Connaught Colleges 'A' Championship Final

Connaught Telegraph March 13 1996


HOME MALONE COMES THE HERO AS...............

THE SAINTS COME MARCHING IN AFTER 67 YEARS

Report: John Melvin

St Gerald's College (Castlebar) 2-6
St Patrick's College (Tuam) 0-10

When the places of honour are being allocated in the next life to those who have walked through the hallowed corridors of St Gerald's College Castlebar, the name of Kevin Houdini Lazarus Malone is likely to be placed at the very top, that is, assuming the good Lord knows his football and was watching this game which ended with a goal of miraculous proportions.

For this young man had the courage in his heart and the confidence in his right foot to score an astonishing goal and leave a noisy and swollen Flanagan Park, Ballinrobe, stunned for a few seconds before it finally dawned on everyone that St Gerald's College, Castlebar had cheated death in injury time to snatch a dramatic winner, and bring home the Connaught College senior 'A' football title after a 67 year wait.

To say the Tuam College was dumbfounded would be the understatement of the year. They were nonplussed. And it took them a long while to come to terms with the shock of such a late goal, when it seemed that the defending champions were virtually certain to be heading for the winners podium on the fulltime whistle.

But if ever the phrase, 'there is many a slip between Cup and lip' was borne out, it was in the dramatic closing minutes of this game, which was never a classic, but was always close and exciting, with St Patrick's never able to shrug off a Castlebar school who stuck tenaciously to their task, and dug deep to find the fortitude to overcome adversity. It was a victory for resilience and character rather than superiority.

Had young Malone opted to take his point, and level the game, he would still have been afforded hero status, and I'd venture to say that St Gerald's would have been more than happy to have earned a draw. But to snatch the game from the fire with such an amazing piece of wizardry is likely to place him in the highest place of honour in the schools football folklore.

It was 1929 when St. Gerald's College last lifted the Connaught 'A' title, and when Mark Fahy hoisted the Cup on Sunday, many a tear was shed by those who had long waited when the day would return and St. Gerald's would be back on the pedestal of Connaught Colleges football.

Only those with an unshakeable belief in the side could see it happen this year, and in truth, not too many travelled to Ballinrobe believing this St Gerald's side, who had been trading in the 'B' division for so long, was good enough to topple the defending champions and raging hot favourites St. Patrick's, who had a good pick from last years crop, and were determined to go the full distance to all Ireland glory this year.

Amazing twist

St. Gerald's were regarded as a mere stepping stone in their path, but few could have envisaged the amazing twist that Kevin Malone had scripted for the end of Sunday's story.

And while St. Patrick's may well argue they would have won had they taken more of their chances, the fact that St. Gerald's refused to wilt under pressure makes them worthy champions. While Malone's goal was undoubtedly the score which won the game it must not be forgotten that at the other end Kieran McDonagh produced the save which undoubtedly kept St. Gerald's in the game.

But such is football. A save at one end and a goal at the other and that was really where this game was won and lost.

But St. Patrick's will have good cause to bemoan some wanton waste in the first half when they dominated a lot of the play but hit seven wides, and had only 0-5 to show at the break. Despite not having anywhere near the same amount of possession St. Gerald's took the few chances they had and stood level with them at 1-2 to 0-5 a the break, the goal, once again coming from a brilliant piece of opportunism from the hard working Fintan McHale, who snapped up the ball, which the full back had lost, and he crashed home the goal which gave St. Gerald's the lead for the first time in the 19th minute-1-2 to 0-4.

The St. Gerald's points came from Kenneth Hyland, who knocked over a marvellous score with the left foot, while lyndon Reilly found the target with the first of his four priceless frees in the 12th minute.

Strong running midfielder Michael Hogan, Brian Moran (free) and Pat Mitchell from play, saw St. Patrick's sweep into a three point lead before Hyland's point finally helped St. Gerald's to settle down.

