Shield bliss as Kiltimagh boys secure Connacht crown

FAIS Connacht Senior ‘A’ Shield Final 

St Louis CS, Kiltimagh 2 

Colaiste na Coiribe 1 

Paul O’Malley at Umbro Park, Milebush 

Goals in either half for St Louis’ propelled them to victory in the Connacht ‘A’ Shield Final last Tuesday afternoon in Umbro Park, Milebush.

The Kiltimagh school held a 1-0 lead at half-time thanks to Padraig McLoughlin’s towering opener just before the break. Their standout player, Chris Tarpey, scored what proved to be the shield-winning goal in the second-half but an instant response from the Galway school made the closing 20 minutes a real battle for Fearghal O’Hara’s charges.

They nearly, so nearly, got off to the perfect start when Conal Breslin robbed Luka McGrath of the ball and stormed towards goal. He got his shot off and it smacked the crossbar with only 45 seconds played.

Cillian Mooney and Fionnan Burke then came close when Tarpey sent a corner into the area but both had efforts blocked.

Chances were rare for Colaiste na Coiribe in the first-half but Sean Gilmartin was called into action with 21 minutes played. Daniel Hoare sent a low cross into the area where Rory Dixon was waiting, unmarked. Gilmartin rushed out to clear it. It fell to Luan O’Shea outside the penalty area and he hit a shot through a sea of bodies that Gilmartin, still a good breadth away from his goal line, did well to get down and save.

With 40 minutes played, St Louis scored a well-deserved go-ahead goal. Chris Tarpey, who had been pulling the strings in midfield, sent a corner-kick into the centre of the box where Padraig McLoughlin rose highest to head home.

Tarpey earned his name on the scoresheet in the second-half with a great all-around performance but for the goal, the credit goes almost solely to Jack Morley. With 70 minutes played at Umbro Park, Morley got his head on Sean Gilmartin’s kickout to flick the ball down the wing and then gave chase to it, accelerating in sixth gear past two Colaiste na Coiribe defenders. There were shades of Gareth Bale’s legendary goal for Real Madrid in the Copa Del Rey final against Barcelona in the move, as Morley used his strength to hold off the defender and play a pass across the box into the path of Chris Tarpey, who applied the finish to make it 2-0.

St Louis were far from home and hosed however. Just 60 seconds later, Daniel Hoare headed in to make it 2-1. The Kiltimagh school were made to work hard to take home the Shield. Coiribe’s best chance came in the 87th minute, when Mark Mannion took a quick free-kick to find Hoare out wide. Hoare returned it to Mannion and his shot forced the save of the day out of Sean Gilmartin.

St Louis would hold on for the win, despite being put under intense pressure.

St Louis: Sean Gilmartin, Oisin Mulderrig, Padraig McLoughlin, Darragh McGovern, Fionnan Burke, Jack Concannon, Jack Morley, Chris Tarpey, Rob O’Flaherty, Cillian Mooney, Conal Breslin. Subs: Ethan Hosty, Simon Byrne.

Colaiste na Coiribe: Jack Carroll, Christian Blighe, Gavin Murray, Luc McHugh, Luka McGrath, Colm Joyce, Rory Dixon, Rian O’Shea, Daniel Hoare, Luan O’Shea, Dylan Devine. Subs: Ailil Connelly, Mark Mannion, Liam Conneely, Maidhc Donnelly.