Heroic St Gerald's undone in All-Ireland semi-final
St. Gerald's College's Evan Walsh comes up against Stephen Bowler of CBS Tralee in the All-Ireland Post Primary School Senior A Football Semi-Final, TUS Midwest Campus, Limerick. Picture: INPHO/Dan Clohessy
It is a second All-Ireland PPS Senior 'A' football semi-final defeat in three years for St Gerald’s College, Castlebar, as three second half goals by Tralee CBS proved too much to overcome in a five-point defeat this afternoon, 4-11 to 1-15, at the TUS Midwest Campus in Limerick.
The sides were deadlocked at 0-2 apiece after ten minutes, with a point each from Joe Forry and Conor Hoban cancelling out a two-pointer from Gearoid White.
Hoban edged Gerald's in front before Ronan Carroll placed home the first of his two goals at the end of the first quarter. Tralee could have had another two majors in the half were in not for the brilliance of St Gerald's goalkeeper Oisin Costello and the boys in blue got raised their own green flag on 20 minutes from a Paul Hurst penalty.
Another Hoban point edged them in front but a second Gearoid White effort from outside the arc put Tralee 1-5 to 1-4 up at the interval.
St Gerald's would score five of the next six points to put them four ahead and the momentum all looked with the men from the west. However, Tralee would outscore St Gerald's 2-4 to 0-2 in a blistering six-minute periods, the goals coming from individual brilliance from White and Nick Lacey.
Yet St Gerald's kept coming and the game was all square on 51 minutes thanks to points from Hoban and Ryan McNamara. David Joyce and Diarmuid O'Connor's side looked to back in front again but a stunning two-point free from Mairtin McKevigan put Tralee back ahead.
Another Joe Forry free gave St Gerald's hope but a breakaway goal from Ronan Carroll means St Gerald's wait for a maiden Hogan Cup continues.
