Coláiste Phobal Ros Cré defeated Grennan College. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Masita GAA Post Primary Schools Niall McInerney Cup (Senior D Hurling) final
Coláiste Phobal Ros Cré 1-15 Grennan College, Thomastown 2-11
By Stephen Barry at SETU Carlow
Paul Dooley’s 47th-minute goal fired Coláiste Phobal Ros Cré to the Masita GAA Post Primary Schools Niall McInerney Cup title 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 found Dooley for the key score.
Eventually joint-captains Gearóid Maher and Sam Dooley lifted the Niall McInerney Cup. They are the second consecutive North Tipp school to collect the trophy, succeeding St Mary’s Secondary School, Newport.
Grennan College remarkably featured 10 of the team that won the Senior B National Cup in soccer last month, with cross-code stars Colm Treacy (1-5) and Éanna O’Keeffe (0-3) leading the way again.
Coláiste Phobal were without injured Tipperary minor Aaron O’Donoghue as they began with a cold wind at their backs. It was Grennan who got the first major score. O’Keeffe caught a puck-out and released Conor Monks, who skittled a low shot to the net.
O’Keeffe and Treacy combined for each of their next four points, with O’Keeffe scoring one, assisting two, and winning a free for the fourth.
They were also involved in creating another goal chance for Monks, but Michael Loughnane made a diving block.
Coláiste Phobal were able to regain the lead with four points in a row as Sam Dooley pointed two and laid on another for Seamie Cleare.
A late brace from James Sampson saw them maintain the advantage into the break; 0-9 to 1-5.
Cleare put in a huge second-half shift, teeing up the Dooleys for points before slotting two of his own, off right and left, for a 0-14 to 1-9 lead.
In a game that was level six times, Grennan College jumped back ahead in the 43rd minute. 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 before the latter’s breakthrough strike.
Eoghan Byrne and O’Keeffe pulled back points either side of Sam Dooley’s fourth, but they couldn’t get level.
Scorers for Coláiste Phobal: Paul Dooley 1-1, Sam Dooley 0-4, Seamie Cleare, Jack Walsh 0-3 each, Gearóid Maher (1f), James Sampson 0-2 each.
Scorers for Grennan College: Colm Treacy 1-5 (1f), Conor Monks 1-0, Éanna O’Keeffe 0-3, Eoghan Byrne, Seán Denieffe, Jamie Cassin 0-1 each.
Coláiste Phobal: Matt Watkins; Josh Loughnane, Cathal McDonald, Michael Loughnane; Seán Maher, Paul Simpson, Darragh Phelan; Gearóid Maher, Jack Moloney; Seamie Cleare, Paul Dooley, James Sampson; Callum Mitchell, Sam Dooley, Jack Walsh.
Subs: Michael Dooley for Mitchell (49), Miko Pasalic for S Maher (54), Sam Carey for Walsh (60+3).
Grennan College: Adam Barden; Jimmy Hennessy, Alex Begley, 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).
