Facile win keeps Coláiste Mhuire in contention

Coláiste Mhuire 1-31, St Fintan's High School 0-6

By Gerry Buckley

Just six days after their heartbreaking debut defeat in Johnstown, the senior hurlers from Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar more than made amends for this setback with a comprehensive victory against St Fintan’s High School, Sutton in cold but pleasant conditions at Castlepollard on Monday.

The upshot of these two games is that Micheál Lawler’s troops will now play an away quarter-final in early January against an established side – Coláiste Eoin, Stillorgan on December 9 in Silverpark, Dublin.

On the basis of Monday’s display, they seem certain – at the very least - to give a very good account of themselves against the cream of the province in the small ball game.

In truth, this was a ‘no contest’ from start to finish despite no shortage of effort from the lads in red and yellow jerseys. The winners’ potent attack never let up and the boys in green led by 0-16 to 0-3 at the interval, with the twin threat of Kian Loughlin (who ended the game with a whopping 0-17 to his name, almost half of the tally from open play) and Conor Williams (1-7, all of it from play) particularly effective up front. The Dubliners’ entire first half total, despite having whatever advantage was accruing from a largely crossfield win, came from Ben Flanagan frees.

Williams scored the only goal of the game in the 33rd minute and it was an absolute procession thereafter. Sutton did manage to raise two white flags from play in the second moiety, but they never remotely threatened to make a contest out of it. The winners’ management used their full complement of subs to good effect, important preparation for an infinitely more difficult task in the early days of 2026.

Scorers - Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar: K Loughlin 0-17 (9f), C Williams 1-7, E McGrath 0-2, E Meehan, C Cleary, C Maleady, D Kenny, H Corroon 0-1 each.

St Fintan’s High School, Sutton: B Flanagan 0-4 (4f), S Hurley, C Given 0-1 each.

Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar: Cathal Óg Fagan; Tomás Brennan, Mikey Weir, Aaron Flanagan; Seán Byrne, Darragh Kenny, Will Scahill; Seán Hayes, Conor Cleary; Finn Higgins, Kian Loughlin, Eoin Meehan; Eoin McGrath, Criostóir Ormsby, Conor Williams. Subs used: Liam Heffernan for Scahill (inj., 12), Conor Maleady for Higgins (22), Robert Hogg for Hayes (46), Cathal Flanagan for Byrne (51), Hugo Corroon for Ormsby (53).

St Fintan’s High School, Sutton: Evan Coyne; Darragh Nolan, Darragh Heffernan, Sean Wilson; Matthew Clarke, Sam O’Leary, Conor Wilson; Tom Beary, Sean Hurley; Conal Kenny, Oscar Finnegan, Kevin Cotter; Kyle Comerford, Conor Gallagher, Ben Flanagan. Subs used: Cathal Kavanagh for Clarke (h-t), Charlie Given for Gallagher (h-t), Jack Wilson for Kenny (34), Timo Tryhorn for O’Leary (47), Brendan O’Byrne for Cotter (50).

Ref: Bernard Heaney (Meath).