All Ireland Vocational School's Under 16 Final



Connaught Telegraph April 24 1996


DAVITT COLLEGE POISED TO DELIVER ON PROVEN PEDIGREE

Preview by John Melvin

DAVITT COLLEGE will have their moment in the sun when they clash with Ulster champions Lisnaskea in Ballinasloe on Saturday 2.00. p.m. The under 16 final precedes the senior final between Rathmore and Enniskillen.

It is a pity that such an important fixture as an All Ireland Final is slotted into a Saturday afternoon when fewer number will attend than would be the case on a Sunday.

However, pupils and parents from Davitt College are likely to travelling force with convoys of buses expected to make the trip for what is hope to be an historic day for the College.

It is a great pity for this competition, in both the Connaught Final and All Ireland final, has produced some very exciting football and it is a credit to Davitt College that they have played such an important role in ensuring that high standards were maintained on and off the pitch at all times.

However, when you step into an All Ireland Final you move up a few notches and the Connaught champions will know the fate that befell their school colleagues three years ago when they stepped into a similar arena in the same competition.

On that occasion good Davitt College side was pipped on the home straight by Coalisland. It would be unwise and indeed unfair to make comparisons. Suffice to say, that I have seen of this years crop more than compares favourably with the side which was so unluckily beaten by when Brendan Munnelly was in charge.

Brendan Munnelly recalls that game with naturally a good deal of pride but hidden behind it is the pain of losing an All Ireland that was well within their grasp.

The pain of losing is never easy to bear. And that is why Davitt College will be hoping to erase many years of frustration involving near misses and close calls at senior and under 16 level. This All Ireland would go a long way in erasing many bad memories and there is no reason why the Connaught champions can't do it. Any team with the scalp of Munster champions under their belts must come well recommended.

Not only did Davitt College beat Causeway of Kerry in the semi-final but they gave them a lesson in high quality point scoring, 0-20 in all. Team manager Charlie Lambert knows he goes into this final with a couple of exceptional talents on board.

Top gin has undoubtedly been the skilful Martin McNicholas whose craft and genius has played a key role in bringing them to within sight of this All Ireland summit.

Davitt College are well equipped up front. The Ballintubber partnership of Alan and Garry Dillon, along with the solid full forward Ray Walsh and corner forward Matthew Conroy complete a good attacking force which revolves around the pivotal role of McNicholas on the forty.

He is going to be a marked man, as he was in the semi-final, but class ultimately won out and McNicholas, who may yet have a future in cross-channel soccer where he has done a few trials, ended up with a haul of 0-11 to add his Connaught final tally of 2-3. However, many of those scores were carved out by the hard working midfielder pairing of Sean Reilly and Harry Flynn.

Reilly had a thundering semi-final, never giving up even when he was beaten for a few balls while harry Flynn covered a few acres than the ones that are normally allotted to a lad of such tender years. Hard work brought it's rewards for the two of them and it is going to take an exceptionally strong midfield to beat them.

However, Davitt College do have problems at the back and they were fortunate that some lapses of concentration and plain slack marking were not more heavily penalised by the Kerrymen in the semi-final.

Tightening up will have to be done, but the strongest unit in the defence is the half back line of Karl Jennings, Mervyn Marley and Michael Walsh. Barry Jordan, Kevin Ansbro and Frankie Scully will be hoping to keep a tight rein on the Lisnaksea full forward line which comes well recommended following their win in the semi-final over Clara of Offally.

Although three goals went past Declan Gannon in the semi-final he did not have a chance with either, and, in fact, stopped at least two further goals from going in.

It is a tall order for the Castlebar school but one I feel they are competent enough to discharge.

They have impressed in both their Connaught final and All Ireland semi-final.

Connaught Telegraph - Sport - April 1996