Colaiste Choilm run riot as Saints flounder

The old adage that goals win games might seem appropriate on this occasion but realistically, the goals were secondary for Colaiste Choilm were simply in a different class. Twenty points reflects the enormous gulf between the Mullingar College and their Offaly counterparts who were streets ahead in ability, fitness and commitment.Indeed the outcome was more or less decided within the opening quarter when Tullamore simply blitzed the Saints defence and marched into a commanding and ultimately, unassaible 0-5 to 0-0 lead. Powered from the centre of the park by Mark Hughes and the highly affective David Henry, Colaiste Choilm lorded possession and a beleagured Finians defence was overrun. When bustling full forward Jason Darby subsequently found the net to clock up the first of three, the writing was on the wall and the Saints designs on a Leinster title had vanished. Add in splendidly crafted points from Declan Hogan and Stephen Keogh and the full extent of the pain was apparent.In the light of the mauling, St. Finians moved Kelvin Reilly to midfield and the St. Lomans stalwart certainly ensured a better balance and indeed after he got the scoeborad ticking with a well-taken point six minutes from the break, the Mullingar boys began to settle. A second minor from Tyrone Quinn followed but Colaiste Choilm sharpshooters Keogh and Hogan soon cancelled out these scores within a minute before Darby rattled the net a second a second time just short of the half time whistle. Kelvin Reilly slotted over a free before the break but an eleven point differential, 2-8 to 0-3 made depressing reading for St. Finians.Early in the second period, the Mullingar students seemed intent on making serious inroads into the deficit and two points from Kenneth Rabbitt and substitute Conor Cleary within three minutes of the re-start offered a luittle bit of encouragement. But then Colaiste Choilm's Brian Norris pounced for another opportunist goal six minutes in and that was that.The heads were dropping in the St. Finian's line-up and after four unanswered points for the winners from Declan Hogan (0-2) and Brian Norris and Jason Darby, the Saints responded also with two points apiece from Kelvin Reilly and Declan Lennon with time ticking away. Jason Darby, a thorn in the side of the losers' defence throughout, nonchalantly completed his hat-trick before the end and Colaiste Choilm finished the one-sided encounter with an emphatic victory on a scoreline of Colaiste Choilm 4-14 St. Finian's 0-10.Scorers: Colaiste Choilm: Jason Darby 3-2, Brian Norris 1-1, Declan Hogan 0-4, Stephen Keogh and Mark Hughes 0-2 each, Martin O'Halloran, David Henry and Shane Heffernan 0-1 each. St. Finian's: Kelvin Reilly 0-4, Declan Lennon and Conor Cleary 0-2 each, Tyrone Quinn and Kenneth Rabbitt 0-1 each.Colaiste Choilm, Tullamore: Dean Molloy; Eoin Wyer, David Maguire, Tom McNamara; David Corcoran, Brian Corcoran, Cian Sheridan; Mark Hughes, David Henry; Declan Hogan, Brian Norris, Stephen Keogh; Mark Hayes, Jason Darby, Martin O'Halloran. Subs: Matt Dempsey for Stephen Keogh,, Ciaran McEvoy for Martin O'Halloran, Shane Heffernan for David Henry, Eanna Direen for Tom McNamara, David Henry for Mark Hayes.St. Finian's, Mullingar: David Higgins; Brian Faughnan, Kevin Lynch, Eoin Conway; David Reilly, James Larkin, Aaron Cahill; John Heffernan, Declan Lennon; Aaron Daly, Tyrone Quinn, Kenneth Rabbitt; David Dixon, Kelvin Reilly, David Reilly. Subs: Alan Sloan for James Larkin, Conor Cleary for David Reilly, Michael Devaney for David Dixon, Jack Kennedy for Brian Faughnan.Referee: Martin Walsh (Offaly).