Connacht final is out of reach for Rice College boys

Connacht PPS Senior ‘A’ Football Championship semi-final 

Coláiste Bhaile Chláir 0-13 

Rice College 1-6 

Patrick Hennelly at Connacht CoE, Bekan 

A doughty Coláiste Bhaile Chláir produced a workmanlike second-half display to book their ticket into a coveted Connacht final, despite the brave efforts of a gallant Rice College.

Last Thursday’s encounter at Bekan may not have been a classic, but the zeal and determination from the Claregalway side was evident throughout.

Rice College had the wind at their backs for the first-half and despite Westport’s Noah Massey guiding over the opening point of the morning from a ’45, after just two minutes, the Galway outfit seemed to settle into this tie from an early juncture.

Eanna Monaghan was one of the standout performers for Coláiste Bhaile Chláir and after soaking up the early pressure from Rice College, the Galway side manoeuvred the ball up-field to the aforementioned Monaghan and he levelled matters on 12 minutes.

Claregalway were beginning to move through the gears and some eagle-eyed vision from Ryan O’Flaherty resulted in Jack Lonergan collecting possession and the later bisected the posts with a marvellous point.

The game was developing into a tit-for-tat battle, and a brace of Rice College pointed frees from the deadly accurate Killian Conway regained a brief lead for the Navy and Blue, before Stephen Curley’s free levelled matters for Coláiste Bhaile Chláir after 21 minutes and the score-line read 0-3 apiece.

Rice College appeared to have the upper hand as the half drew to a close and an awesome long-range point by Jack Dawson on 27 minutes, which was also their first score of the game from play, delighted the Westport faithful.

On the stroke of half-time, Dawson’s industrious teammate Conway popped over a peach of a score from an acute and difficult angle, which helped muster a slender 0-5 to 0-3 interval lead for the Mayo side.

After the resumption, Coláiste Bhaile Chláir, who are managed by former Mayo football star Maurice Sheridan, began the second-half at a whirlwind pace and a point inside the opening minute of the new period by Stephen Curley reduced their arrears to the bare minimum. Rice College were struggling to breech the steadfast Claregalway rearguard and when the busy Monaghan guided over another free on 37 minutes to level matters, the momentum was now with the Galway side.

Curley, who was beginning to excel in a new roving role, edged the Maroon and Green in front on 38 minutes, before a free by the deadly Monaghan on 41 minutes helped garner a crucial two point cushion for Sheridan’s charges, 0-7 to 0-5.

The game was beginning to drift away from a struggling Rice College and the West Mayo supporters’ concerns intensified when a gem of a point from Claregalway substitute Matthew Collins, coupled with Curley’s neat turn and point on 43 minutes, helped muster a healthy four point cushion for Coláiste Bhaile Chláir.

Rice College finally ended their second-half malaise on 44 minutes when the combination of Tom Lambert and the energetic Massey ended with a point for the latter. However, a gutsy Claregalway refused to allow Rice College build up a head of steam and singles from the dynamic duo of Curley and Monaghan, a free, copper-fastened the Maroon and Green’s grip on the game.

The Claregalway side seemed on course to reach a historic Connacht final, however, their game plan suffered a set-back on 52 minutes when Stephen Curley picked up a black card. And four minutes later, Rice College were given another chink of hope when they were awarded a spot-kick after a Coláiste Bhaile Chláir player was deemed to have foot-blocked the ball inside the penalty zone. Westport’s Dawson was coolness personified from the placed ball and suddenly there were just two points separating the sides, 0-11 to 1-6.

But alas, that was the last time that Rice College would register a score, whereas Claregalway sealed their final berth in some style courtesy of points from another Monaghan free and a superlative long-range point by the returning Curley.

Scorers – Rice College: Jack Dawson 1-1 (1-0pen), Killian Conway 0-3 (2f), Noah Massey 0-2 (1 ’45).

Coláiste Bhaile Chláir: Stephen Curley 0-6 (1f), Eanna Monaghan 0-5 (4f), Jack Lonergan and Matthew Collins 0-1 each.

Rice College: Conor Meaney; Peter McGowan, Conor Reynolds, Luke Durkan; Donal Hastings, Lorcan Silke, Conor Kelly; Tom Lambert, Noah Massey; Michael McDonnell, Jack O’Malley, Joey Holmes; Killian Conway, Fionn O’Hora, Jack Dawson. Sub: Micheál Regan (for Hastings 49).

Coláiste Bhaile Chláir: Cillian Walsh; Sean O’Flynn, Eoin Geraghty, Niall Feeney; John Lynn, Dan Hughes, Sean Wynne; Jack Lonergan, Ryan O’Flaherty; Olan Kelly, Eanna Monaghan, Sean Duggan; Dan Fitzmaurice, Stephen Curley, Shane O’hEochagáin. Subs: Cillian Trayers (for Wynne ht), Oisín Devlin (for Kelly ht), Matthew Collins (for Lynn 39), Sean O’Callaghan (for O’hEochagáin 50).

REF: John Glavey (Aghamore)