St Gerald's hold off late rally from Westport rivals to claim the cup
St Gerald's Seamus Murphy tries to get past Rice College’s Ruairi O’Neill during the O’Haire Cup Schools Final at Islandeady last Friday. Pictures: Conor McKeown
Timing is everything and St Gerald’s struck at crucial junctures in the game to win the O’Haire Cup over age-old rivals Rice College last Friday morning.
Despite being behind for much of the first half, two quickfire goals before half-time nudged them in front. By the end of the third quarter, St Gerald’s led by give but substitute Mark O’Connor found the net to set up a grandstand finish.
On two occasions, Rice College got to within a point of their Castlebar opponents, but St Gerald’s crucially came up with key scores to claim the bragging rights and trophy.
The first ten minutes of this game was hampered by the inclement weather conditions, the only point coming for St Gerald’s on four minutes through Jerry Brosnihan.
Finn MacDonnacha got Rice College off the mark with a boomer on 11 minutes and followed it up with their first major two minutes later. MacDonnacha turned provider with a great pass from the midfield into Cormac Curran, who buried his shot past Ewan Buckton.
Gerald’s replied through Jack Ryan’s first point and were unlucky not to bag a major of their own through Cillian Keating, who ran almost 40 metres through the heart of the Rice College defence only to see his shot come back off the post.
After Brosnihan and Jamie Holmes traded frees, Rice College netted their second goal. Ciaran Keane won the kickout and darted down the right of the St Gerald’s defence to set up Ruairi O’Neill for a simple finish to put the Westport boys five points up.
That would be Rice College’s last score the first half as St Gerald’s hit 2-2 without reply. Brosnihan and Ryan pointed before Keating got the goal his performance deserved, which was followed by Jack Ryan finishing soccer style in the last action of the half to put them 2-5 to 2-2 in front.
That lead was out to five by the end of the third quarter. Eoghan Dillon, two from Conor Moran (one free), and one apiece from Oscar Diffily and Brosnihan put St Gerald’s in control, but indiscipline cost them a bigger lead as Jamie Holmes pointed two frees that were brought forward for dissent.
The introduction of Mark O’Connor off the bench had a big impact, and he got on the end of Ciaran Keane’s diagonal ball to fire in Rice College’s third goal to bring the gap back to two. Cormac Curran made it one-point game, but Brosnihan split the post with a big score on 55 minutes to restore St Gerald’s two-point advantage.
It was all Rice College at this stage, and Homes split the posts with his fourth free as another St Gerald’s foul in the Westport half was brought forward for dissent. However, Rice College could not get themselves level and Ethan Canny’s stunner in added time saw St Gerald’s claim the honours.
