The long awaited All Ireland Post Primary Schools Futsal Finals were held on Tuesday last, 18 January in the scenic surrounds of Gormanston College:
Emerging victorious from the day’s proceedings were Cork’s Christ King Girls Secondary School in the girls section and Brian Lacey’s St: Muredach’s College from Ballina in the boys section:
Both teams enjoyed the group stages with St: Muredach’s winning all three games, sitting on top spot with a total of eight goals scored and only three conceded as they entered the final stage:
The girls section was more closely contested with Eureka SS securing top spot in the league table before meeting Christ King in the final: Eureka had gained the earlier advantage with a 4/3 win in the group stages and Cork mentor Fergal O’Leary was mindful of this fact as he prepared the girls for the Final:
GIRLS GROUP STAGES:
The morning’s events started positively for Kells School Eureka Secondary School as they held out to beat Donegal’s Moville Community College in their opening encounter 2/1: The talented Niamh O’Keefe and Shannie Swarres provided the fire power as they slotted past an industrious Moville keeper: Some consolation for the Ulster outfit as Nicole McDermott provided a fantastic individual effort to settle Moville into the day’s proceedings: Unfortunately this strike couldn’t be followed up to provide an equalizer, much to the frustration of mentors Noreen Meehan and Seamus Gallagher:
Christ King Girls Secondary School collected their first points of the day as Kate Leneghen scored two super goals to wrap up proceedings against a determined Davitt College (2/0):
Eureka’s second outing was another success with the Leinster ladies enjoyed a narrow win over the Rebels with the game ending 4/3: Eureka’s goals came from Catherine Dolan, Shannie Swarres (2), and Niamh O’Keeffe while Cork’s Kate Leneghen (2) and Ciara Hartnett deceived Laura Keoghan, the Kells keeper: The rebels pressed Kells but Leonard Noone’s team stood firm to see out the victory:
Roma McLaughlin was the star of the show with Moville’s second game as they took on Davitt College: The youngster registered four of her team’s five goals with Nicole McDermott registering the other as the Donegal School won 5/2: Davitt’s Laura Brady and Clare McDonagh provided the goals for Davitt in a highly entertaining match:
Eureka’s final game in the group stages saw Hannah Quinn score to level proceedings against Davitt College: The Connacht champs managed to equalise to share the spoils with Eureka (1/1):
Christ King won their final group game against Moville 3/1 with Jade Fox (2) and Megan Dennehy providing the winners: Nicole McDermott was the only one to score for Moville as they faced the third/fourth place play/offs:
GIRLS THIRD - FOURTH PLACE PLAY/OFFS: Moville Community College v Davitt College
Caoimhe McGuinness opened the scoring early on for Moville with a well placed finish:
Hannah McHale was the busier of the two keepers as Davitt pressed for an equaliser: The Donegal shot stopper was in excellent form pulling off some fine saves:
Moville increased their lead shortly before half time as they went forward on the counter attack: Nicole McDermott was again on hand to slot home making it 2/0 before the interval:
Davitt’s misfortunes continued as Roma McLaughlin finished neatly after some good play from her defensive partners (3/0):
The girls from Castlebar lost confidence as the game progressed and Moville moved in quickly with two goals in quick concession: Kate McCauley wrapped up proceedings for the Donegal crew (5/0):
There was just enough time for substitute Cody Anderson to come off the bench and put her name on the score sheet with a great turn and polished finish to make the 6/0 score line look impressive:
Davitt College were unfortunate not to register a goal in the game but keeper McHale was determined to keep a clean sheet:
Moville picked up third spot while Davitt College were awarded fourth place:
GIRLS FUTSAL FINAL: Eureka SS, Kells v Christ King Girls SS, Cork
Just like the earlier group games, this Final lived up to all its expectation of drama and excitement:
Right from kick off, Eureka were keen to put their stamp on the game and it was Shianne Swarres that saw her first shot of the game fly narrowly wide:
Such is the fast pace of futsal that despite the early pressure from Eureka it was Christ King that took the lead:
Kate Leneghen was found at the back post from a sideline ball and she neatly laid the ball into the path of Megan Dennehy who made no mistake of powering the ball into the back of the net:
For the remainder of the half Eureka continued to pressure the Christ King defence:
Catherine Dolan saw her effort well blocked by Ciara Harnett of Christ King:
Neat one/two passing was the order of the day but Eureka couldn’t find a way through:
In the second half it was Christ King that started well, early corner tipped away by Eureka keeper Laura Keagan: And another shot blocked on the line by Swarres:
However with Christ King on the attack it was Eureka that counter/attacked in style resulting in a sliding tackle from the Cork defence: The free kick awarded was perfectly placed into the far corner by Niamh O’Keeffe:
