Brilliant Butler leads Gallen CS to All-Ireland glory

Masita All-Ireland Vocational Schools Junior Football Final

Gallen CS, Ferbane 3-11, St Mark's, Warrenpoint 2-3

Powered by midfielder Colin Kenny, and with full-forward Michael Butler a constant threat in attack, Gallen Community School powered their way to the All-Ireland Vocational Schools junior football title with a fully deserved 11-point win over St. Mark’s, Warrenpoint in Cusack Park, Mullingar last Saturday.

The Down school had looked very impressive in a facile semi-final win recently at the same venue, but they had no answer on this occasion to a well-drilled Ferbane side, albeit the Warrenpoint lads missed two glorious goal opportunities approaching the break. The scoring of one or both of those chances could have dramatically altered the course of the game.

In the end, however, there was no disputing the merits of an outstanding triumph by Ciaran Doyle’s troops.

With Colin Kenny’s midfield heroics largely responsible for a constant flow of ball to the forward division, Gallen CS led by 0-6 to 0-0 at the end of the first quarter. The six points came via Kenny himself in the opening minute, Dean Hogan and Michael Butler (four – two great points from play in the fifth and ninth minutes, and a brace of routine frees).

At the other end, Tiarnan Rushe struck a poor wide from a free in an effort to put his side on the scoreboard and the winners made the most of this by rifling over three more unanswered points between the 20th and 24th minutes, courtesy of another Butler free and two from the boot of Ryan Heavin, both after eye-catching solo runs.

Then came the aforementioned St Mark’s brace of great goal-scoring opportunities, with Jack McAvoy shooting very narrowly wide and Jody McGovern spurning a one-on-one with Barry Rohan by blazing the ball high and wide.

The losers were made to pay when Jack Clancy teed up Michael Butler for a well-taken goal in the 29th minute. Jordan Murphy opened the Ulster side’s account on the half-hour mark, but they were already in major trouble when Ferbane led by 1-9 to 0-1 at the break. 

A great goal under pressure from Tiarnan Rushe within two minutes of the resumption gave St Mark’s a little hope, particularly as points soon followed from Joseph Morgan (rounding off a flowing move) and a tricky free from Jordan Murphy.
However, the Colin Kenny/Michael Butler understanding yielded a 38th-minute point from the latter and a classy goal, also from Butler, within a minute. Approaching the end of the third quarter, Callum Magill saved smartly from Butler, but the St Mark’s goalie was soon powerless to keep out a first-time effort from Conor Owens, after twice denying Brian McEvoy in the build-up.
Two ‘45’s awarded to the losers were unconverted before Butler teed up Dean Hogan for a tidy point.

A fabulous solo goal from Aaron Magee put a better look on the scoreboard for a battling Warrenpoint outfit in the 52nd minute, but St Mark’s paid for their mounting frustration in the closing stages of a generally sporting contest with the dismissal of both Lorcan Brannigan (second yellow, 56th minute) and Jody McGovern (straight red, 58th minute).

They had the small consolation of rounding off match scoring when Tiarnan Rushe added to the ball in mid-air in injury-time for an improvised point.
After the match, on behalf of the All-Ireland Colleges Council, Albert Fallon presented the cup to a very worthy recipient in Colin Kenny. 

Scorers
Gallen CS: M Butler 2-6 (0-3f), C Owens 1-0, R Heavin and D Hogan 0-2 each, C Kenny 0-1. St. Mark’s: T Rushe 1-1, A Magee 1-0, J Murphy 0-2 (1f).

Gallen CS: Barry Rohan; Ronan Hynes, John Corcoran, Anthony Seery; Conor Lynam, Jack Egan, Liam Cooper; Colin Kenny, Tom Corcoran; Conor Owens, Ryan Heavin, Brian McEvoy; Jack Clancy, Michael Butler, Dean Hogan. Subs: Emmett Molloy for Hynes (51), Jack Darcy for Owens (57), James Lowry for Clancy (59), Jack Quinn for Cooper (60), Joseph Egan for Lynam (60).

St Mark’s: Callum Magill; Darragh Murdock, Connor Fitzpatrick, Lorcan Brannigan; Peter Magee, Pearse Kelly, Eoin Rooney; CJ Barr, Joseph Morgan; Jordan Murphy, Jody McGovern, Aaron Magee; Tiarnan Rushe, Jack McAvoy, Conor Murray. Subs: Padraig Harper for Murdock (44), Conor Keenan for Magill (inj., 44), Conor Owens for Murray (53).

Referee: Joe Curley (Meath).