Coláiste Choilm claim Leinster glory

Coláiste Choilm, Tullamore 4-5

Cnoc Mhuire Granard 2-7

Pictured above: The Coláiste Choilm, Tullamore team which won the Leinster Schools SF 'B' final yesterday. Photo: Ger Rogers.

Coláiste Choilm, Tullamore finally got their chance to secure Leinster football glory and they didn’t let it slip by as two goals in either half secured their win over Cnoc Mhuire of Granard yesterday afternoon (Friday) in Mullingar, writes Kevin Egan.

The Tullamore side's victory in the Top Oil Leinster Schools SF 'B' final ensured their place in the history books as the first team to win silverware since the lockdown.

After winning the toss at at TEG Cusack Park, the Tullamore students opted to play into the wind and their ability to carve out goalscoring chances into that breeze proved crucial. Seán Courtney was denied by a great save from Daire Madden early in the game but after conceding two early points, Luke Egan’s goal on the counter attack brought them back on level terms.

A fortunate second goal that dipped under the crossbar from Cathal Ryan’s 30-metre shot gave them a 2-3 to 0-5 interval lead, with the wind to come.

Cnoc Mhuire again rallied after the break but goals from Michael Fox and Seán Courtney seemed to make the win safe, pushing Niall Stack’s side out into a nine-point lead.

Mark Cunningham pulled one back for Granard before a Joe-Sheridan-esque score from Cormac Brady reduced the gap to three, but Coláiste Choile were still able to hold out in the face of two late attacks before a long-range free from Sean Courtney clinched their success.

Scorers

Coláiste Choilm: L Egan & S Courtney (0-1f) 1-1 each, C Ryan, M Fox, 1-0 each, J Bryant 0-3f.

Cnoc Mhuire Granard: C Brady 1-3, M Cunningham 1-0, M Hynes 0-2 (0-1f), T Madden and C Scanlon 0-1f each.

COLÁISTE CHOILM, TULLAMORE: Anthony Lambe; Michael Feeney, Aaron Flanagan, Diarmuid Walsh; Cathal Ryan, Colm Leonard, Sean Courtney; Josh Evans, Luke Egan; Emmet Curley, Cormac Egan, Jay Sheerin; Jack Bryant, John Furlong, Oisín Keenan Martin. Subs: Michael Fox for Walsh (H-T), Daniel Fox for Ryan (52).

CNOC MHUIRE GRANARD: Daire Madden; Tiarnan Madden, Cian O’Reilly, Cathal Gilligan; Bryan Masterson, Ciarán Scanlon, Mark Cunningham; Connor Leonard, Caolan O’Reilly; Mark O’Neill, Jordan Martin, Aaron Smyth; Cormac Brady, Dara Sheridan, Micheál Hynes. Subs: Matthew Shaughnessy for Sheridan (46), Emmet Brady for O’Neill (50), Ruairí Corcoran for Smyth (50).

Referee: Keith O’Brien (Westmeath).