McLoughlin goal proves crucial in decider for MacDara’s
LEINSTER SCHOOLS SF ‘C’ FINAL
ST MAC DARA’S CC……………………………. 1-7
GAELCHOLAISTE CEATHARLACH………. 0-8
By Daire Walsh
AN EARLY second-half goal from captain Eoin McLoughlin proved decisive as St Mac Dara’s CC edged with a narrow victory over Gaelcholaiste Ceatharlach in the Leinster Schools Senior Football ‘C’ decider played in Blessington on Monday afternoon.
Mac Dara’s had started the game brightly, following last week’s Dublin Schools triumph over St Paul’s College, with corner-forward Michael Woods opened the scoring with a close-range free.
A Criostoir de Blaca point soon restoreD parity to the contest, but Mac Dara’s hit the target shortly after with a score from play by Diarmuid McLoughlin.
However, as the half wore on, tempers started to fray and, following a melee involving several players from both sides, Mac Dara’s full-forward Tom Devlin, as well as two members of the Carlow school’s side, were given their marching orders.
Despite being a man down, though, it was Ceatharlach who enjoyed the stronger finish to the opening period, and they led by 0-5 to 0-2 at the mid-way stage.
The half-time break allowed the Wellington Lane school to re-group, however, as Eoin McLoughlin found the back of the Ceatharlach net during the opening attack of the second half.
Ceatharlach were still posing Mac Dara’s plenty of problems, though, and regained the lead thanks to further scores from Reese Denieffe and Ronan O’Briain, sandwiched in between a point for Mac Dara’s from the increasingly influential Eoin McLoughlin.
As the game entered into the final 20 minutes, Mac Dara’s began to push on for victory, with unanswered scores from Eoin McLoughlin, Paddy Ward and Sean Gleeson edging the Templeogue boys into a two-point lead.
Both sides then squandered a number of chances, although Mac Dara’s custodian Daire Hancock deserves praise for pulling off an excellent close-range save.
Despite Ceatharlach eventuall finding the target through Cathal O’Tuahail, a second point from Diarmuid McLoughlin proved to be the insurance score that secured Mac Dara’s much-anticipated passage into the All-Ireland semi-final.