Good Counsel College & St. Leo’s College to fly the flag for Leinster
Thursday, November 23, 2017
Good Counsel College, Wexford and St. Leo’s College, Carlow were crowned the Futsal Champions of Leinster in the boy’s and girl’s respectively following their success on the courts in the National Indoor Arena, Abbotstown on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon (November 21 and 22).
The competition caters for boys and girls in first year which delivers a quality fast paced action packed game focusing on skill, speed and technique.
BOYS SECTION
There were 12 schools representing each of the counties in Leinster.
Dublin Oak Academy, Bray (Wicklow), Larkin Community College (Dublin), Moate Community School (Westmeath), Coláiste Choilm, Tullamore (Offaly), Mountrath Community School (Laois), Dundalk Grammar School (Louth), Good Counsel College, New Ross (Wexford) Ashbourne Community School (Meath), Coláiste Mhuire (Kilkenny), St. Mel’s College (Longford), Clongowes Wood College, Clane (Kildare), and Tullow Community School (Carlow) all advanced from their County qualifiers to challenge for provincial glory.
The teams were divided into two groups of six with each team playing off against each other with the group winners advancing to a final.
Dublin Oak Academy, Bray emerged from their group eventually after holding off a strong challenge from Larkin College, Dublin.
Larkin defeated Dublin Oak Academy and were on course to qualify before a draw and a defeat in their final two games proved costly.
Dublin Oak faced Moate Community School in their final group game and the Westmeath side had their own aspirations of qualifying which were extinguished by a 1-0 victory for the Bray outfit.
The second group went right to the wire with Good Counsel College, New Ross and Ashbourne Community School, Ashbourne unable to be separated after 5 games with the sides drawing 1-1 in their opening fixture.
A draw for Good Counsel against Colaiste Mhuire, Johnstown looked set to be their undoing with Ashbourne entering into the final series of games knowing that a victory would send them into the final. However, fortune appeared to be on the side of Good Counsel as Ashbourne could also only manage a draw against Coláiste Mhuire.
Good Counsel brought the sides level once more with a defeat of St. Mel’s College, Longford in a game that could have went either way.
A play-off was necessary to divide the two teams and spurred on by their late reprieve, Good Counsel College were well worth the 3-0 victory to advance them to the final.
Good Counsel took the lead in the game before Dublin Oak equalised however the Wicklow side had no answer to the two goals that the New Ross School added to the score-line and the spoils went to Good Counsel College with the final score reading 3-1.
GIRLS SECTION
The girls section followed the same format, with the 12 schools split across two groups with each group winner qualifying for the final.
Loreto Secondary School (Kilkenny), St. Joseph’s SS, Rochfortbridge (Westmeath), St. Mary’s SS, New Ross (Wexford). Scoil Chríost Rí, Portlaoise (Laois), Colaiste Rís, Dundalk (Louth), Moyne Community School (Longford), St. Leo’s College (Carlow), Scoil Mhuire, Trim (Meath), Loreto Abbey, Dalkey (Dublin), Woodlands Academy, Bray (Wicklow), St. Mary’s College, Naas (Kildare) and Sacred Heart School, Tullamore (Offaly) were in the mix.
Loreto, Kilkenny breezed through the group stage with 4 victories with a 2-2 draw with St. Joseph’s SS, Rochfortbridge, it being enough to hold off the challenge from the Westmeath side. They boasted the best defensive record in the competition, conceding the least amount of goals.
A bright start for St. Leo’s College proved to be the difference in the second group as they won their first few games meaning that the 2-0 defeat to Scoil Mhuire, Trim in their final game had no bearing on their qualification for the final.
Meath qualifiers Scoil Mhuire would finish as runners-up and will be ruing their bad start where they were beaten 4-3 by Loreto Abbey, Dalkey and a 1-1 draw with St. Mary’s College, Naas.
Loreto, Kilkenny could not bring their group form into the final. In what was a close encounter for the majority of the game, St. Leo’s College deservedly pulled away and went on to win 3-1 and lifted the Cup.
Good Counsel College, New Ross, Wexford and St. Leo’s College, Carlow will now advance to the National Finals which take place in Waterford IT Sports Arena on December 5. We wish all participating schools the very best of luck.
WINNER
Good Counsel College, New Ross, Wexford (BOYS)
St. Leo’s College, Carlow (GIRLS)
RUNNERS UP
Dublin Oak Academy, Bray, Wicklow (BOYS)
Loreto Secondary School, Kilkenny, (GIRLS)
IMAGES of participating schools available upon request
END
POST PRIMARY SCHOOLS FUTSAL DATES
Provincial Finals:
Ulster: Tuesday, November 14 AURA Leisure Centre, Letterkenny
Connacht: Wednesday, November 15 IT Sligo
Munster: Thursday, November 23 Waterford IT Sports Arena
Leinster: Tues & Wed, November 21 & 22 National Indoor Arena, Abbotstown
National Final: Tuesday, December 5 Waterford IT Sports Arena
2016 NATIONAL FINALS ROLL OF HONOUR:
Post Primary Schools – Girls
WINNERS: Presentation Secondary School, Kilkenny (LEINSTER)
RUNNERS UP: Claregalway College, Galway (CONNACHT)
THIRD: Loreto Community School, Milford (ULSTER)
FOURTH: Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine, Kenmare, Kerry (MUNSTER)
Post Primary Schools - Boys
WINNERS: Summerhill College, Sligo (CONNACHT)
RUNNERS UP: St. Francis College, Rochestown, Cork (MUNSTER)
THIRD: Scoil Mhuire, Buncrana, Donegal (ULSTER)
FOURTH: St. Mary’s Diocesan School, Drogheda, Louth (LEINSTER)
What is Futsal | Futsal is an indoor version of association football. It is played between two teams of five players, one of whom is the goalkeeper, and up to seven substitutes per team. Unlike some other forms of indoor football, the game is played on a hard court surface delimited by lines; walls or boards are not used.
Futsal is also played with a smaller ball with less bounce than a regulation football. The rules create an emphasis on improvisation, creativity and technique as well as ball control and passing in small spaces.