All square going into the final minutes, despite continuous pressure from Eureka: Catherine Dolan saw both her efforts well saved by the inform Cork keeper Kim Dennehy so extra time and golden goal was the order of the day:
Both teams defended well, while still creating neat attacking moves: Christ King began to throw their bodies on the line as a late surge by Eureka saw them hit numerous shots on target but the Cork defence and keeper stood strong to force this thrilling final into a penalty shoot/out:
Christ King was first to step up and Ciara Hartnett made no mistake in giving the Cork side an early advantage: Swarres in confident form after some stunning displays throughout the day coolly slotted home the equaliser:
Next up Kate Leneghen for Christ King, gave keeper no chance as she powered home her penalty: Niamh O’Keeffe confidence flowing from her equalising free kick in normal time brought things equal again:
Next up was Megan Dennehy who smashed her penalty with such confidence putting all the pressure back on Kells to stay in the game: Hannah Quinn bravely stepped forward to take her penalty but the inform Cork keeper Kim Dennehy was equal to it and won the shoot/out for the Cork side:
It was joy for the rebel army while heart break for Eureka but both teams can be very proud of their performances throughout the competition from county level to the national final: These players are certainly ones to watch out for in the future:
BOYS GROUP STAGES:
Monaghan’s Patrician College took the points from Confey College with a 2/1 against the Leinster lads in the opening match of the boys section: Goals from David Garland and Stephen O’Hanlon secured the victory with Ahmed Shariff Noor providing the solidarity goal for Confey:
St: Muredach’s kicked off their title hopes with a comprehensive 3/1 win against Limerick’s Crescent College Comprehensive: The Ballina duo of Lacey and Peyton had the boys looking sharp and really up for the provincial challenge:
Confey College’s second outing was another tough affair against an impressive Crescent College: The game ended in favour of the Leixlip school displaying a 4/3 score line: Confey’s goal/scorers were Ahmed Shariff Noor, Andrew Doolin, Conor Murphy and Steven Reynolds while Limerick’s Jay McKilligan (2) and Paul Costello provided the Crescent goals:
St: Muredach’s second match resulted in a 2/0 win against Monaghan’s Patrician College:
Confey’s final group game saw Andrew Doolin score as Muredach’s went one better with Dominic Murphy, Jesse Devers and John Judge getting the Ballina goals as St: Mureduch’s won out 3/1:
The skilful Crescent secured a 4/1 victory in the final group stage game against a courageous Patrician High School:
BOYS THIRD - FOURTH PLACE PLAY/OFFS: Confey Community College, Leixlip v Patrician High School, Monaghan
These two very talented sides, who were very well matched, came head to head to determine their ranking in the third/fourth place play/off:
Confey started the brighter with Conor Murphy unleashing a shot which just went wide: Conor was immediately in the action again when he beat two players and forced Ronan McDonald into a very good save:
The save from McDonald seemed to instill some impetus into the Patrician performance as they increased the tempo: This was evident asDavid Garland struck a well hit volley just over the Leixlip crossbar: Patrician’s control on proceedings intensified as they regained possession yet again and this time made no mistake as Peter Burke broke the dead/lock: 1/0 to Patrician as their side grew in confidence:
Patrician can be very thankful to defender Alex Colscadden for making some crucial tackles and very good and commanding headers at critical moments in the game:
Patrician striker David Garland was causing the Leixlip defenders plentyof problems and forced the Confey keeper into another good save:
Again, David Garland put his stamp on proceedings with another fine goal makingit 2/0 with a superb finish:
Confey responded almost immediately with a great finish courtesy of Dean Malone: 2/1 with the interval fast approaching
The second half saw Confey score late on to force the game into extra time: Final score in normal time was 2/2:
In the first half of extra time, Confey were playing the better futsal with the Patrician keeper in severe pressure:
In the second half of additional time, the tables turned as the Confey keeper was shocked into a quick save courtesy of a splendid strike from David Garland: Indeed Garland only required a second attempt which sailed narrowly over the up/right much to the annoyance of Monaghan mentor Colm McEneaney
Another star of the show was Confey’s Andrew Doolin who made some timely tackles to deny the Ulster team:
The deadlock would remain in additional time for the dreaded penalty shoot out to decide the play/off rankings:
PENALTY SHOOT OUT
Confey were awarded the first of three penalty kicks with Jamie Aherne converting: Patrician’s Alex Calscadden went narrowly wide as Confey took the early advantage:
The second player to step up for Confey was Steven Reynolds who failed to extend the Leixlip advantage as Ciaran Roe of Monaghan made no mistake to equalise:
