De La Salle College, Waterford 3 (C Coad 7, K: Flynn 35, C: Whittle 43)
Cashel Community College 1 (P: Fitzgerald 19)
The Munster Senior Soccer Title has returned to DLS after a long 7 year gap: On route to the final the college had overcome Cork City School St Aidan’s, Charleville CBS and in the semi/final, Douglas Community School: Their opponents in the final were Cashel Community College who had emerged victorious over the competition favourites Limerick CBS in a penalty shoot out in the other semi final:
The final was played in a drizzly Bansha on Friday last on a heavy pitch: De La Salle quickly settled and opened the scoring after 7 minutes when the impressive Conor Coad seized a bouncing ball just outside the area to send an accurate volley to the corner of the net, past the despairing dive of the Cashel net minder:
For the next 10 minutes the City team continued to apply all the pressure and twice hit the woodwork first from a Coad header and then from a Chris Kervick right foot drive: Also from a well worked corner Adam Potter flashed a volley inches past the post:
To all observers present it just seemed a matter of time before DLS saw another goal: The goal when it did arrive however didn’t go to the De La Salle lads, but instead an equaliser to Cashel: A looping free kick into the DLS penalty area was won by the towering Cashel No 9 and then seized upon by Patrick Fitzgerald who swivelled and fired passed Sean Whitty from 5 yards to the delight of the vocal large support from Cashel:
For the next quarter hour the De La Salle midfield continued to dominate and half chances came and went: With 10 minutes remaining until half time Aaron Galibert went on another mazy run down the left and sent a pinpoint cross to the back post where Kevin Flynn headed home: Things got even better for the Waterford lads on the stroke of half time when Mark McManus played a low driven ball to Conor Whittle:
Instead of trapping the pass, whittle stepped over the ball creating a wonderful one/two with Kevin Flynn: As the Cashel net minder came to narrow the angle Whittle displayed the class that has earned him International recognition and rounded the keeper, slamming the ball to the back of the net: The whistle for the break came almost immediately and the talk at halftime was about the quality of that third De La Salle goal:
With the breeze at their backs for the second half the expected onslaught from the Tipperary school never materialised: Instead Waterford had the best of the few chances created and were extremely unlucky when Conor Coad beat the offside trap and advanced on goal: As he chipped the ball past the Cashel goalie he was taken down, but unbelievably the referee only flashed a yellow card: The Cashel goalie went on to further protect his goal, producing excellent saves from Galibert, Kervick and the tireless Kevin Flynn
With 10 minutes remaining, Colm Morris, who had played a fantastic game as the midfield anchor was replaced by Eoin Kindlon: At this stage with full backs Mark McManus and Gavin O’Donovan not allowing the wide players any room, Cashel were reduced to pumping the ball into the DLS area but team captain Adam Potter and Patrick Fitzgerald proved rock solid:
The final whistle came and you could see the joy as the college team celebrated: This victory was the sixth time that De La Salle has won this prestigious competition and has placed the college in second place behind Limerick CBS in the roll call of winners:
In his speech Adam Potter sympathised with Cashel, who have now lost 3 Munster Finals in recent years: He also thanked team mentors Andrias O’Brien and Pete Munroe for all their hard work:
Next up in the All Ireland semi finals on Thursday, March 10 is another De La Salle school – St: Benildus College from Stillorgan: Hopefully the talented bunch of players of DLS, who represent six different Waterford clubs, will be able to win an All Ireland title to put beside ones that they won when they were in first and second year at the college:
DLS Team: S: Whitty, G O’Donovan, M: McManus, A: Potter(Capt), P: Fitzgerald, C: Whittle, C: Morris, A: Galibert, C: Kervick, K: Flynn, C: Coad: Subs: A: Deegan, E: Kindlon (for C: Morris, 80mins), D: O’Leary, L: Browne, J: Hale:
