Proud day as Coláiste Mhuire secure Hogan Cup final spot

Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar are through to their first ever All-Ireland senior football final after a dramatic extra-time victory over Abbey CBS, Newry, at Abbotstown last Saturday. Joint managers Dean McNicholas, Matthew Kearney and Brian Murtagh could scarcely believe what their side produced.

Showing remarkable resilience, they carved out victory and will now face Kerry's Tralee CBS in the All-Ireland final on St Patrick's Day in Croke Park.

“It seemed like we probably lost the game three or four times,” admitted McNicholas. “I forget some of the occasions, but unbelievable character and just a willingness to never stop from the lads. I’m so proud of them. Just the effort; leaders all over the field. We had a massive impact off the bench. I'm just really proud of them.”

When Padraig Monaghan’s goal arrived - the culmination of a slick team move and a decisive contribution from the bench - it felt pivotal. But even then, there was no sense of comfort on the sideline.

“It was crucial,” McNicholas said of the goal’s significance. “At the same time too, with the way the game went, you never felt safe until the whistle blown at all. And we probably knew that with Abbey, like we said to the lads, that they came from nine points down in the first final and came from six points down against Omagh in the semi-final. And they had that ability to come back. So genuinely, as games go, I never felt safe until that whistle went. And particularly with the flow of it as well. But we are over the moon now.”

Coláiste Mhuire had to show resolve even to force extra-time. Abbey appeared to have seized control late in normal time, but Mullingar dug deep to find a levelling score.

“Exactly: it looked like at that stage the game was gone again,” McNicholas reflected. “I'm struggling to remember parts of the match it was so tense. I suppose one of the most frustrating things during the game was they were having periods of maybe two, three, four minutes on the ball and we were struggling get possession back. And that comes with a good side. They were really patient. We knew that they had that in them. But it was a high turnover on their ‘keeper that led to the late free at the end of normal time. It was Seán Hayes, another sub, who got that. And we were delighted to be going into extra-time.”

Matthew Kearney pointed to the importance of the two-point scores that kept his side alive when the tide was against them.

“If you're talking to us, you probably know that we always do encourage the lads to take the shots. And the lads know that.”

And I suppose maybe even thinking back to the Leinster final, we were getting lots of shots in that first half, but they weren't going. But you'd never criticise a lad for taking on the effort. And I suppose just in the second half, when we needed those big, big scores, as you said, the two boys popped up with them. But just very pleasing that they just kept digging at it. That they just stuck to kind of what we like to think that we're good at and that we like to create opportunities. And I suppose when we really need to take them, the boys took them for us.”

Extra-time brought fresh drama and fresh adjustments. Brian Murtagh revealed that there were clear plans laid out once the players regrouped.

“Well, first of all, obviously we were delighted, as any team are, coming from a point down to get the equaliser,” he said. “I suppose we felt we had a little bit of momentum with us at that stage to push on and get the equaliser. But when we got into the dressing rooms again, we felt that there was things happening. You know, obviously little tactical tweaks that we did make to try and make sure. And it actually happened. It panned out exactly as we planned. The first two scores we got after playing against the wind and we controlled the ball for the first four or five minutes, which we were absolutely delighted with. And then, sure, they turned around and they scored one-two on the bounce. And again, momentum was on their side and they're so good at keeping the ball, we thought maybe we were not going to get the ball back for long periods of time.

“And I suppose you have a script and we try and play to the script and all. That's not obviously too structured or anything like that. But it's mad what happens then when you just go for broke, when you need to claw it back and you need to get the win. All the coaching and whatever goes out the window and it's just lads' sheer will to win, determination. And fresh legs, off the bench. And obviously, at the same time, still having the quality and the calmness in mind that when the pressure does come on that you make the right decisions. So, absolutely delighted with how they carried themselves in extra time there.”

There were key moments at the back too. Adam Buckley’s save proved crucial, as did the interventions of another substitute.

“Adam made a great save,” noted Dean. “And another lad there, I think James Flynn for the last; I don't know how many interceptions he got. Another sub off the bench. Buckley has that in him. He's dug us out at different times. I'm thinking back to the St Pat’s game when we came through extra-time as well. So, an excellent keeper.”

Now comes a first All-Ireland final appearance and a date in Croke Park – uncharted territory for the Mullingar school.

“Yeah, it is. It's brilliant,” said Kearney. “And even speaking to a lot of the staff and students and former staff there, they've never seen this day before. And it's going to be a special couple of weeks and a special couple of build-ups. We just said there, how do you navigate these next few weeks, but I think we just have to go with it because it's uncharted territory. Look it, you can hear the lads in the background there. They're full of joy. Look it, we'll get back down to earth fairly quickly, but without losing fact that the magnitude of the occasion. It is special.

“It's a very, very special day for the school. I suppose it just links back to the support that we've got from the school, the school management. Yeah, it's brilliant. It's a great place to be there at the minute. So hopefully we'll get another couple of good weeks out of it. Yeah, great to be in the final.”

Awaiting them will be a Kerry side from Tralee, but Murtagh insists they will embrace whatever lies ahead.

“Yes. We'll take anybody at this stage,” he said. “Look, we're in uncharted territory now. We don't know what we're getting ourselves into. I suppose we did to a certain extent today, and we managed to even draw on upon a few things that maybe last year that didn't go our way or mistakes that we felt maybe the three of us made in the All-Ireland semi-final. So we're in uncharted territory now. Yeah, it is. It's a special occasion. Look at Kerry lads. We don't know much about them. Look, we've been following the results and stuff like that. We nearly had a challenge organised with them over Christmas time, so I suppose that might have been a good thing or a bad thing. But look, we don't know a whole lot. But I'm sure that we will have a look at them at some stage over the next couple of weeks like we did with all the other teams.”