Monaghan comes good at the perfect time as Coláiste Bhaile Chláir advance to Connacht Schools final
QUALIFICATION: A remarkable Connacht schools senior football semi-final saw Coláiste Bhaile Chláir advance to the decider. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
A remarkable Connacht schools senior football semi-final saw Coláiste Bhaile Chláir, backboned by a host of players who starred for Galway at minor level over the past two years, come back from a seemingly impossible position to overcome St. Colman’s of Claremorris at the end of 80 thrilling minutes of action at the Connacht Centre of Excellence.
Despite missing two penalties, the Galway side still found a way to inch over the line and secure a narrow victory, boosted by the return to action of Éanna Monaghan, one of the most promising stars of the county and a player who missed all of this championship so far due to injury.
With a strong breeze blowing down the ground, it felt that Coláiste Bhaile Chláir needed to take at least a five or six-point lead into the second half, but instead, some superb attacking football from St. Colman’s meant they lead by just two, 0-8 to 0-6.
Darragh Hurley and Adam Beirne were in fantastic form for last year’s Connacht finalists from Mayo, and while the quality of some of the finishing from Jack Ramsay and Stephen Curley at the other end of the field was no less impressive, St. Colman’s had to work much harder for their scores, and they did exactly that.
Midway through the second half, they were rampant. Jack Mullen earned a penalty when he was dragged down but then fired his kick high and wide, while two glorious breakaway moves saw Matthew Morris and Adam Beirne fire in goals for St. Colman’s. When Beirne chose to just fist the ball over the bar in a one-on-one situation to make it 2-8 to 0-9, it felt like all the wind-assisted men in red were just seeing the game out.
Cillian Trayers got the comeback going with a goal after 55 minutes, but they still needed points and the two dead ball scores from Ger O’Riordan, struck from distance into the wind, were as clean a strike as will be seen anywhere this week.
Another superb point on the run from Stephen Curley nudged the Claregalway students in front, but one last attack allowed Beirne to clip an equaliser over the bar.
However even though St. Colman’s got the stoppage time equaliser, it was still Coláiste Bhaile Chláir who were on the front foot.
Luc O’Connor drove forward to kick an inspirational score, Darragh Hurley replied in kind for St. Colman’s but Monaghan now came to the fore, chipping over three points and setting up another to secure their progression.
S Curley 0-5 (0-2f), C Trayers 1-0, É Monaghan 0-3 (0-1f), J Ramsay 0-2f, J Mullen 0-2 (0-1f), G O’Riordan 0-2 (0-1f), L O’Connor 0-2, O Morgan 0-1, J Lonergan 0-1, C Murphy 0-1.
A Beirne 1-7 (0-3f), M Morris 1-1, D Hurley 0-3, P Gilmore 0-1, P Gallagher 0-1f.
E McGrath; E Geraghty, C Hanley, R Flaherty; L O’Connor, C Greaney, O Kelly; D Kilcommons, C Trayers; J Lonergan, C Murphy, O Morgan; J Mullen, J Ramsey, S Curley.
É Monaghan for Murphy (36), G O’Riordan for Ramsay (41), R Ó hEochagáin for Morgan (52), Murphy for Ó hEochagáin (f-t).
D O’Brien; E McGreal, C Lydon, J Finn; O McNulty, R Mortimer, P Gilmore; E Jennings, J Melvin; D Gallagher, M Morris, C Corless; P Gallagher, A Beirne, D Hurley.
C Morley for Finn (42), D Beirne for P Gallagher (52), J Cummins for D Gallagher (52), P Gallagher for Morris (full-time), D Gallagher for Gilmore (72), F for Morley (75).
D Lyons (Roscommon).
