Impressive Coláiste Mhuire add league title in style

Coláiste Mhuire 3-12, St Pat's 0-7

Mullingar’s Coláiste Mhuire added the North Leinster Senior Football ‘A’ League title to their earlier Br Bosco Cup success with a resounding victory over St Patrick’s Classical School, Navan, at Lakepoint Park on Thursday.

In glorious spring sunshine, the Leinster champions proved too good for their Navan counterparts and an impressive scoring surge of 1-3 without reply between the 18th and 25th minutes gave them a grip they would never relinquish.

The victors produced a commanding performance to secure the spoils and their overall display was more clinical as they racked up 3-12 while keeping their opponents goalless. They were leading by 2-4 to 0-6 at half-time and added 1-8 after the break while restricting the Navan side to just a solitary point.

St Pat’s featured without their Meath county minors and that weakened their hand somewhat on the day, but it was another accomplished display by Coláiste Mhuire who can reflect on a memorable season. Once again Will Scahill was quite superb in attack while Matthew Thornton, Aaron Connaire and Oisin O’Hara looked impressive at times. Eoin Conlon and Donnacha Maguire gave them control of the midfield sector and although starting tentatively, they grew into the contest.

After the final whistle, Michael McHugh, representing Leinster Colleges, presented the trophy to Matthew Thornton.

It was a final that saw St Pat’s start brightly but they struggled to counter once Coláiste Mhuire found their attacking flow. Their ability to capitalise on goal chances proved decisive, while their defensive strength kept their opponents at bay.

St Pat’s set the early pace with centre-forward Ivo Fitzherbert opening the scoring in the fifth minute. Andrew Gormley then added a free a minute later after Tiarnan Black was fouled, and when Gormley struck again from play in the 12th minute, St Pat’s were three points clear. Coláiste Mhuire were under pressure at this stage, but they were still settling into the contest.

The home side had the perfect chance to get their challenge up and running in the 14th minute when Will Scahill got through on goal after a sharp burst into the area, however his shot was saved. Coláiste Mhuire did not have to wait long for a breakthrough, as Aaron Connaire rounded the goalkeeper in the 15th minute to find the net following Michael Moloney’s clever fisted pass, with Matthew Thornton also involved in the build-up.

St Pat’s responded immediately through a Tiarnan Black point, but that only sparked a purple patch for Coláiste Mhuire, who hit 1-3 without reply. Thornton converted a free after Donnacha Maguire was fouled before adding another from play after a quickly-taken free by Scahill. Thornton then slotted a further free after Paul Keating was taken down in a late tackle.

The key moment of the half arrived in the 24th minute when Coláiste Mhuire were awarded a penalty following a slick move involving Keating, Scahill and Oisín O’Hara, with O’Hara eventually fouled. Scahill stepped up and confidently dispatched the spot-kick to the goalkeeper’s left.

St Pat’s attempted to claw their way back, with Gormley landing two points before the break, one from play and the other from a free after Fitzherbert was fouled by Ty Masterson. But a neat point from O’Hara in stoppage time ensured Coláiste Mhuire held a four-point advantage at the interval.

Clinical finish

The second half saw Coláiste Mhuire move through the gears, adding a point through Scahill in the fourth minute after good work by O’Hara and Thornton. Two minutes later, they delivered the decisive blow when Connaire’s pass released Scahill, who finished clinically into the bottom corner for their third goal.

That strike effectively ended St Pat’s hopes, and Coláiste Mhuire continued to add to their tally. Thornton pointed after Eoin Conlon’s pass before Gormley responded with a free for St Pat’s. That was to be the visitors’ only score of the second half, though.

Another Coláiste Mhuire goal chance fell to Connaire, but Jamie Norris produced an excellent save in the St Pat’s goal.

Scahill kept the scoreboard ticking over with a fine left-footed point in the 13th minute after Masterson picked him out. Further opportunities arose, but Ben McNamee was denied a goal. Coláiste Mhuire’s substitutes made an impact, with Finn Higgins adding two points and O’Hara slotting over another. Eoin Mullin rounded off a superb team performance with two late scores to put the seal on an emphatic victory.

Scorers - Coláiste Mhuire: W Scahill 2-2 (1-0 pen), A Connaire 1-0, M Thornton 0-4 (2f), O O’Hara 0-2, F Higgins 0-2, E Mullin 0-2.

St Pat’s, Navan: A Gormley 0-5 (3f), T Black 0-1, I Fitzherbert 0-1.

Coláiste Mhuire: Adam Buckley; Ben Sheerin, Adam Glynn, Conor Daly; Michael Moloney, Ty Masterson, Ben McNamee; Eoin Conlon, Donnacha Maguire; Oisin O’Hara, Matthew Thornton, Paul Keating; Will Scahill, Aaron Connaire, Seán Byrne. Subs: Conor Heffernan and Peadar Glennon for Thornton and Daly (42), Rory McCaul and Finn Higgins for Connaire and Maguire (45), James Murtagh for Scahill (48), Darragh Browne and James Baird for Sheerin and McNamee (54), Eoin Mullin and Beau Greene for O’Hara and Conlon (54), Aidan O’Brien for Keating (54).

St Pat’s: Jamie Norris; Ciall Flynn, Seán McLoughlin, Matty Cowley; Fionn McHale, Seán Betson, Liam Dillon; David Donnelly, Adam Wogan; Patrick Yourell, Ivo Fitzherbert, Kyran Woods; Liam Donohoe, Andrew Gormley, Tiarnan Black. Subs: Daniel Peirse for McLoughlin (inj., 25), James Donnelly and Óran Meade for Yourell and Woods (h-t), Cormac Smith for Black (39), Rian Liggan for Wogan (41), Diarmuid Ó Bric for Cowley (50).

Referee: David Sweeney (Dublin).