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23 Oct 2025
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23 Oct 2025
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Jimmy Gacquin, the manager of the St Mel's senior football squad.
It all went horribly wrong for St Mel’s College in the hammering they suffered against Dublin opponents St Aidan’s who cruised to a very easy win in the Leinster Schools Senior ‘A’ Football Championship clash at the Whitehall grounds on Tuesday.
St Aidan’s, Whitehall . . . 10-20 St Mel’s College . . . 0-9
After centre-half-back Paddy Duggan was forced to retire injured in the 7th minute after sustaining a heavy tackle direct from the throw-in, things went from bad to worse for outclassed St Mel’s and there was little that manager Jimmy Gacquin could do to halt the slide against the far superior St Aidan’s side.
Thanks to goals in the first quarter of the game from full-forward Jordan Leonard and midfielder Sergei Runan, the physically stronger home side led by 2-9 to 0-1 after 17 minutes with Daire O’Brien firing over the solitary score for St Mel’s who were playing against the wind.
That commanding advantage was extended to 4-12 to 0-4 by the break and four more St Aidan’s goals followed from John Foley, Lee Gannon and Leonard (2) in the early stages of the second half as St Mel’s collapsed completely in crashing out of the championship.
ST AIDAN’S: Chris Davis; Eamonn Hill, Ciaran Murphy, Dylan O’Connell; Josh Thorpe (0-1), Cian Murphy, Ciaran McManus; Sergei Runan (1-5), Keith Campbell (0-1); Sean Lowry (0-1), James Doran (0-3), Andrew McCaul (0-3, one free); John Foley (3-0), Jordan Leonard (3-3), Lee Gannon (3-2).
Subs:- Kerry Hannon (0-1) for J Doran (38 mins); Adam McNally for K Campbell (38 mins); Eoin Flaherty for J Foley (39 mins); Brendan Daly for E Hill (42 mins); Eoin Berry for J Thorpe (48 mins); Mikey Noonan for Cian Murphy (56 mins).
ST MEL’S COLLEGE: Eoin McGuinness (Longford Slashers); Paul Brady (Killoe), Jack Magan (Killashee, 0-1), James Moran (Killoe); Michael McCann (Clonguish), Paddy Duggan (Longford Slashers), Liam Harte (Killoe); Padraic Joyce (Mostrim, 0-1), Daire O’Brien (Longford Slashers, 0-2); Cian O Nuallain (Longford Slashers), Euan Finneran (Killoe, 0-1), Diarmuid Sheahan (Longford Slashers); Liam Sheridan (Clonguish), Cian Dooner (Killoe, 0-3, one free), Robbie O’Connell (Longford Slashers, 0-1).
Subs:- Paulis Merkelis (Longford Slashers) for P Duggan (injured, 7 mins); Darragh O’Connell (Longford Slashers) for C O Nuallain (injured, 29 mins); Jack Carey (Longford Slashers) for L Sheridan (48 mins).
Referee: Brian Brady (Louth).
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