Moate CS brush St Peters' challenge aside to march into Leinster PPS last-four
QUALIFIED: Moate Community School became the final team to secure their place in the last four of the Leinster Post Primary Schools Senior “A” championship. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Moate Community School became the final team to secure their place in the last four of the Leinster Post Primary Schools Senior “A” championship on Wednesday afternoon, when they took full advantage of both their superior power in the middle third, and the changing wind, to overwhelm St. Peter’s of Wexford at Killeshin GAA club.
The Westmeath school, which incorporates the Carmelite College (three-time All-Ireland winners and six-time Leinster champions between 1975 and 1981), was inspired by two players that are more well-known for their hurling exploits.
Donal Shirley, wing back on the Offaly minor side that lost last year’s All-Ireland final in heartbreaking fashion to Tipperary, controlled the game from centre back in the opening half, chipping in two points from distance as Moate used the diagonal breeze at their backs to take a 0-6 to 0-2 lead into the dressing room.
The side managed by Peter Tormey and Roscommon senior footballer Niall Daly were handed a huge stroke of luck when the wind died down in between halves, and they duly took full advantage to dominate the second 30 minutes as well, inspired by David O’Reilly, Lake County senior hurling panellist and man of the match in Castletown Geoghegan’s win in last year’s senior county final.
O’Reilly pulled out from corner forward to effectively operate as a link man in the half-forward line, while also dropping in to field several kickouts.
Moate All Whites club man Eoin Bracken also came into the game considerably, kicking two of the first three points of the second half, and then winning the possession that led to Ronan Murray flicking the ball to the net for the game’s only goal with eight minutes gone in the second half, but it was O’Reilly who really led the way, kicking two points from play and providing a constant flow of possession to his colleagues.
It was a different game early on, when some strong running and good possession football from the Wexford side meant that the midlanders struggled to take advantage of the wind. It wasn’t until the 11th minute that O’Reilly opened the scoring from a free, shortly followed up by a brilliantly struck ’45 from Shirley.
Point-scoring wasn’t easy at either end of the ground, while a series of goal chances also went astray, at both ends. The two goalkeepers, Eoin Halligan and James Mitchell, came up with huge saves to deny Pádraig McLoughlin and Oisín Kavanagh respectively, while there were also wide goal attempts at either end, and a penalty from Dean O’Reilly that was saved by Halligan.
Excellent scores from Shirley, Bracken and Daragh Lowry made it 0-6 to 0-2 at the interval, but with ten minutes gone after the restart, it was 1-10 to 0-2, and the tie had a very different complexion, as Moate could sit back, soak up the pressure, and cruise to victory.
David O’Reilly 0-4 (0-2f), Ronan Murray 1-1, Eoin Bracken 0-4 (0-3f, 0-1 pen), Donal Shirley 0-2 (0-1 45), Daragh Lowry 0-1, Conor Fox 0-1.
Seán Rowley 0-1, Oisín Kavanagh 0-1, Luke Murphy 0-1f, Seán Cooney 0-1f, Harry Murphy 0-1f.
J Mitchell; T Gorman, A Keane, C Guinan; P McLoughlin, D Shirley, A Curran; D Lowry, E Bracken; C Martin, C Fox, D O’Neill; D O’Reilly, R Murray, T O’Donovan.
A Daly for O’Neill (half-time), A Lynam for Fox (55), O’Neill for McLoughlin (57).
E Halligan; K Byrne, A Kirby, S Roche; D Devereux, R Delaney, P Power; S Rowley, L Roche; D McCarthy, J Hennessy, W Hayes; O Kavanagh, L Murphy, S Cooney.
K Clarke Hanglow for McCarthy (h-t), M Hennessy for Hayes (40), M Furlong for S Roche (45), C Cullen for Kavanagh (51), H Murphy for Cooney (55).
D Cooney (Laois).
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