Write a commentSt Colman’s convincingly qualified for their 9th Hogan Final with a 2-15 to 1-08 victory over the Connacht champions at a sunny if breezy Pearse Park Longford last Saturday. The College will now attempt to annex the coveted All Ireland Colleges’ Hogan Cup for the 7th time on Saturday April 10th at Croke Park where the team will face Munster standard- bearers St Brendan’s College Killarney.
Playing with wind advantage in the first half the Newry team was first to settle with points from Chris Clarke, Colin Stevenson and Caolan Mooney in the opening five minutes. Yet St Gerald’s looked bigger and stronger in many positions with centre-half Cillian O’Connor posing a serious threat every time he gained possession and it was O’Connor who supplied the pass for corner forward David Stenson to register St Gerald’s first score. However the Newry forward line was drawing frees from a robust St Gerald’s defence which allowed Mooney and Jerome Johnston to add further points while Donal O’Hare added a third after a nice inter-passing movement.
St Gerald’s replied with points from Conor O’Shea and O’Connor (2) while St Colman’s were forced to reshuffle their defence with the loss of Shane McGreevy to a very heavy tackle form Castlebar’s towering midfielder Danny Kirby. Saval’s Eamon Magee replaced McGreevy. Niall McParland was playing a captain’s role at midfield and his promptings led to the first decisive score of the game as Caolan Mooney rounded the Castlebar keeper and goaled in the 23rd minute. Mooney was to add a further 2 points before half-time while Donal O’Hare also contributed a good point to negative O’Connor’s free for St Gerald’s just before half time.
Half time score: St Colman’s 1-09; St Gerald’s 0-05
St Gerald’s decided at half time to adopt the long high ball tactic into the St Colman’s goalmouth but some inspired fielding especially by Niall Donnelly restricted St Gerald’s to one pointed free from O’Connor in the opening 20 minutes of the second half. Meanwhile the slicker movement of the St Colman’s attack led to 3 points in the first 10 minutes from Mooney (2) and Stevenson. St Gerald’s introduced several substitutes and threatened the St Colman’s goal for a long 10 minute period but it was Colman’s who broke the stalemate with well taken points from Jerome Johnston and Niall McParland. Then, with less than 8 minutes left St Gerald’s got the break they needed; another long high ball broke loose in the Colman’s rearguard and St Gerald’s substitute Niall O’Malley bagged a good goal. Spurred on by this, the Connacht men laid siege to the St Colman’s goalmouth and it took magnificent defending from Donnelly and Lively to restrict the westerners to an O’Shea point. St Colman’s countered with the introduction of talisman Ross McGarry and the speedy Shay McCartan. McGarry certainly made an impact: a classy point from the left in the 25th minute was followed by an unstoppable shot to the net 2 minutes later and St Colman’s knew for certain they were in the Hogan Final again. O’Connor did contribute one more pointed free for the Connacht men but St Colman’s were deserving and decisive winners on a scoreline of St Colman’s College Newry 2-15: St Gerald’s College Castlebar 1-08
Scorers: St Colman’s : C Mooney 1-06 (03f); R McGarry 1-01; J Johnston 0-02; D O’Hare 0-02; C Stevenson 0-02; C Clarke 0-01 and N McParland 0-01 St Gerald’s : C O’Connor 0-05 (04f); N O’Malley 1-0; C O’Shea 0-02 and D Stenson 0-01
Final Result: St Colman’s College Newry 2-15 St Gerald’s College Castlebar 1-08
