Goals for Scahill and Moloney in comfortable win for Mullingar’s Coláiste Mhuire

Coláiste Mhuire 2-11, Coláiste Eoin (Dublin) 1-4

By Gerry Buckley

The senior footballers from Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar well full value for their ten-point win against Coláiste Eoin, Stillorgan in last Thursday afternoon’s Bro Bosco Cup quarter-final played in cold but pleasant conditions on the main pitch in Homestead Lakepoint Park.

In truth, the local side were way the better outfit, but a wasteful opening half-hour during which they kicked six wides – some of them poor – and left the same amount of shots short of the target, had them a mere two points clear. However, a blistering haul of 2-1 in first half added-time settled the green and black ship and they led by nine points at the break before going on to win comfortably.

Conor Heffernan was the guilty party for the first of the aforementioned half-dozen balls dropped short after a mere 30 seconds. Rangy full forward Seán Ó Riagáin nudged the Dubliners ahead from a tight angle some three minutes later, but the lads under the tutelage of Brian Murtagh, Dean McNicholas and Matt Kearney soon took control in most sectors of the pitch.

Impressive corner back Mikey Weir equalised in the fifth minute at the end of a fine move. Marquee forward Will Scahill nudged the winners ahead in the 14th minute. However, their 0-2 to 0-1 advantage at the end of the opening quarter should have been significantly more.

Darragh Smith doubled their lead in style in the 17th minute, but 11 scoreless minutes ensued due mainly to Coláiste Mhuire’s profligacy. A great individual point from Finnian Ó Donnchú halved the deficit in the 28th minute. Skipper Mattie Thornton tapped over a routine free on the 30-minute mark before the floodgates opened.

A poor kick-out allowed Scahill to race forward and give Rian Ó Crualaíoch no chance. Fine play by Weir teed up Heffernan for a point, and in the last action of the first moiety Michael Moloney, who caught the eye all through, rounded off a flowing move with his side’s second goal. Coláiste Mhuire led by 2-5 to 0-2 at the interval.

Scahill pointed neatly just 20 seconds after play resumed and he converted a straightforward free some two minutes later. Weir and Ó Riagáin then doubled their respective tallies at either end as Coláiste Eoin already started to try and manufacture three-pointers. Moloney pointed in the 42nd minute, before Ó Riagáin gave the boys in the multi-coloured hooped jerseys a glimmer of hope by flicking the ball past Adam Buckley. However, Coláiste Mhuire still led by 2-9 to 1-3 at the end of the third quarter.

Ó Riagáin slotted over a 49th-minute free, but that was to prove to be the losers’ last score. Indeed, they were reduced to 14 men in the 56th minute when substitute Finn Ó Dúill was correctly red-carded. Thornton tapped over a free in the 58th minute – his team’s first score in 14 minutes – and Scahill did likewise in added-time, to round off a clear-cut win.

Coláiste Mhuire will now face either Coláiste Choilm, Tullamore or Maynooth Education Campus in the penultimate round in January 2025, with hopes high at the old Hevey Institute building that a 37-year gap can be bridged by garnering a place in just a fifth Leinster final.

Scorers – Coláiste Mhuire: W Scahill 1-4 (0-2f), M Moloney 1-1, M Weir, M Thornton (2f) 0-2 each, D Smith, C Heffernan 0-1 each.

Coláiste Eoin: S Ó Riagáin 1-3 (0-1f), F Ó Donnchú 0-1.

Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar: Adam Buckley; Ty Masterson, Darragh Smith, Mikey Weir; Ben Sheerin, Michael Moloney, Conor Daly; Eoin Conlon, Donnacha Maguire; Eoin Meehan, Conor Heffernan, Will Scahill; Sean Byrne, Oisín O'Hara, Mattie Thornton. Subs used: Finn Higgins for Meehan (inj., 38), Ben McNamee for Smith (42), Peadar Glennon for O’Hara (49), Adam Glynn for Sheerin (54), Aidan O’Brien for Moloney (59).

Coláiste Eoin, Stillorgan: Rian Ó Crualaíoch; Ciarán Ó Raghallaigh, Oisín Ó Gormlaigh, Danny Ó Súilleabháin; Cillian Ó Sé, Oscar Breathnach, Éamon Ó Cionnaith; Finnian Ó Donnchú, Ben Ó Raghallaigh; Rory Ó Flannbhara, Cathal Ó Cuanaigh, Cillian Ó Dochraigh; Conor De Roiste, Seán Ó Riagáin, Deimhne Ó Murchú. Subs used: William Hook for De Roiste (38), Finn Ó Dúill for Breathnach (38), Ronan MacConamara for Ó Súilleabháin (49), Luca Ó Súilleabháin for Ó Murchú (59).

Ref: Marius Stones (Offaly).