Mulvihill’s goal sees St Mel’s eliminate Coláiste Mhuire
North Leinster Post Primary Schools Junior Football ‘A’ Semi-Final: St Mel’s, Longford 2-4, Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar 0-7
Goals in the 26th and 38th minute – albeit both tinged with controversy – were enough for the junior footballers from St Mel’s, Longford to edge out their counterparts from Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar in a closely-contested game played in difficult conditions at Glennon Bros Pearse Park last Thursday afternoon.
The match started in glorious winter sunshine, but the arrival of hailstones midway through the first half made for very trying conditions for young boys. In the end, the three-time Hogan Cup winners just about deserved their victory. The Mullingar lads had the aid of a strong wind in the first moiety, but it was their opponents who took the lead after 70 seconds when Harry Mulvihill pointed at the end of a fine move.
The respective number 14s, Jack Duncan (a 40-metre free) and Michael Flynn (open play), traded points before the impressive Duncan doubled his tally to equalise in the ninth minute.
Duncan soon started and finished a great move with a point before the strength of the wind became clear when Flynn was short from what looked like a scoreable free. Duncan soon put the losers two points clear from a 35-metre free.
In the 20th minute, a clever free from Ryan Kelly teed up Conor Leech for a goalscoring opportunity, but his shot was too close to Ceelan Hussey.
Some six minutes later, against the run of play, Flynn soloed goalward – there was a suspicion of overcarrying – and duly gave Callum Butler Dolan no chance with a great shot. A minute before the interval, CJ Tighe pointed with aplomb at the end of a patient move, to leave the sides level at the interval: St Mel’s 1-2, Coláiste Mhuire 0-5.
Less than five minutes after play resumed, Cormac Flynn curled over a delightful free kick to edge the boys in blue ahead. Michael Flynn was then denied a goal by Butler Dolan, but a somewhat dubious ‘foot block’ call in the 37th minute gave the home team a penalty. Mulvihill’s poorly-struck spot kick was saved by Butler Dolan, but the penalty-taker was on hand to rifle home the rebound.
A routine free conversion by Duncan in the 40th minute left the deficit at a goal (2-3 to 0-6). Remarkably, with defences on top and the conditions making flowing football difficult, both sides only added a point apiece to their tallies in the last 20-plus minutes.
St Mel’s sub Davin Donnelly finished off a terrific team score, as did Mullingar full forward Duncan. Try as they might into the teeth of the wind, the boys in green were unable to manufacture an equalising goal in the closing stages.
Scorers – St Mel’s: H Mulvihill and M Flynn 1-1 each, C Flynn (f) and D Donnelly 0-1 each. Coláiste Mhuire: J Duncan 0-6 (3f), CJ Tighe 0-1.
St Mel’s, Longford: Ceelan Hussey; Ryan Keogh, Eamon Igoe, Paul Eivers; Terry Reynolds, Kevin Baskett, Alex Nugent; Jack Belton, Shane Donohue; Daniel Carey, Harry Mulvihill, Patrick Clancy; Kieran McMorrow, Michael Flynn, Cormac Flynn. Subs used: Davin Donnelly for Carey (37), Jack Fitzpatrick for Eivers (37), Jamie Dorr for Reynolds (inj., 48), Jack Horgan for Igoe (54), Christopher Erhagbe for Clancy (60 + 2).
Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar: Callum Butler Dolan; Gary Brannigan, Byron Graham, Ben McNamee; Sean Bracken, Eoin Conlon, John Ryan; Gareth Mulaniff, Oisín O’Hara; Conor Leech, Ryan Kelly, CJ Tighe; Gavin Pierce, Jack Duncan, Mattie Thornton. Subs used: Daire Smyth for Pierce (h-t), John Casey for Tighe (51), Alex Sheerin for Graham (60 + 1).
Ref: Martin Clyne (Longford).