Tiernan’s take the title after titanic final tussle
The senior footballers of St Tiernan's College, Crossmolina who got the better of St Louis', Kiltimagh to win the Mayo Post Primary Schools senior 'C' football championship title.
St Tiernan’s College recovered from a poor start to defeat St Louis’ Community School and claim the Flanagan ‘C’ Cup last Thursday afternoon.
The East Mayo students will be gutted, having seen goal opportunities in each half come crashing back off the woodwork, but the Crossmolina-based school deserve immense credit for the way they recovered from their slow start, which included a penalty being saved and conceding a major before second-half additional time, to be crowned champions at a wet and windy Foxford.
St Louis could have been out of sight by the end of the first quarter. In the opening minute, Eamon Maguire saw a goal chance tipped away by the goalkeeper before former Mayo minor Conor Hession saw a thunderous attempt on goal in the fourth minute cannon back off the crossbar.
St Louis’ got the opening point through Dillon Sheridan a minute later and tagged on the next three points through Michael Rabbitt and two from Hession, one from a free.
At that stage, St Tiernan’s were making little headway through the St Louis’ backline, but they were offered a golden chance at the start of the second quarter. St Tiernan’s were awarded a penalty when Adam Cunnane pulled down Conor Carey as he was in on goal, with the corner-back shown a black card, but Tony Carey’s penalty was saved by the legs of James McLoughlin.
It didn’t deter them, however. An excellent score by James Duffy extended the lead for St Louis’ before Tony Carey got St Tiernan’s opening score on 22 minutes, which was quickly followed by their second through Ross Gallagher. They nearly added a goal of their own as Tony Carey played a clever one-two with his Ardagh clubmate Thomas Varkonda but Carey, a Mayo minor last year, saw his effort saved by McLoughlin.
They wouldn’t have to wait too much longer to raise their first green flag. After Aaron Keane got St Tiernan’s third point, Varkonda played a defence-splitting pass to Luke Kelly and he buried his shot into the bottom corner. St Louis’ got back level momentarily thanks to Sean McDonnell but Ross Gallagher’s point in the final action of the first-half saw St Tiernan’s in front, 1-4 to 0-6.
St Tiernan’s picked up where they left off, with points from Adam Naughton and Conor Carey to move three in front. By the end of third quarter however, they would need to go to the well again as St Louis’ had hit 1-4 without reply.
After Sean McDonnell’s second point, Conor Hession struck the sole two-pointer in this final from a free to level the game and put the large St Louis’ support in full voice. The decibel level got even louder when Michael Rabbitt put them in back in front and the Boys in Blue were bouncing on 41 minutes when Hession’s effort on goal went through the legs of Luke Langan and crept over the line.
But St Louis’ indiscipline cost them again when Tom Smyth was shown a black card, while a Conor Carey free was brought forward for a simple tap over due to a breach. Tony Carey and Adam Naughton made it a one-point game on 48 minutes before a brilliant move, with Varkonda and Tony Carey at the heart of it once more, was finished off by Conor Carey for St Tiernan’s second goal three minutes later.
After Gallagher’s third point for St Tiernan’s, another two goal chances came the way of St Louis’ to level it. First, a stunning strike by Adam Cunnane that had Luke Langan beaten came back off the upright while Eamon Maguire was put through by Michael Rabbitt only to lose control of the ball at the crucial moment. Third time was the charm on 59 minutes when Liam Smyth ran through the heart of the St Tiernan’s defence to fire home and send the St Louis supporters into raptures.
Extra-time was on the horizon, but St Tiernan’s found it within them again and points from Tony Carey, Thomas Varkonda and Ross Gallagher, a free, in injury-time sent the Flanagan ‘C’ Cup up north.
Scorers – St Tiernan’s: Conor Carey 1-0-2 (0-1f), Ross Gallagher 0-0-4 (1f), Luke Kelly 1-0-0, Tony Carey 0-0-3, Adam Naughton 0-0-2, Aaron Keane and Thomas Varkonda 0-0-1 each.
St Louis: Conor Hession 1-1-2 (1tpf, 1f), Liam Smyth 1-0-0, Michael Rabbitt and Sean McDonnell 0-0-2 each, Stephen Conlon and James Duffy 0-0-1 each.
St Tiernan’s: Luke Langan; Iarlath Gallagher, Eanna O’Boyle, Matthew Reilly; Cillian Reilly, Adam Foody, Thomas Varkonda; Adam Naughton, Dillon Sheridan; Ross Gallagher, Luke Kelly, Dylan Murphy; Conor Carey, Tony Carey, Aaron Keane. Subs: Conor Murphy (for Keane 53), Darragh Moore (or Sheridan 57).
St Louis: James McLoughlin; Eoghan McGovern, Oisin Sweeney, Adam Cunnane; Ryan Griffin, James Duffy, Mark Higgins; Liam Smyth, Stephen Conlon; Tom Smyth, Conor Hession, Sean McDonnell; Simon Byrne, Michael Rabbitt, Eamon Maguire. Sub: Jack Shannon (for Byrne 51).
REF: Paddy Chambers (Burrishoole)
