St: Mary’s College, Galway 2/1 Salesian College, Celbridge (AET)
Sean Glynn (46), Tony Ward (120) Michael O’Grady (75)
St: Mary's College from Galway City were crowned UMBRO FAI Schools Senior Cup champions on Thursday at Flancare Park following an enthralling final victory over Salesian College, Celbridge:
The men from the west were forced into extra/time by a resilient Salesian side but conjured a winning goal through Tony Ward in the final minute as a penalty shoot/out looked on the cards:
Salesian, past winners of all the national schools titles except the senior cup, started the brighter with Michael Brown's swirling free/kick on ten minutes requiring back/peddling goalkeeper Ronan Burke to tip over the bar:
At the other end, the Galway school began to turn the screw and a minute after Tomas Boyle nipped in to deny Shane Maughan a free header, Salesian stopper Shane McNamara did well to turn over Fiach O'Barra's 20th minute curling shot that looked destined for the top corner:
Five minutes later, Maughan wasted a free/kick in a good position by blasting over and Sean Glynn was guilty of squandering the best chance of the opening half on 28 minutes as he cleared the crossbar with a shot from six yards after Shane Keogh's in swinging free/kick wasn't dealt with by Salesian:
Ireland schools international Tomas Boyle was a whisker away from putting the Celbridge school ahead on 33 minutes when he tried to get a connection on Colm Smyth's cross only for Burke to advance and touch it out for a corner:
It was all Salesian at that point and Michael O'Grady was unlucky to mis/hit his shot from the edge of the box after Michael Ilunga and Fergal Conway had combined to release him into the box:
The Saints fashioned the last opening of the half, three minutes before the interval, after Sean Glynn cushioned a header into the path of Maughan but the striker failed to get any power as he nodded goalwards, allowing McNamara to palm the effort over for a corner:
It took just 20 seconds from the restart for the opening goal to arrive: St: Mary's captain Barry McEntee ran into the space on the right to float a cross towards the back post where Sean Glynn rose to glance his header inside the post:
Mary's protected their lead efficiently, rarely letting Salesians' front pairing of Conway and Bonyo get a sight on goal:
But the introduction of substitutes Craig Phillips and Eoghan Markey injected a spark into their play and the pendulum began to swing towards the side chasing the tie:
Burke had to dive low to left to prevent Conway's sneaking into the corner on 71 minutes and the pressure yielded an equaliser four minutes later:
Substitute Phillips swung a long throw into the box and though Bonyo's shot smacked off the bar, O'Grady was quickest to react and drilled a low shot home from eight yards:
Each of the sides created chances to nick it in normal time, McEntee's dipping volley that missed the target by inches five minutes from the end being swiftly followed by a Smyth screamer which Burke batted away:
Two short periods of tense extra/time ensued and, aside from a missed chance centre/back James Casserly when he was unable to get a proper connection to a left/wing cross, it appeared the game was heading for penalties:
However, Ward had other ideas and, with merely seconds remaining, the striker latched onto a loose ball around the box before rounding McNamara and slotting home the winner:
Salesian College, Celbridge: Shane McNamara; Gavin Kane, Patrick Markey (Capt), Tomas Boyle, Michael ILunga (Craig Phillips 50); Michael O'Grady, Colm Smyth, Michael Brown, Kevin Molloy (Eoghan Markey 65), Brian Bonyo, Fergal Conway
Teachers: Paddy McGovern and David Cryan
St: Mary's College, Galway: Ronan Burke; Shane Gallagher, Eoin Walsh, James Casserly, Shane Keogh; Christian Lomboto, Fiach O'Bearra (Ruairi Lavelle 104), Barry McEntee (Capt), Sean Glynn; Shane Maughan, Tony Ward
Teachers: Paul Concannon and Jason Moran
Referee: Paul Tone (Athlone)
UMBRO representative, Mr: Adrian Forkan presents the Senior Cup to a delighted Barry McEntee, Captain of St: Mary's College: