St: Benildus College 3/0 Athlone Community College
Paul Mannion (27), Paul Connolly (53), Conor Day (90)
ST: BENULDUS COLLEGE are once again the kings of Leinster schools soccer after an emphatic 3/0 success over Athlone Community College in Friday’s UMBRO FAI Schools Senor Boys Leinster Final:
The Kilmacud Secondary School are traditionally one of the heavyweights at senior level in particular, however, they had not contested a provincial final since successes in 2000 and 2002 heading into last week’s clash at Leixlip Amenities Centre:
The game was scoreless for the opening 27 minutes, during which time the Westmeath side came closer to breaking the deadlock: Shane Blackweir and Emmet Kenny both shot just wide with long/range efforts before Blackweir skipped past a couple of defenders on the right only to see his shot from a narrow angle parried by Keith Finn in the Benildus goal:
By then, though, Benildus were beginning to get a grip of midfield through the excellent Ben Meagan and Conor Butler, the pair repeatedly feeding Paul Mannion on the left, his link/up play with the front two of Paul Connolly and Daniel Byrne increasingly testing the Athlone defence:
And it was Mannion and Connolly who combined just before the half hour mark to give Benildus the lead, left/back Stephen McAuliffe picking out Connolly who switched the ball left to Mannion, his beautifully struck shot landing in the top right corner of the net:
Athlone responded by switching wingers David Brooks and Eoin McCormack, and the pair promptly provided their side’s best moment of the first half: After a weaving run on the left Brooks’ cross found its way across the box to the advancing McCormack, Finn again doing well to hold his first/time shot:
After the break, though, Benildus were the dominant force in the game, despite the best efforts of Athlone captain Robbie Murray in midfield, and the lively front pairing of Kenny and Blackweir: But Tadhg Healy and Karl McGrath, at the centre of the Benildus defence, proved impenetrable:
Meagan, meanwhile, continued to excel in midfield, with Mannion and Connolly, in particular, a persistent menace in attack:
A curling left foot shot from Connolly drifted just wide in the opening minutes of the second half, but the forward got the goal he deserved after 53 minutes, this time Mannion turning provider:
The winger used his skill to make space on the left, firing the ball across the face of goal, Connolly sliding in to make it 2/0:
It should have been 3/0 soon after, Connolly’s free header from a corner going wide, and the same player, like Meagan a member of Shamrock Rovers’ youth team, came close on four more occasions, one a close/range shot saved by Conal Sheerin following a fine passing move involving Meagan and Day:
And it was Day who provided the game’s most memorable moment when, from just inside the Athlone half, he spotted Sheerin off his line and lobbed him, the wind/assisted effort sailing over the goalkeeper’s head and into the top left corner of the goal:
Oisin McEoin’s side will now await the winners of the Munster Cup tie as De La Salle, Waterford play Cashel Community School in the other provincial decider:
ST: BENILDUS COLLEGE: Keith Finn, Michael Rogers, Stephen McAuliffe (David Byrne 50), Tadgh Healy, Karl McGrath, Ben Meagan, Adam Byrne (Conor Day 50), Conor Butler (Capt), Paul Connolly, Daniel Byrne, Paul Mannion (Ceelan Simon 81):
Not used: Donal Butler, Mark Brennan, Eamonn Roe:
Teacher: Oisin McEoin
ATHLONE CC: Conal Sheeran, Mark O’Connor, Ronan Morris, Ian Dempsey, James Shaughnessy, Joe Woods, David Brooks, Robbie Murray, Emmett Kenny (Ian Rooney 80), Shane Blackweir, Eoin McCormack (Ray Connellan 61):
Not used: Ian Rooney, Conor Rohan, Mark Langtry, Conor Daly:
Teacher: Conor Foley
REFEREE: John Clarke: