Crucial goals get St Mel’s College Longford through to the quarter-finals

St Mel’s College . . . 3-8  St Mary’s Edenderry . . . 0-8 

oals at crucial stages of the game was the decisive factor as St Mel’s College scored a comfortable win over St Mary’s Edenderry to book their place in the Leinster Schools Senior ‘A’ Football Championship quarter-final against St Peter’s Wexford in mid-January.
The first green flag raised was a real gift as Paddy Mollaghan directed the ball into the back of the net after capitalising on a poor kick-out with just seven minutes gone in the knockout preliminary round clash at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park on Friday last.

Starting without Killoe senior player Paddy Moran, St Mel’s ended up leading by 1-5 to 0-2 at the break and were denied a second goal when a shot from wing back Cormac Flynn was well saved by the opposing keeper Callum Hurst in the opening minute of the second half.
St Mary’s then closed the gap with a point apiece from Kaelem Bryan (free) and Cian McNamee before a significant moment in the match materialised when the St Mel’s keeper Stephen Oates produced a great save to stop a point-blank goal attempt from Cillan Lowry.
The Longford college launched an immediate counter-attack with substitute James Hagan providing the perfect pass for Michael Flynn to find the back of the Edenderry net in the 37th minute.
The victory was wrapped up with Jamie Dorr putting Davin Donnelly through for the killer third goal in the 46th minute.
The Flynn brothers Michael and Cormac were a constant threat in the full-forward-line and accounted for 1-7 of the St Mel’s scores with five of their fine points coming in the first half.
Cormac was most unlucky not to register a goal in the 8th minute when he blasted a shot against the underside of the crossbar and the Edenderry side had to wait until the 19th minute for their opening score through full-forward Kaelem Bryan.
St Mary’s got a second point just before the break with James Lynch on target from a tight angle but suffered a shattering blow when Michael Flynn fired home the second goal for St Mel’s in the early stages of the second half.
The boys in blue added another 1-3 to their tally during the remainder of the match with Cormac (free) and Michael Flynn (mark) and substitute Enda Quinn landing the points while Davin Donnelly planted the ball in the corner of the Edenderry net.
St Mary’s never gave up the fight in the face of adversity in registering a total of six points in the second half - three from frees converted by Kaelem Byrne, a brace (play) from Cillian Lowry with Cian McNamee also getting his name on the scoresheet.
The gallant losers tried in vain to get a badly needed goal but could find no way past the competent St Mel’s keeper Stephen Oates who made a few vital saves.

ST MEL’S COLLEGE: Stephen Oates (Grattans); Paddy Clancy (St Brigid’s Killashee), Conor Flynn (Clonguish), Mark Cooney (Clonguish); Cormac Flynn (Kilmore, Clonguish), Andrew Flynn (Clonguish), Kevin Baskett (Clonguish); Jamie Dorr (Clonguish), Ross Shields (Clonguish); Daniel Carey (Clonguish), Harry Mulvihill (Grattans), Davin Donnelly (Killoe, 1-0); Cormac Flynn (Clonguish, 0-4, 2 frees), Paddy Mollaghan (St Brigid’s Killashee, 1-0), Michael Flynn (Clonguish, 1-3, 1 mark).  

Subs:- James Hagan (Clonguish) for P Mollaghan (half-time); Enda Quinn (Killoe, 0-1) for K Baskett (41 mins); Paul Eivers (Killoe) for D Donnelly (55 mins); Shane Donohoe (Killoe) and Eamon Igoe (Killoe) for H Mulvihill and D Carey (60 mins). 

ST MARY’S EDENDERRY: Callum Hurst; Cian Cocoman, Kieran Ryan, Eoghan Cullen; Cillian Foran, Cathal Nolan, Andrew Hill; Darragh Kilduff, Declan Osagie; Callum Dunne, James Lynch (0-1), Cillian Lowry (0-2); Darragh Carey, Kaelem Byran (0-4, 3 frees), Cian McNamee (0-1). 

Subs:- Ross Healion for D Carey (half-time); Ben Kearney for D Kilduff (44 mins); Paidi Gorman for C Cocoman (48 mins).

Referee: Mark Glancy (Rathcline). 

Leinster S.F. ‘A’/ Br. Bosco Cup Quarter-Finals    

1. St. Mary’s Knockbeg College v Naas CBS  

2. St. Mel’s College v St. Peter’s College Wexford  

3. St. Patrick’s Cl. Sch. Navan v Scoil Mhuire Clane  

4. Coláiste Choilm Tullamore v Maynooth Ed. Campus   

First named at home unless determined otherwise by CCC due to travel distance 

Semi-Finals (Neutral Venues)  

Winners 1 v Winners 2  

Winners 3 v Winners 4