Coláiste Phobal Ros Cré hold on for All-Ireland Hurling glory

GAA: Masita All-Ireland Post-Primary Schools Senior ‘D’ Hurling Final

Coláiste Phobal Ros Cré 1-15

Grennan College, Thomastown 2-11

Report: Stephen Barry at SETU Carlow

MATCH DIGEST

Player of the Match: Seamie Cleare (Coláiste Phobal Ros Cré)

SCORERS - Coláiste Phobal Ros Cre: Sam Dooley 0-4; Paul Dooley 1-1; Seamie Cleare, Jack Walsh 0-3 each; Gearóid Maher (1 free), James Sampson 0-2 each.

Grennan College, Thomastown: Colm Treacy 1-5 (0-1 free); Éanna O’Keeffe 0-3; Conor Monks 1-0; Eoghan Byrne, Seán Denieffe, Jamie Cassin 0-1 each.

Paul Dooley’s 47th minute goal fired Coláiste Phobal Ros Cré to the All-Ireland Senior ‘D’ Hurling title on Friday with a nail-biting one-point victory over Grennan College, Thomastown.

Colm Treacy’s brilliant solo goal had just edged Grennan a point ahead moments before Seamie Cleare’s disguised pass found Dooley for the key score of the final at SETU Carlow.

There was some late confusion as referee Eamonn Furlong had the scoreboard changed to award Grennan one of the Roscrea school’s points with six minutes remaining. An official intervened to rectify the mistake in the 58th minute, switching the scoreboard from 1-14 to 2-12 to the correct 1-15 to 2-11.

It didn’t change again through four minutes of stoppage time as Coláiste Phobal held out. Joint-captains Gearóid Maher and Sam Dooley lifted the Niall McInerney Cup, with Maher concluding the speech with a fitting tribute to past pupil and Shinrone hurler Joe Cleary, who passed away last month.

They are the second consecutive North Tipperary institution to collect the trophy, succeeding St Mary’s Secondary School, Newport.

Grennan College remarkably featured ten of the team that won the Senior ‘B’ National Cup in soccer last month, with cross-code stars Treacy (1-5) and Éanna O’Keeffe (0-3) leading the way again. Treacy was also a starter at full-forward on the Thomastown team that won a shock Kilkenny SHC title last autumn.

Even without injured Tipperary minor panellist Aaron O’Donoghue due to a broken ankle sustained in the All-Ireland semi-final, Coláiste Phobal were able to get enough pressure on those main shooters for a finish.

They began with a cold wind at their backs as Jack Walsh landed the opening point. But it was Grennan College who got the first major score. O’Keeffe caught a puck-out and released Conor Monks, who skittled a low shot to the net.

Offaly U20 Gearoid Maher nailed an important response after fielding the puck-out. Eanna O’Keeffe picked out Colm Treacy to raise Grennan’s first white flag, but Coláiste Phobal regained the lead with four points in a row. Sam Dooley pointed two and laid on another for Seamie Cleare, while Maher arrowed over a monster free from almost 100 metres out.

In an entertaining game allowed to flow by the referee, both sides would score all but one point of their totals from open play. O’Keeffe and Treacy combined for Grennan’s levelling points and were also involved in creating another goal chance for Monks. Michael Loughnane got across to make a spectacular diving block. A Treacy free edged them ahead, 1-4 to 0-6, as Walsh and Seán Denieffe traded the next two points.

Given the wind at their backs, Coláiste Phobal would’ve felt the need to lead at half-time. They achieved that target with a quickfire James Sampson brace, featuring some juggling stickwork from a puck-out.

Like the second half, there was no score for the final nine minutes of the first. There were some close calls at either end, though. Seamie Cleare doubled the sliotar wide from Jack Walsh’s pass before O’Keeffe’s audacious attempt missed the target. 0-9 to 1-5 at the break.

The second half was a tit-for-tat affair. Jack Walsh’s third point finished a flowing move involving Josh Loughnane and the Dooleys to double Coláiste Phobal’s lead.

Colm Treacy replied as the Roscrea school clocked up their tenth wide. Sam Dooley wriggled free to get them back on track but points from Jamie Cassin, after a difference of opinion between the umpires, and Treacy equalised at 0-11 to 1-8.

Seamie Cleare fed Paul Dooley for his first of two goal chances but this one flashed over the bar. O’Keeffe then showcased his pace to level for a sixth and final time.

Having assisted their last two points, Cleare slotted two of his own, off right and left, for a 0-14 to 1-9 lead. Grennan College jumped back ahead in the 43rd minute. Colm Treacy won a puck-out and absorbed a thumping Cathal McDonald shoulder before lashing the sliotar to the roof of the net.

Coláiste Phobal went goal-hunting as Jack Moloney and Paul Dooley were denied by an Adam Barden save and Tyler Nolan’s block before Sam Dooley’s breakthrough strike made it 1-14 to 2-9.

Eoghan Byrne and Eanna O’Keeffe pulled back points either side of Sam Dooley’s fourth, but the Kilkenny side weren’t allowed to get another shot off. Darragh Phelan and James Sampson came up with clutch hooks and blocks while Josh Loughnane hoovered up any breaking ball.

TEAMS - Coláiste Phobal, Ros Cre: Matt Watkins (Ballyskenach/Killavilla); Josh Loughnane (Roscrea), Cathal McDonald (Roscrea), Michael Loughnane (Roscrea); Seán Maher (Moneygall), Paul Simpson (Shinrone), Darragh Phelan (Ballyskenach/Killavilla); Gearóid Maher (Shinrone, J-Capt), Jack Moloney (Roscrea); Seamie Cleare (Ballyskenach/Killavilla), Paul Dooley (Roscrea), James Sampson (Shinrone); Callum Mitchell (Roscrea), Sam Dooley (Roscrea, J-Capt), Jack Walsh (Roscrea).

Subs: Michael Dooley (Roscrea) for Mitchell (49), Miko Pasalic (Roscrea) for S Maher (54), Sam Carey (Moneygall) for Walsh (60+3).

Grennan College, Thomastown: Adam Barden; Jimmy Hennessy, Alex Begley (Capt), Evan Fitzgerald; Darragh Dack, Tyler Nolan, Conor Kelly; Colm Treacy, Éanna O’Keeffe; Conor Monks, Odhran McGorry, Seán Denieffe; Jamie Cassin, Eoghan Byrne, Rory Tobin.

Subs: Tadhg McMahon for Hennessy (48), Jack Ravenhill for McGorry (54), Cian Murphy for Tobin (56, inj).

Referee: Eamonn Furlong (Wexford).