The third and final spot kick was taken by Andrew Doolin for Confey: Keeper Ronan McDonald pulled off a tremendous save to shift the advantage in Monaghan’s favour as the talented David Garland stepped up to take Patricians final penalty:
A crucial moment for Patrician High School and the cool head of Garland kept his nerve to slot past the Confey keeper:
Patrician High School took third place while a very competent Confey came fourth:
BOYS FINAL: St: Muredach’s v Crescent College Comprehensive
The finale of the boys section was explosive with some solid futsal performances from the players throughout proceedings:
Crescent were gifted some early changes as they settled into the game: They made good use of the possession and forced Nathan Dee into a number of great saves:
St: Muredach’s began to show some promise as the game came into fruition: Their hard work was rewarded with Cathal Noone’s clean strike through the legs of Peter Mickey:
Crescent seemed slightly deflated after their spell of possession which saw them concede the goal against the run of play:
St: Muredach’s pounced on this purple patch and Jesse Devers was first to react to a loose ball to slot the ball into the bottom corner to ensure a two goal cushion for Brian Lacey’s side:
Crescent’s resurgence saw Nathan Dee called into action several times to deny the Limerick lads a goal:
The Ballina boys secured their third of the afternoon and Cathal Noone’s second with a brilliant strike after a defensive error from Crescent:
Crescent responded positively on the counter attack and almost registered a goal when Seamus Finncae struck an excellent shot destined for the top corner: The ball came off the post with a wicked swerve at the end of it: This was the last of the action as the interval approached, 3/0 to St: Mureduch’s:
The early action in the second period saw Crescent break the deadlock courtesy of Clyde O’Connell:
Moments later Nathan Dee denied Declan Cusack’s long range effort bringing the spectators to their feet:
Crescent produced a moment of magic as Evan Cusack got their second of the afternoon making it 3/2 in favour of the Mayo men:
Diarmuid Mullin’s outfit experienced a critical lapse in concentration as they conceded an easy penalty for Ballina’s Jesse Devers to convert, making it 4/2 to St: Mureduch’s as time ticked by:
There was still time to see the goal of the game, if not the goal of the tournament as Ballina youngster Dominic Murphy struck a glorious volley from just inside the Limerick half to secure a 5/2 victory:
Much praise must go to the Limerick outfit, Crescent College Comprehensive for a splendid display of futsal: The score line didn’t reflect the intensity and determination shown by the players, who on another day could have claimed the coveted title:
The All Ireland Champions St: Muredach’s were outstanding throughout the day and thoroughly deserved the victory with a team effort securing the silverware for the Connacht school:
List of participating Schools:
Leinster (Boys) Confey Community College, Leixlip, Kildare
Teacher: Paddy O’Connor
Panel: Andrew Doolin, Conor Murphy, Shane Fitzpatrick, Steven Reynolds, Peter Burke, Dean Malone, Fikayo Agboola, Ahmed Shariff Noor, Brian Whelan, Jarick Townsend, Jamie Aherne, Alex Meakin:
Leinster (Girls) Eureka Secondary School, Kells, Meath
Teacher: Leonard Noone
Panel: Laura Keoghan, Aoife McKeever, Sarah Gilson, Megan Foley, Niamh O’Keefe, Hannah Quinn, Amy Smith, Edith Lynch, Kara O’Rourke, Shianne Suarez, Catherine Dolan, Amy Gaynor:
Ulster (Boys) Patrician High School, Carrickmacross, Monaghan
Teacher: Colm McEneaney
Ulster (Girls) Moville Community College, Donegal
Teacher: Noreen Meehan & Seamus Gallagher
Munster (Boys) Crescent College Comprehensive, Limerick
Teacher: Diarmuid Mullins
Munster (Girls) Christ King Girls’ Secondary School, Cork
Teachers: Feargal O’Leary
Panel: Kim Dennehy, Belin de Luis, Rebecca O’Callaghan, Hayley Ryan, Megan Deenehy, Aoife Russell, Kate Leneghen, Alanna Hennessy, Niamh Ni Chuanachan, Lauren Kelleher, Ciara Hartnett, Jade Fox,
Connacht (Boys) St: Mureduch’s College, Ballina, Mayo
Teacher: Brian Lacey & Emmet Peyton
Connacht (Girls) Davitt College, Springfield, Castlebar, Mayo
Teacher: Sinead Flynn
BOYS FIXTURES: Group Stages
Confey CC 1/2 Patrician
Crescent Comp 1/3 St: Muredach’s
Confey CC 4/3 Crescent Comp
Patrician 0/2 St: Muredach’s
Confey CC 2/3 St: Muredach’s
Patrician 1/4 Crescent Comp
Boys Third & Fourth Place Play Off: Confey 2/2 Patrician (1/2 pens Patrician, 3rd Place)
BOYS FINAL: St Muredach’s 5/2 Crescent Comprehensive
GIRLS FIXTURES: Group Stages
Eureka SS 2/1 Moville CC
Christ King 2/0 Davitt College
Eureka SS 4/3 Christ King
Moville CC 5/2 Davitt College
Eureka SS 1/1 Davitt College
Christ King 3/1 Moville CC
Girls Third & Fourth Place Play Off: Moville CC 6/0 Davitt College
GIRLS FINAL: Eureka SS 1/1 Christ King Girls’ SS (2/3 pens, Christ King)
Report courtesy of Stephen Moriarty & Emma Martin:
Photographs of participating schools are available upon request:
Winning Team Images
St: Muredach's College, Ballina with the trophy
Christ King Girls' Secondary School, Cork celebrate
END