Longford’s St Mel’s College produces super 2nd half display to reach semi-final

St Mel’s College, Longford produced an excellent second half performance to comprehensively defeat St  Peter’s College of Wexford on a scoreline of 4-12 to 3-4 in the Leinster Colleges Senior Football ‘A’ Quarter Final played at The Heath, Co Laois on Wednesday. 

Leinster Colleges Senior Football ‘A’ Quarter Final: St Mel’s College, Longford 4-12 St Peter’s College, Wexford 3-4

St Mel’s were slow to start and were very wasteful in the opening period missing a number of chances, including two goal opportunities which were both excellently saved by alert St Peter’s goalkeeper William Gaul. 

Indeed, at half-time St Mel’s trailed by 1-3 to 2-4 but in the concluding half they were a completely transformed outfit, carving through the St Peter’s rearguard at will and chalking up 3-9 to their opponents 1-0. The only blot on the St Mel’s copybook came in the 52nd minute as midfielder Jamie Dorr was shown a straight red card. 

St Mel’s, who lead the provincial roll of honour with 29 titles, are now just sixty minutes away from a first Leinster College’s SFC ‘A’ Final appearance since 2005 when they were defeated by Knockbeg College. The last occasion St Mel’s were Leinster champions was in 2003.  

St Peter’s opened the scoring in the 4th minute when wing back Jack Hennessy surged purposefully through the St Mel’s defence and crashed an unstoppable shot to the net. 

St Mel’s opened their account in the 8th minute when Paddy Moran converted a free but St Peter’s replied with a point of their own through Conor Cullen to restore a three point lead for the Wexford side, 1-1 to 0-1. 

St Peter’s increased their lead to four points when Simon Roche kicked over a good point in the 15th minute. The St Mel's reply came immediately when Michael Flynn finished the ball to the net to leave his side adrift by the minimum. 

The Wexford school then edged three points clear after David McCarthy was on target in the 17th minute and Conor Cullen followed up with his 2nd point of the contest, 1-4 to 1-1. 

Paddy Moran pulled a point back for St Mel’s however the Longford lads suffered something of a sucker blow in the 24th minute as St  Peter’s then netted their second goal. David McCarthy drilled a penalty to the twine after midfielder Sean Rowley was adjudged to be fouled, 2-4 to 1-2. 

St Mel's registered the final point of the opening half when Michael Flynn was accurate from a free, leaving the scoreboard at the interval reading St Peter’s 2-4 St Mel’s 1-3.

The 2nd half was a completely different game as St Mel’s took control and dictated matters with an iron fist, playing some excellent football throughout. 

Inspired by the excellent trio of Andrew Flynn, Paddy Moran and Michael Flynn, St Mel’s asserted their superiority all over the pitch in a dominant second half display where they emphatically outscored their opponents by 3-9 to 1-0. 

St Mel’s scored a point right from the restart when Harry Mulvihill grabbed an excellent point and from the resulting kickout, Mark Cooney got on the scoresheet with a point. In the 32nd minute Andrew Flynn kicked another point and all of a sudden, a St Mel’s side that had been struggling, was beginning to find their rhythm and they were just a point down, 1-6 to 2-4. 

Sensing that St Peter’s were starting to buckle, St Mel’s went for the jugular and in the 33rd minute the powerful Paddy Moran raced through for a fabulous goal. Michael Flynn added points in the 37th and 41st minutes as St Mel’s raced four points ahead, 2-8 to 2-4, having trailed by four points at the break. 

St Mel’s had the bit between the teeth and they continued to pile on the misery for St Peter’s as Kevin Baskett kicked a point and Daniel Carey dispatched a brilliant goal, making it 3-9 to 2-4, meaning that St Mel’s had scored an unanswered 2-6 since half time. 

Under the cosh St Peter’s gave themselves a little glimmer of hope as full forward Paddy Berry found the net. But it provided only brief respite and St Mel’s added another 1-3 to their total without reply at the other end before the shrill of the final whistle. 

Brothers Cormac Flynn (0-1) and Michael Flynn (1-1) were on target, along with Kevin Baskett (0-1) as St Mel’s romped their way into the semi-final. 

The only negative in a perfect second half for the Longford side came in the 52nd minute as midfielder Jamie Dorr was shown a straight red card after referee Des Cooney consulted with his umpire. 

Scorers
St Mel’s College: Michael Flynn 2-4 (0-1 free), Paddy Moran 1-2 (0-1 free), Daniel Carey 1-0, Kevin Baskett 0-2, Mark Cooney 0-1, Andrew Flynn 0-1, Harry Mulvihill 0-1, Cormac Flynn 0-1

St Peter’s College: David McCarthy 1-1 (1-0 penalty), Jack Hennessy 1-0, Paddy Berry 1-0, Conor Cullen 0-2, Simon Roche 0-1

ST MEL’S COLLEGE: Stephen Oates (Grattan Óg); Paddy Clancy (Killashee), Conor Flynn (Clonguish), Mark Cooney (Clonguish); Cormac Flynn (Clonguish), Andrew Flynn (Clonguish), Kevin Baskett (Clonguish); Jamie Dorr (Clonguish), Harry Mulvihill (Grattan Óg); Enda Quinn (Killoe Óg), Paddy Moran (Killoe Óg), Daniel Carey (Clonguish); Cormac Flynn (Clonguish), Paddy Mollahan (Killashee), Michael Flynn (Clonguish). 

Subs: James Hagan (Clonguish) for P Mollahan (half time), Davin Donnelly (Killoe Óg) for E Quinn (46 mins), Ross  Shields (Clonguish) for D Carey (52 mins), Ryan Keogh (Killoe Óg) for C Flynn (54 mins), Paul Eivers (Killoe Óg) for K Baskett (60 mins).

ST PETER’S COLLEGE: William Gaul; Shane Donovan, Eoin Sinnott, Kevin Byrne; Rian Ormonde, Simon Roche, Jack Hennessy; Sean Rowley, Bobby Reville; Cathal Sinnott, Diarmuid Roche, Conor Cullen; David  McCarthy, Paddy Berry, Liam Cooney.

Subs: Eoin Cassin for K Byrne, Jack Dunne for D Roche, Mark Walsh for L Cooney.

REFEREE: Des Cooney, Laois