South Leinster Schools Senior Football ‘A’ Final
Ardscoil na Tríonóide Athy 2-15
St Mary’s College Knockbeg 1-12
By Mark Comerford
ARDSCOIL na Tríonóide have been crowned South Leinster Junior Football ‘A’ champions, beating St Mary’s Knockbeg in a fantastic final in Netwatch Cullen Park, on Friday afternoon. Darragh Farrell, Evan Doogue and captain, Jack McCabe were outstanding as the Athy school ran out worthy winners.
Leinster Champions: Ardscoil na Tríonóide Photo: Aisling Hyland
The boys in black hit the ground running, taking a four-point lead inside the opening ten minutes, including a great score from target man, Farrell. Castlemitchell’s Doogue opened the scoring and played a pivotal role in the Athy midfield.
Knockbeg began to pick up frees through Ennae Byrne but Athy bounced back with three unanswered points including two from McCabe, to take an 0-8 to 0-2 lead after 22 minutes.
Knockbeg hit a purple patch towards the end of the half with four consecutive points to get within two, but a free at the end from McCabe made it a three-point game at half time.
Goals from Niall Hickey and Cian Keaveney inside the first seven minutes of the second half gave Athy a commanding lead. Knockbeg got a goal of their own just a minute later, but Ardscoil na Tríonóide were by far the better team and completely took the game away from Knockbeg, toying with them at times.
Both sets of supports brought extraordinary noise and colour to the game, making for an atmosphere deserving of a final.
SCORERS – Athy: Jack McCabe 0-5 (three frees), Cian Keaveney 1-1, Niall Hickey 1-0, Darragh Farrell and Evan Doogue 0-3 each, Ronan Kelly 0-2, Colm Moran 0-1. Knockbeg: Ennae Byrne 0-8 (seven frees), Eoin Ryan 1-0, Jack Brennan 0-2, Evan English and Luke Hennessy 0-1 each.
ARDSCOILE NA TRIONIÓDE: Oisin Groarke (Castlemitchell); Eoin Coffey (Castlemitchell), Dara English (Athy), Liam Byrne (Athy); Colm Moran (Athy), James Donnelly (St Laurence’s), Robbie Murphy (St Joseph’s); Evan Doogue (Castlemitchell), Eoin Johnson (St Joseph’s); Darragh Farrell (St Joseph’s), Jack McCabe (c) (Castlemitchell), Sam Lynch (St Joseph’s); Ronan Kelly (Athy), Cian KEaveney (Athy), Páidi Kelly (Castlemitchell). Subs: Niall Hickey (Ballylinan) for Lynch (HT), Bryan Byrne (Castlemitchell) for Keaveney (60).
ST MARY’S KNOCKBEG: Cody Tucker; Conor George, Jack Brennan, Fionn O’Sullivan; Rory Walsh, Jack Julian, Patrick Fitzgerald; Jamie Walker, James Gannon; Evan Askins, Ennae Byrne, Eoin Ryan; Bobby Doyle, Eoin Mulhall, Evan English. Subs: Luke Hennessy (Killeshin) for Askins (41), Dylan O’Dwyer for Mulhall (47), Ray Glynn for Ryan (51), Rogain Doran for Gannon (58).
REREREE: Des Cooney (Laois)