But it was the goal which gave them every reason to face the second half with confidence, while St. Patrick''s knew they had kicked many chances away among those seven first half wides, and probably deserved more than just to be on level terms.

But a lot of the credit for that must to the Castlebar backs who stuck to their guns and particularly the half back line of Kevin Scahill, Alan Staunton and the tenacious John Feeney.

Mark Fahy was having his hands full with a difficult full forward in Barry Walsh, who roamed far and wide, but there was good covering from Adrian Hoban and David Hayes, while McDonagh proved between the posts and the second half defensive juggling also improved matters.

When St. Patrick's had rattled over two points inside three minutes of the restart-Barry Walsh and Alan loughlin-one could sense the pressure was building on St. Gerald's, but Lyndon Reilly steadied their nerves with a vital free to keep them hanging in, and when Fintan McHale scored a magnificent point just six minutes into the second half to level the game once again, the Tuam lads knew they were not up a against a team that was going to cave in under any pressure.

In fact, the initiative swung in favour of St. Gerald's for the second time in the game when Reilly kicked them in front in the 40th minute after Paul O'Hara, who had a very good second half earned the vital free, but it was tied again when a bad clearance fell into the grateful arms of Tommy Hynes, who had the game tied once more.

When Brian Moran punished St. Gerald's once again for a mistake with a pointed free, and followed up with a marvellous point from the hands, the Tuam side were two points clear and looking good going into the last seven minutes.

It was backs against the wall time for St Gerald's, but to their credit it was all hands on deck with the forwards foraging deep, Dunne and Malone working hard at midfield and the backs never lying down. It was drama all the way in the last five minutes when another free by Reilly had the margin back to just one point.

It seemed all over when a stray pass from Mark Fahy fell into the wrong hands and McDonagh produced a top class save to deny Brian Moran of the goal which would have surely wrapped things up.

A draw looked on the cards when Paul O'Hare got into a good scoring position only to have his effort deflected out for a fifty. It was from Reilly's fifty that the Tuam side, in attempting to clear the ball, and over two minutes of injury time gone, were pulled by Sligo referee Frank Finan for a charge.

Lyndon Reilly had the presence of mind to dispatch a quick free to Malone. He took a couple of strides before unleashing a powerful shot to the top corner of the net from twenty yards. The rest, as they say, is history.

Scorers for St. Gerald's: Fintan McHale 1-1; Lyndon Reilly 0-4 all frees; Kevin Malone 1-0; Kenneth Hyland 0-1.

For St. Patrick's: Brian Moran 0-3; Michael Hogan 0-2; Alan loughlin 0-2.

St. Gerald's: Kieran McDonagh (Ballintubber), Adrian Hoban (Ballintubber), Mark Fahy (Breaffy), David Hayes (Ballintubber), Kevin Scahill (Breaffy\Ballintubber), Alan Staunton (Ballintubber), John Feeney (Ballintubber), Niall Dunne (Parke), Kevin Malone (Castlebar), John Roughneen (Castlebar), Lyndon Reilly (Ballintubber), Jamie Fitzmaurice (Castlebar), Kenneth Hyland (Parke), Fintan McHale (Castlebar), Paul O'HARE (Castlebar). Subs: Willie McDonald for Roughneen, Farnan Harte for Hoban.

St. Patrick's; Paul Wallace (Corofin), Norman Connolly (Cartoon), David Murray (Cartoon), Adrian Kennedy (Milltown), Kevin Moran (Corofin), Jason Killeen (Corofin), Jason Kerins (Tuam), Michael Hogan (Tuam), Kevin Comer (Corofin), Tommy Hynes (Tuam), Brian Moran (Kilconly), James Lardner (Corofin), Pat Mitchell (Killererin), Barry Walsh (Tuam), Alan loughlin (Corofin).

Ref: F. Finan (Sligo).


Connaught Telegraph - News - Mar 1996

Connaught Telegraph - Sports - Mar 1996