De La Salle, Waterford 0/0 St: Patrick’s College, Cavan (AET) DLS win 8/7 on pens
De la Salle of Waterford wrote themselves into the history books on Tuesday (March 22) at Tolka Park by winning their first ever UMBRO FAI Schools Dr: Tony O'Neill Senior Cup in dramatic fashion by defeating St: Patrick's College from Cavan reports John Fallon
Replicating their semi/final success over St Benildus College, the Munster champions brought the tie all the way to sudden/death of a penalty shoot/out and kept their nerve to prevail:
Goalkeeper Sean Whitty was once again the saviour of the day for the new champions: His magnificent save to deny St: Patrick's substitute Jonathan Leddy during the second period of extra/time was the prelude to another heroic intervention to conclude the shoot/out:
With each team converting their first seven spot/kicks, the last of De La Salle's attempt himself, he guessed right to foil the unlucky Dara McVeety: Conor Whittle then stepped to settle the outcome for the Deise boys:
De La Salle had been utterly dominant in the first half without getting the breakthrough their industry merited:
The diminutive Conor Coad looked certain to score when put through on goal only for Saints goalkeeper Joe Masterson to save from point/blank range and other efforts were missed by Chris Kervick and Kevin Flynn:
That profligacy would nearly cost them in the second half as St: Patrick's striker Craig Murphy was inches wide with an acrobatic overhead kick on 53 minutes:
Still, De la Salle persevered and despite Flynn allowing another one/on/one chance go unfinished in the last minute of normal time, Whitty ensured they became the first Waterford team in the history of the competition to claim the title:
DE LA SALLE: Sean Whitty; Mark McManus, Gavin O'Donovan, Adam Potter (capt), Patrick Fitzgerald, Colm Morris (David O'Leary 76), Conor Whittle, Chris Kervick (Eoin Kindlan 86), Aaron Galibert, Conor Coad, Kevin Flynn:
Teachers: Andrias O’Brien and Pete Munroe
ST: PATRICK'S COLLEGE: Joe Masterson; Andrew Graham, Paul Graham, Conor Higgins (Ben Kiernan 70), Ryan O'Reilly, Danny Talbot, Killian Devine (Vinny Coyle 76), Cathal Bogue, Dara McVeety, Craig Murphy, Kevin Johnston (Jonathan Leddy HT):
Teacher: Edward O’Callaghan
Referee: Richard Glynn (Dublin)
Images available at http://www:faischools:ie/galleries/and/downloads/photo/gallery/114/umbro/fai/schools/dr/tony/oneill/cup/final/22/03/11/