O’Flaherty hits winner as Tralee CBS edge St Brendan's in nail-biting Kerry colleges final

Ronan Carroll scored 1-5 for Tralee CBS as they beat St Brendan's College Killarney in the Kerry Colleges O'Sullivan Cup final. 

Tralee CBS defeated St Brendan's College Killarney by a point to win the Kerry College U19A football final Pic: Tatyana McGough

Kerry Colleges O’Sullivan Cup (U19A football) final: Tralee CBS 2-12 St Brendan's Killarney 2-11 

Last year’s Kerry minor captain Gearoid White made a welcome return to football in attack for Tralee CBS, but it was outstanding centre-back Eoin O’Flaherty who kicked the winning points three minutes into added time to break Sem hearts in this Kerry Colleges SFC (O'Sullivan Cup) final.

It was a game that ebbed and flowed but Tralee CBS just about deserved the win as they created three goal chances that should have been taken but two came back off the crossbar and a third saw Caolan Mitchell produce a stunning save from Gearoid White.

It will act as a wakeup call for the Green who were sloppy throughout. On the flip side, it was a moral victory for St Brendan's College who really were gutsy in defeat.

St Brendan's College had the wind in the opening half and really took the game to Tralee CBS thanks to some excellent play around the middle. They were also quicker to the breaking ball.

Mark O’Carroll gave St Brendan's the best possible start with a point in the second minute but Gearoid White responded when he crashed the ball off the Sem crossbar and was on hand to collect the rebound and fire over the equalizer.

The Green then struck for the opening goal when Nick Lacey split the St Brendan's defence with a neat pass to wing back Mickey Corridon who slid the ball to the Sem net past Mitchell. Lacey then increased the Green’s lead with a neat point and it appeared that the favourites were about to put St Brendan's to the sword.

But Ben Kelliher then steadied the St Brendan's ship with a point and two minutes later, they leveled the contest when John Henderson found Mark Kennelly in space and he finished to the net. Points from Liam O’Brien and Finan Blackwell pushed St Brendan's 1-4 to 1-3 in front by the 20th minute but four wides for the Sem ultimately cost them.

Two Ronan Carroll points and beauty from White saw Tralee CBS move two clear but St Brendans finished the opening half with a 1-2 flourish, the goal a typical Kelliher poacher's goal as St Brendan's retire 2-6 to 1-6 in front at the interval.

Tralee CBS started the second half as if they were going to blow St Brendan's away with a White two pointer and then when Carroll was dragged down in the square, referee Seamus Mulvihill pointed to the spot and Carroll sent Mitchell the wrong way.

The Green were now two clear but scores were hard to come by but Kelliher closed the deficit to the minimum.

The hard working Mairtin McKivergan then pushed Tralee two clear and Carroll made it a three point game with eight minutes left.

Blackwell and O’Brien cut the deficit to a point in the 56th minute before White was denied a goal by the brilliance of Mitchell. Carroll restored Tralee CBS’s two point lead in the 60th minute but in the 62nd minute Joey McCarthy leveled with a monstrous two pointer.

But in one last attack, Eoin O’Flaherty raced through from the halfway line and fired over the winning point with virtually the last kick of the game.

Scorers for Tralee CBS: R Carroll (1-5, 1-0 pen, 1f), G White (0-4, 1 tpp), M Corridon (1-0), M McKivergan (0-2), E O’Flaherty (0-1)

Scorers for St Brendan's College: B Kelliher (1-3,1f), M Kennelly (1-0), F Blackwell, L O’Brien (1f), J McCarthy (0-2, tpp), and M O’Carroll (0-2 each) 

TRALEE CBS: O Lata (Austin Stacks); M Enright (St Pats), E Moriarty (Ballymac), S Turner (Ballymac); F Ryan (Austin Stacks), E O'Flaherty (Ardfert), M Corridon (Ardfert); M McKivergan (Ballymac), T O'Connor (Ballyduff); T Quilter (Churchill), C McKenna (Churchill), C Hurley (St. Senans); G White ( John Mitchels) , R Carroll (Austin Stacks), N Lacey (Kerins O’Rahillys).

Subs: R Hurley (St Senans) for T O’Connor (40), S Hickey (Churchill) for N Lacey (54) 

ST BRENDAN’S COLLEGE: C Mitchell ( Spa); D McCarthy (Listry), Z Cronin (Kilcummin), J Nash (Dr Crokes); J Rudden (Glenflesk), A Cremin ( Firies), J Aherne (Kilcummin); B Walsh ( Legion), M Kennelly (Fossa); F Blackwell (Legion), J McCarthy (Spa), M O’Carroll; L O’Brien (Glenflesk), B Kelliher (Dr Crokes), J Henderson (Firies).

Subs: J Dempsey (Milltown-Castlemaine) for A Cremin (50), J Hallissey (Fossa) for J Nash (53), L Hennigan (Dr Crokes) for J Henderson (55), B O’Connor (Legion) for J Ahern (60) 

Referee: S Mulvihill (St Senans)