Coláiste Muire set to savour their opportunity to take a national title

Article from Sligo Weekender, 10 February 2009

FAI Schools Senior Boys ‘B’ Cup National Final

WHATEVER is Coláiste Mhuire’s fate in Thursday’s FAI Schools Senior Boys ‘B’ [national] final, their manager and coach, Alan Mannion, reckons that being Connacht champions and All/Ireland finalists is already a groundbreaking achievement:

The Ballymote secondary school, who will meet Tallaght’s Jobstown Community College at Athlone IT, kick/off 1pm, recently qualified for the All/Ireland decider courtesy of a hard/fought 1/0 defeat of Stranorlar’s Finn Valley College:

This gritty performance was applauded by Mannion, who maintained that the team has shown a gradual improvement since the provincial group stage, progression that culminated in December’s 3/1 Connacht final defeat of Galway’s Coláiste na Coiribe at Milebush Park, Castlebar:

“The lads have being playing better as the competition has gone on - the display in the Connacht final was probably their best so far,” enthused Mannion, a Collooney native who has been a teacher at Coláiste Mhuire for 14 years:

“Their commitment against Finn Valley was first/rate - they knew they were only one game away from an All/Ireland final - it was a real defensive effort for the last 20 minutes,” Mannion added, in reference to the All/Ireland semi/final when a red/card for excellent centre/back Robbie Flannery, following a couple of tackles that were deemed yellow card offences, left Coláiste Mhuire at a numerical disadvantage:

When Flannery made the lonely walk to the dressing/room the Connacht winners were 1/0 up, however, thanks to team captain Gerry Brennan’s tidy finish:

The reshuffled defence took the plaudits for how they dealt with Finn Valley College’s subsequent onslaught but the defenders and goal/keeper, Declan McCormack, are used to such praise, having played well throughout the 2008/2009 campaign

“Our defence has been strong and [goalkeeper] Declan McCormack has made a lot of quality saves,” said Mannion, who has been thankful for excellent performances from the likes of McCormack, Liam O’Connell, Ciaran McGrath, the Brennan twins (Niall and Gerry) and Patrick O’Grady:

Gerry Brennan has developed a knack for scoring big game goals - aside from producing the winner against Finn Valley College, he nabbed a goal in the Connacht final (a fixture in which Niall Brennan and David Sheppard were also on target):

Coláiste Mhuire’s rise in this season’s ‘B’ competition - it caters for secondary schools with 200 boys or under - belies an inauspicious start:

In the group stage, they lost to the 2007/2008 Connacht champions, Louisburgh’s Sancta Maria College, and then drew with Our Lady’s Secondary School, Belmullet:

A superior goal difference put Coláiste Mhuire into the last eight and a 3/2 win against Glenamaddy Community School set up a semi/final against their rivals from Louisburgh:

A 2/1 defeat of the County Mayo secondary school was further evidence of Coláiste Mhuire’s transformation and they haven’t looked back since:

Mannion knows that Jobstown Community School are to be respected - any team that reaches a national final ought to be admired:

He expects to field a starting 11 similar to that which featured on the Friday before last against Finn Valley College - the obvious exception is Robbie Flannery, who will miss Thursday’s final because of the suspension resulting from his red card:

“It is great for the players to be involved in this game and reaching an All/Ireland final is great for the morale of the school,” said Mannion:

“In fairness, all the lads are getting well/coached in the clubs that they play for [in the Sligo/Leitrim Youth, Schoolboys & Schoolgirls League]: A few play for Ballymote Celtic at Junior level which has also helped their development:”

“The players have shown a lot of determination to get this far: We can only hope for the best - they have the ability to do well:”

Coláiste Mhuire Senior Boys soccer squad: Niall Brennan, Aidan O’Brien, Sean Heffernan, Matthew McGrath, Joe Henry, Sean Kilfeather, Niall D Brennan, Conor McGettrick, Liam O’Connell, Colin McGill, Declan McCormack, Gerry Brennan, Joe McGuinness, Patrick O’Grady, David Sheppard, Robbie Flannery, Gearóid McTiernan, Jason McDonagh, David Scanlon, Ciaran McGrath

Manager: Alan Mannion