St Gerald's complete Connacht double
St. Gerald’s Jude Lavin and St. Muredach’s Daniel Feeney contest possession of the ball during the FAI Schools’ Connacht Senior Cup final at Enniscrone FC last Thursday. Picture: David Farrell Photography
Full of grit, character and resilience, St Gerald’s College held off the onslaught of North Mayo rivals St Muredach’s College to be crowned Connacht champions.
It certainly was not a day to be heading down to the famous beach two miles from the pitch which as the hail, rain and wind battered down and made playing conditions challenging. But when quality was needed, up stepped Gavin Forry with a thunderous strike into top corner early in the first half which was the difference in the end as the Castlebar completed the double, having won the Connacht Gaelic football title last month.
There will be frustration for St Muredach’s. They did not feel they got the rub of the green from the referee as a number of 50/50 calls went against them. Two members of the coaching received yellows for one comment too many at the referee while they continued their protests come the full-time whistle as they felt sufficient added time in the second half was not played (the referee played only two minutes despite seven substitutions in the second half).
In the end, they will have to primarily look at themselves and know they left it behind them as five golden opportunities over the 90 minutes went abegging, as Oisin Costello in the St Gerald’s goal was in inspired form along with Forry and centre-back pairing Shane Cunningham and Ryan Gibbons.
Costello was called into action inside a minute as St Muredach’s worked an opening down the left before the ball found Conor Gorman but his shot was palmed away.
It was a dominant opening by St Muredach’s but on 12 minutes and against the run of play, midfielder Forry fired a rocket from 25 yards past the helpless Matthew Fox and into the top corner.
They almost repeated the trick ten minutes later as Cian Walsh let fly from an identical distance and Fox tipped the effort onto the crossbar.
The biggest chance for St Muredach’s in the first came on 39 minutes following a rare lapse by Forry. After being dispossessed by Gorman, he played a clever through ball to Corey Lavery-McCay and the centre forward laid it back to Cathair Tigue, only for Costello to palm away.
The pressure went up a notch second half by St Muredach’s as they pinned St Gerald’s inside their own half. Lavery-McCay was denied by the feet of Costello before another two chances fell St Muredach’s way.
Shane Cunningham’s clearance from the back came off Lavery-McCay just outside the penalty area and Costello was forced back to tip it onto the bar and he was again called into action as he got a strong hand to Sean Fitzpatrick’s strike from distance.
A growing sense it was not to be St Murdeach’s day was further solidified when Cathair Tigue split the Gerlad’s centre backs open when a brilliant ball to the feel of Lavery-McCay only for Costello to once again be out quick to deny him with a great save.
Frustration grew at this stage for St Muredach’s as St Gerald’s took the sting out of the game and the county town boys held on for a famous win.
