Bank of Ireland FAI Schools Tom Ticher Junior National Cup Semi Final
Thursday, March 3, 2016
Calasanctius College, Oranmore 3-1 Carrigaline Community School
Luke Smyth (20), Aaron Connolly (34), Ronan Manning (66) Shane Moran (55)
ORANMORE’S CALASANCTIUS COLLEGE defeated a determined Carrigaline Community School at the University of Limerick earlier today to progress to the Bank of Ireland FAI Schools Tom Ticher Junior National Cup Final this season.
It was a brilliant performance from Calasanctius College as the weather deteriorated through the proceedings but the standard of football was immense. Both sides served up a fine display with Oranmore looking the more likely to score early on. The Cork keeper Niall O’Leary was a busy man in the first fifteen minutes as he saved bravely from Aaron Connolly on a number of occasions. Connolly demonstrated some fancy footwork in the box to skip past defenders time and time again but Carrigaline’s O’Leary put in a sterling performance between the posts to deny the young scholar.
It was Luke Smyth who broke the deadlock midway through the first half as Connolly turned supplier on this occasion. Connolly then doubled their advantage six minutes from the interval as Ronan Manning and Josh Quinlivan set him up delightfully.
The Munster men went in search of a goal before the break and were unfortunate not to hit the target on 37 minutes as James McSweeney headed over following an excellent weighted pass into the box from Jack Turner down the right wing.
Oranmore pressed high in the second half to see out the contest but Carrigaline were looking dangerous on the counter attack. Shane Moran was turning on the style and he combined well with Stephen Darcy but Mark Greaney was equal to the challenge.
Manning thought he had the match winner 10 minutes in as his little dink over O’Leary just landed on the crossbar.
The momentum in the game soon shifted as Carrigaline grabbed one back courtesy of Shane Moran, 2-1, game on with 15 minutes remaining.
However the Carrigaline comeback was short lived as 11 minutes later, Ronan Manning produced an outstanding free kick from 25 yards out to smash the ball to the top corner, taking the game out of Joe McSorley’s reach!
The Galway School are no strangers to this level of competition having captured All Ireland honours last season in the Minor category and were beaten finalists in 2014 in the First Year Cup against Ulster outfit Carndonagh Community School. The pedigree on display this afternoon was top class. Following the injury of net-minder Daniel O’Neill following 25 minutes of action, Mark Greaney was introduced and he had a match winning performance to keep the deficit in place as Carrigaline’s duo of Darcy and Moran were relentless in front of goal. Greaney produced a series of marvellous one handed saves in the dying minutes to ensure the Oranmore lads sail into the finale which sees Coláiste Phádraig, Lucan CBS face St. Eunan’s College, Letterkenny tomorrow in the Peace Link, Clones (1pm).
The Tom Ticher Junior Cup Final is scheduled for Tuesday, March 15 (1pm). Venue to be decided.
Calasanctius don’t have time to rest on today’s win as the lads are back in action tomorrow with a Connacht Minor Cup Final to contest against newcomers Garbally College, Ballinasloe. The game will kick off at 12.30pm in Mervue United FC.
CARRIGALINE COMMUNITY SCHOOL: Niall O’ Leary,Jack Turner, Sean Creagh, James McSweeney, Nathan O’Donnell, Dan Maloney, Stephen Darcy, Ryan O’Regan, Shane Moran, Luke Boyle, Kyle Murphy
SUBS: Dara Crolty, Keelan Conway, Conor Drinan for O’Donnell (47), Ronan Connolly, Glenn Sexton
TEACHER: Joe McSorley
CALASANCTIUS COLLEGE, ORANMORE: Daniel O’Neill, Cillian Doyle, Jim Crowley, Adam Rooney, Nathan Lynskey, David Price, Josh Quinlivan, Eoghan McDonagh, Aaron Connolly, Ronan Manning, Luke Smyth.
SUBS: James Cahalane for Smyth (64), Matthew Barret for Quinlivan (77), Oisin Smith for Crowley (53), Liam Moran, Jack Egan, Shane Ryan, Mark Greaney for O’Neill (25)
TEACHER: Ruth Broderick COACHES: Noel Greaney, Mark Smyth.
REFEREE: Ryan McCann (Limerick)
