Mercy Mounthawk make senior schools breakthrough in Kerry
CHAMPIONS: Mounthawk celebrate after capturing the O’Sullivan Cup by beating St Brendans in the final at Austin Stack Park.
It was a red letter day for Mercy Mounthawk who made history by winning their first O’Sullivan Cup. It also marked their first senior final victory in the relatively short history of the Tralee school.
The O’Sullivan Cup is so often dominated by traditional schools, such as the Sem, the Green, Colaiste Na Sceilge and PS Chorcha Dhuibhne.
Last year when Mounthawk mixed it with the big boys in the O’Sullivan Cup final, St Brendan's dismissed their challenge with ease.
There was no such repeat at Austin Stack Park on Tuesday.
But it was not a surprise. This day was coming. Mounthawk had won the Frewen Cup two years ago and that victorious side formed the bulk of this squad in Tralee.
Once again Paddy Lane was the main man as he amassed 1-9 of his sides total. With Odhran Ferris and Niall Collins supplying good ball, Dara Stack and his fellow Sem defenders were under the cosh for long periods of the opening half.
Alex Hennigan got the game’s first point for the Sem, but Mounthawk responded with a goal in the fourth minute from Noah Townsend after a great pass into him by Niall Collins.
Lane put over 0-6 (3f, 1’45’) in the first period with both Tomas Kennedy and Collins getting Mounthawk’s other first-half points.
St Brendan's were over-reliant on Alex Hennigan, their only scorer in the opening half, with Luke O’Neill and Callum Cronin also looking threatening.
The Killareny outfit found the Mounthawk defence in a mean mood, with Gary Riordan and Jack Murphy the rocks that many an attack perished on.
It looked all over at half-time as Mounthawk led 1-8 to 0-3 at the break but you can never write off a Sem side.
St Brendan's resumed as if they meant business.
Callum Cronin found the net two minutes into the second half and Hennigan added two more. Keelan O’Shea closed the gap to just three points (1-9 to 1-6) six minutes into the second-half, ensuring Mounthawk’s noisy supporters endured a nervy few minutes.
But the ever-dangerous Lane stepped up with a brace of frees to steady Mounthawk. Team captain Ferris added a superb point in the 46th minute that pushed Mounthawk ahead by six again.
But the Sem had reduced the lead to three again as the clock neared the sixty-minute mark. Enter the two minor All-Stars as Ben Murphy collected from Lane along the end line before putting the ball on a plate for Lane to drill the ball low to the net.
Mercy Mounthawk had now joined the top table of Kerry schools football, and did so in some style.
P Lane (1-9, 6fs, 1’45), N Townsend (1-0), T Kennedy (0-2), B Murphy, N Collins and O Ferris (0-1each)
A Hennigan (0-7, 4fs), C Cronin (1-1), L O’Neill (0-2), K O’Shea (0-1).
M Tansley (Austin Stacks); G Riordan (Ardfert), O McGibney (Churchill), J Fisher (Austin Stacks); J Murphy (Austin Stacks), B Murphy (Austin Stacks); P O’Halloran (Austin Stacks), D Kirby (Austin Stacks), C O’Gara (Austin Stacks), N Collins (Ballymacelligott), O Ferris (Ardfert), S Corkery (John Mitchels); P Lane (Austin Stacks), T Kennedy (Kerins O’Rahillys), N Townsend (Austin Stacks).
B Sharp (St Pats/Blennerville) for S Corkery (48), J Hoare (Kerins O’Rahillys) for N Townsend (56), O Murphy (Churchill) for C O’Gara (60), K Sheehan (Na Gaeil) for B Murphy (60 +3).
S O’Meara (Dr Crokes); B O’Connor (Glenflesk), D Stack (Kilcummin), L Daly (Kilcummin); L O’Neill (Spa), K O’Shea (Kilcummin), A Byrne (Dr Crokes); J Moynihan (Glenflesk), J O’Sullivan (Dr Crokes); O Fleming (Killarney Legion), C Cronin (Glenflesk), T O’Gorman (Fossa), P O’Donoghue (Listry), A Hennigan (Dr Crokes), J Bowler (Legion).
R Harnett (Dr Crokes) for P O’Donoghue (28), C Fleming (Listry) for B O’Connor, O O’Neill (Spa) for T O’Gorman (both H/T), E O’Neill (Spa) for A Byrne (48), J McCarthy (Spa) for O Fleming (58).
E Horan (Glenflesk)
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