How Ardscoil na Tríonóide came so close to a first ever Br Bosco Cup title

Coláiste Mhuire Mullingar 3-10

Ardscoil na Tríonóide 1-13

Coláiste Mhuire Mullingar are the Leinster Post-Primary Schools Br. Bosco Cup champions. They beat Ardscoil Na Tríonóide, Athy in extra-time in a thriller at Glenisk O’Connor Park.

Coláiste Mhuire went into extra-time with a man advantage after Darragh Farrell received a straight red card for a strong challenge on star scorer Will Scahill. Ardscoil na Tríonóide were ahead when the full-forward received his marching orders and were pegged back one minute into added time when Ben Sheerin, up from corner-back, turned sharply and fired over.

The Mullingar men got their lead in extra-time after an extended period of patient possession and it was yet again Will Scahill who put them there. Intelligent play made space for Scahill and he stroked over a super point.

Two minutes later the Kildare school were level thanks to a free from their talisman, Ronan Kelly. Parity did not last long however and Seán Byrne edged Coláiste Mhuire ahead in the seventh minute of the first half with his first point.

Deep into that first half, this game finally had its decisive moment. Coláiste Mhuire’s Oisín O'Hara took aim at the posts, but saw his effort dropping well short. It was Paul Keating that would use all his innovation to manufacture a goal with the substitute flicking the ball backwards over his head and into the net.

Despite the setback, Ardscoil na Tríonóide had no intention of giving up and, with points from Sam Lynch and Ronan Kelly, they moved back to within two points after extra-time half-time.

It was too little too late however for the KIldare men and as they pushed for a goal, they were pipped on the counterattack.

After exceptional work from Will Scahill once again to retain the ball under enormous pressure, Seán Byrne got the game’s final score for Coláiste Mhuire. The referee’s final whistle brought to an end an exceptional game of football with the Mullingar side ahead 3-10 to 1-13.

It is a tough pill to swallow Ardscoil Na Tríonóide, who were brilliant throughout and started this game superbly with 0-3 to 0-1 on the board in the opening 10 minutes. The first of which would have commanded two-points under the new rules, but unfortunately for Robbie Murphy and Ardscoil they had to settle for just one for the superb opening score.

Ardscoil’s 0-3 to 0-1 lead was quickly extinguished by a Will Scahill goal after he was sent through by Michael Weir. Three minutes later and Scahill had found the net again, this time being sent through by a sumptuous ball from Michael Moloney into his path. The Coláiste Mhuire forward, who hit 2-6 on the day, finished coolly on both occasions.

Within the next 60 seconds, Ardscoil Na Tríonóide got their first green flag raised following a rapid attacking move. James Donnelly found Calum Keaveny who hastily hand-passed to Colm Moran, who laced the ball into the corner of the net.
After the glut of goals, the sides were just a point apart at 2-1 to 1-3.

Ardscoil kicked on brilliantly after their goal, scoring the next four points of this game through Ronan Kelly (twice), Darragh Farrell and Colm Moran.

A Will Scahill free just before half-time sent the team’s in with Ardscoil Na Tríonóide leading by two at 1-7 to 2-2.

The Athy school pulled four clear after half-time with scores from Robbie Murphy and an excellent mark from Darragh Farrell.
Coláiste Mhuire responded superbly and, after a Will Scahill free-kick made this a three-point game, they hit three more scores without reply to level things up.

There was then a gap of 13 minutes before the next score as tensions rose between the sides after a fast, tough and dramatic encounter to that point. An embodiment of the joy of school’s football throughout.

It was Ardscoil Na Tríonóide who edged in front in the 58th minute thanks to another Ronan Kelly free. Moments later, Darragh Farrell was dismissed and the momentum gained by the lead had shifted back in the other direction. Ardscoil had not only lost a man, but a player who had a good case for being their best on the day.

In the 61st minute, Coláiste Mhuire equalised. The Mullingar men were pouring forward and doing everything they could to eke out an opportunity for one of their key attackers. However, it was corner-back Ben Sheerin that drew them level.

That score sent this game into extra-time and Coláiste Mhuire Mullingar would then go on to lift the Br. Bosco Cup after a brilliant game.

SCORERS
Coláiste Mhuire Mullingar: Will Scahill 2-6 (0-5 frees), Paul Keating 1-0, Seán Byrne 0-2, Matthew Thornton 0-1, Ben Sheerin 0-1.

Ardscoil Na Tríonóide, Athy: Ronan Kelly 0-6 (0-6 frees), Colm Moran 1-1, Darragh Farrell 0-3 (0-1 mark), Robbie Murphy 0-2, Sam Lynch 0-1.

TEAMS
Coláiste Mhuire Mullingar: Adam Buckley; Ben Sheerin, Ty Masterson, Conor Daly; Darragh Smith, Michael Weir, Michael Moloney; Eoin Conlon, Donnacha Maguire; Conor Heffernan, Matthew Thornton, Oisín O'Hara; Will Scahill, Eoin Meehan, Seán Byrne. Subs: Ben McNamee for Eoin Meehan (25 minutes), Paul Keating for Conor Heffernan (58 minutes), James Murtagh for Ben Sheerin (half-time of extra-time), Conor Heffernan for Matthew Thornton (19 mins of extra-time).

Ardscoil Na Tríonóide, Athy: Oisín Groarke (Castlemitchell); Daniel Henry (Athy), Mark Grufferty (St Laurence's), Liam Byrne (Athy); Cameron Pedreschi (Athy), James Donnelly (St Laurence's), Calum Keaveny (Athy); Eoin Johnson (St Joseph's), Robbie Murphy (St Joseph's); Ronan Kelly (Athy), Colm Moran (Athy), Sam Lynch (St Joseph's); Harry Grainger (Athy), Darragh Farrell (St Joseph's), Páidí Kelly (Castlemitchell). Subs: Eoin Coffey (Castlemitchell) for Mark Grufferty (40 minutes), Seán Rowan (St Joseph's) for Harry Grainger (46 minutes), Niall Hickey (Ballylinan) for Sam Lynch (56 minutes), Sam Lynch for Robbie Murphy (11 mins of extra-time), Cian O'Rourke (Castlemitchell) for Liam Byrne (19 mins of extra-time).

Referee: Eamonn O’Connor (Offaly)