8 to 1-5) after a late goal from St Paul corner forward Joseph O’Flaherty had cancelled out the Academy’s early strike from their number 14, Conor McMahon.
The north Cork school settled back into the game in the second period opening up an eight-point lead by the 47thminute thanks in the main to a brilliant team performance but also McMahon’s second three pointer on 35 minutes.
The Galway side were far from beaten however and hit two goals in three minutes (a penalty from Matthew Tierney and a Cathal Walsh fisted effort) to bring the gap down to just one point - but the Mallow school settled the nerves late on with points from Conor Corbett and Jack Dillon to deservedly take their first national crown.
Scorers for Patrician Academy: C McMahon 2-2; C Corbett 0-5; J Dillon 0-3; E Kelleher 0-2; K Twoney, B O’Shea 0-1 (one free each).
Scorers for St Pauls: M Tierney 1-3 (1-0 pen, two frees); J O’Flaherty, C Walsh 1-0 each; R Monaghan 0-3 (all frees); P Kelly 0-2.
PATRICIAN ACADEMY: J Murphy (Mallow); O Carroll (Mallow), N O’Riordan (Mallow), B O’Sullivan (Castlemagner); S Merrit (Mallow), C O’Shea (Kilshannig), J Hadden (Mallow); K Twomey (Kilshannig), E O’Hanlon (Kilshannig), J Dillon (Mallow), B O’Shea (Kilshannig), E Kelleher (Mallow); C Corbett (Clyda Rovers), C McMahon (Kilshannig), C O’Sullivan (Kilshannig). Subs:D Walsh (Clyda Rovers) for J Hadden (26), B O’Connor (Clyda Rovers) for C O’Sullivan (42), S Kelly for N O’Riordan (47), C Carroll for E Kelleher (50).
ST PAULS: O Finn (Kilannin); P Butler (Kilannin), C Duggan (Kilannin), A Feeney (Oughterard); P Keane (Clonbur), O O’Donnell (Kilannin), A Heffernan (Kilannin); C Walsh (Kilannin), P Kelly (Moycullen); A McGuire (Kilannin), R Monaghan (Oughterard), C Monaghan (Oughterard); M Tierney (Oughterard), S Lawrence (Kilannin), J O’Flaherty (Kilannin). Subs: L Fitzpatrick (Oughterard) for A McGuire (42), C Tierney (Oughterard) for S Lawrence (47), S Joyce (Oughterard) for O O’Donnell (52).
Referee: J Hickey (Carlow).
