UMBRO FAI Schools Minor Boys (U14) National Final
DE LA SALLE COLLEGE, WATERFORD 2-0 ST EUNAN’S COLLEGE, LETTERKENNY
(KENNY MCEVOY `39 & CONOR WHITTLE `51)
BY ADRIAN FLANAGAN
AT GLEBE NORTH, BALBRIGGAN
TWO second half goals from Kenny McEvoy and Conor Whittle ensured that De La Salle College landed a deserved UMBRO FAI Schools Minor Cup title for the first time since 2002 following an impressive victory over St. Eunan’s College, Letterkenny at Glebe North FC, Balbriggan last Tuesday afternoon.
Following their emphatic win over Larkin Community College in the semi-final, the Waterford outfit, under the management of Derek O’Brien and Andrias O’Brien, went into this All-Ireland final decider as slight favourites to lift the cup but their Donegal opponents had their own hopes of claiming the famed piece of silverware.
A gale force breeze made conditions very difficult for both teams during the course of the seventy minutes but on the plus side, the North Dublin surface was in fantastic order and although the breeze tried its very best to ruin the tie as a spectacle, neither side left this happen.
Despite playing with the aid of the elements in the first half, the victors couldn’t find a way past a resolute St. Eunan’s outfit as the latter’s defence somehow managed to deal with corner after corner and attack after attack as their opponents went in search of the breakthrough.
But all that was too change in the second half as De La Salle certainly continued to dominate the contest in terms of chances and it took a goal of the highest quality and one worthy of winning any final from Kenny McEvoy to give his side the upper hand and this strike was the catalyst to his side’s victory.
De La Salle took the game to St. Eunan’s from the opening whistle and were on the attack from the outset as Conor Whittle laid the ball into the path of McEvoy after less than sixty seconds but despite getting past a couple of challenges with considerable ease, the winger fired just couldn’t direct his effort on target.
Jamie Walsh, who was absolutely superb for his side throughout the contest, did brilliantly down the right channel to set up Karim Abdou, a starter for the injured Jack Hale but the midfielder saw keeper Shaun Patton get down well to save his 25-yard right-footed strike.
The Letterkenny side had an impressive record in booking their final spot and scored a lot of goals in the process but they were up against a De La Salle defence that didn’t put a foot wrong during the 70 minutes and the only chance that St. Eunan’s really created came on 13 minutes.
Michael Sanni did well on the edge of the penalty area to set up Odhran McMacken but the right-winger failed to trouble De La Salle keeper Daniel Connolly as he sliced his effort wide when he should have done better and when Kenny McEvoy went on an amazing run shortly afterwards, he dragged his shot inches wide of the target.
De La Salle forced corner after corner in the first half but despite having a couple of really good deliveries, the finish just left them down and they were denied by a fantastic Shaun Patton save on 24 minutes when Dylan Foley set up Jamie Walsh but somehow the keeper got down to save his cracking 30-yard effort.
Despite failing to find a goal in the first half, when it did arrive after nine minutes of the second half, it was well worth waiting for as Conor Whittle picked out Kenny McEvoy wide out on the left and after racing past a couple of defenders, he turned onto his right-foot before firing the most stunning strike past keeper Patton from 25 yards.
In fact, it would be hard to put into the words the quality of the goal to do McEvoy justice only to say that it was amazing goal from a great player and this really set his side up nicely but they were denied a second goal by the crossbar on 48 minutes.
Once again it was the Villa player that did brilliantly out on the left when he flicked the ball into the path of captain Jason O’Neill and after cutting into the penalty area, his cracking left-footed strike came crashing back off the crossbar.
When the ball rebounded to Patrick Fitzgerald, he put the ball on a plate for Tadgh Whelan and the striker looked certain to score but somehow keeper Shaun Patton tipped the ball over the crossbar at the expense of a fruitless corner kick.
Although the De La Salle defence was simply magnificent throughout the game, there was always the chance that St. Eunan’s would grab an equaliser but De La Salle made their task even hardier with a second goal on 51 minutes.
Jamie Walsh got the ball out on the right channel to play the ball to Patrick Fitzgerald and after a superb cross into the danger area, Conor Whittle was on hand to blast an unstoppable effort past a helpless keeper Patton from 10 yards.
It has to be said that the victors never looked like conceding a goal as they continue to deal with everything that their Letterkenny opposition had to throw at them and in truth, this was the perfect example of a man of the match display from Dylan Foley as the central defender led by example in the heart of the defence.
But that said, not one player put a foot wrong during the course of the encounter and deserve great credit for their efforts and amid great celebrations, Captain Jason O’Neill received the UMBRO FAI Schools Minor Cup from Ian Carry, FAI Schools Development Officer.
DE LA SALLE COLLEGE: Daniel Connolly, Mark McManus, Jason O’Neill, Dylan Foley, Gavin O’Donavan, Conor Whittle, Jamie Walsh, Karim Abdou, Tadgh Whelan, Patrick Fitzgerald, Kenny McEvoy.
Subs: Jack Hale, Mark O’Keeffe, Gavin Jacob, Conor Sheehan, Oisin Morgan, Conor Gannon, Jason Crowley, Liam Sammon, Eoin Cleary, Christopher Shum, Aidan Robson, Paul O’Sullivan
Management team: Derek O’Brien and Andrias O’Brien
ST EUNAN’S COLLEGE: Shaun Patton, Eoin Barrett, Shaun Crossan, Conor Tourish, Ryan Hunter, Evan O’Sullivan, Odhran McMacken, Aidan Sweeney, James Gillen, Michael Sanni, John Fullerton.
Subs: John Gibbons, Ryan McConnell, Donal O’Malley, Paul O’Leary, Jack Brennan
Management team: Gerard Faulkner and Michael Harkin
Referee: Tony McGuiness (Dublin)
END