Rathangan Fightback just falls short
The Ardscoil Rathangan Football Team that lost out to St Peters Dunboyne on Thursday in the North Leinster Sr Football B Schools Final in Abbottstown Photo Martin Rowe
AFTER being thirteen points down in the first quarter Ard Scoil Rath Iomgháin fought back to trail by six points at half time and brought it to just a point with ten minutes to go but the fightback effort took its toll and it was St Peter’s of Dunboyne who finished the stronger to claim the Leinster PPS (North) SF “B” title at a cold Abbotstown on Thursday afternoon.
The Meath school also had the better start and were 3-2 to 0-0 to the good inside thirteen minutes. Corner forward, James Lonergan, blasted home inside 30 seconds, added a second from a penalty in the 7th minute and set up the other corner forward Harry Healy for goal No 3 in the 12th minute.
To their credit the Rathangan school got to grips of the game on the artificial surface and rattled off 1-2 without reply by the 20th minute with two Pauric Carty points, one from a free, and a goal from centre half back Cathal Weldon.
Further points came from Diarmuid Conlan, Oisín Dempsey and Conlon again with the responses coming from Lonergan and Healy left Rathangan trailing by five points, 1-5 to 3-4 at the break.
Three early second half points, including two frees from full forward and captain, John Harkin, kept Dunboyne at distance but a point from a free by halftime substitute, Joey Cunningham, kept the fight in the Rathangan school.
They were on the front foot now and a point from Harry Donnelly was followed by a penalty from the Ellistown man after Ollie Deller was upended in the square. Deller and Donnelly, Kildare minors both, added points to leave just the minimum between the sides with ten minutes remaining.
That was as good as it got for the big-hearted Ard Scoil Rath Iomgháin team and it was St Peter’s who finished the stronger with an injury time goal from wing back Ciarán McCormack putting a further gloss on the scoreline for them to claim the title.
ARDSCOIL RATH IOMGHÁIN: Seán Moran (Rathangan); Oisín Kenny (Rathangan), Ronan O’Neill (Clonbullogue), Charlie Cullen (Ellistown); Evan Donnelly, Cathal Weldon (Bracknagh) 1-0, TJ Donoghue (Sarsfields); Ollie Deller (Round Towers) 0-1, Seán Wyer (Bracknagh); Diarmuid Conlon (Rathangan) 0-2, Austin Donegan (Rathangan), Oisín Donoghue (Clonbullogue) 0-1; Pauric Carty (Rathangan) 0-2 (1 free), Dara Cuddihy (Walsh Island), Harry Donnelly (Ellistown) 1-3 SUBS: Joey Cunningham (Allenwood) 0-1 (free) for Oisín Dempsey H/T, Ruairi Broughan (Rathangan) for Diarmuid Conlan 38, Niall Finnegan (Milltown) for Charlie Cullen 38.
ST PETER’S COLLEGE DUNBOYNE: Stephen Kiely; Cian Tobin, Bríain Comiskey, Paul Dempsey; Ciarán McCormack 1-0, Michael Padden, Cian Rohan; Luke Flaherty, Jack Doyle; Eoin McCrudden 0-1 (Mark), Cian Duggan, Charlie Gallagher; Harry Healy 1-1, John Harkin 0-5 (2 free), James Lonergan 2-3 (1-0 pen) SUBS: Dylan Ryan for Cian Rohan 47, Cathal Farrelly for Cian Tobin 53.
REFEREE: David Sweeney (Dublin/Laois)
