Gaelcholaiste Mhuire AG reach FAI Schools Minor Boys U15 national cup final

Gaelcholaiste Mhuire AG 2 

Summerhill College 0

Gaelcholaiste Mhuire AG advanced to the FAI Schools Minor Boys U15 National Cup final when they defeated Summerhill College from Sligo in the semifinal at Tullamore Town FC grounds on Tuesday evening.

The Cork side led 1-0 at the break with a well-taken goal from the boot of their centre forward Lee Coughlan after only six minutes. 

They then suffered a blow in the 12th minute when their goalkeeper Dara O’Connor was forced off with an ankle injury and had to be replaced by Scott Twomey, who would normally play in the back line.

Gaelcholaiste Mhuire AG increased their lead 2-0 two minutes from the restart and it was another spectacular effort from midfielder Sean Creen when he smashed a thunderbolt from all of 30 yards and that was enough to see them into the final on Wednesday, May 14.

It was the Cork side who made the brighter start to the game and when Jamie Warren won a good ball on the edge of the box in the third minute, he forced a got save from the Springhill keeper and Irish U15 League of Ireland international Charlie McGarvey. 

The AG took the lead 1-0 three minutes later and again Warren was in the thick of the action by beating two of Springhill’s defenders before he played a delightful pass to Lee Coughlan for him to strike an unstoppable effort to the roof of the net from 25 yards. 

The Sligo side had their first effort on target in the 11th minute when Senan Hopkins stung the hands of the AG’s net minder Dara O’Connor. 

Then a minute later, O’Connor picked up an injury when he bravely made a save from Springhill’s Sean Monaghan and had to be replaced by defender Scott Twomey. 

The Sligo side came more into the game with their midfield pairing Shane Fillan and Danny Fenney taken control of the middle of the park, however, the AG boys defended for their lives by getting their bodies in the way to take a one goal advantage in at half time.

The AG made a dream start to the second half when Alex Moloney treading a decisive pass to Sean Creen in the 37th minute and he left fly from 30 yards into the roof of the net to give his side a 2-0 lead. 

The game then because more open with the Springhill boys pushing hard to get back in the game, however, Twomey in the AG goal put in a man of the match performance by pulling off some excellent saves to keep the Sligo team at bay. 

The performance of the entire AG squad was very workmanlike especially defenders Craig O’Sullivan and Jamie Dalton who were a tower of strength for the Cork school and that was enough to see them into the final next Wednesday.

GC MHUIRE AG: Dara O’Connor, Craig O’Sullivan, Cody Maher, Jamie Dalton, Jamie Maher, Jamie Warren, Sean Creen, Alex Maloney, Lee Coughlan, Jamie O’Donovan, Eoin Horgan.

Subs: CT Crowley, Evan Power, Kyle McCarthy, Scott Twomey, Callum Healy.

SUMMERHILL COLLEGE: Charlie McGarvey, Senan Keane, Ciaran Gunning, Adam O’Halloran, Pol Arnold, Shane Fillan, Danny Feeney, Sean Monaghan, Senan Hopkins, Killian Hynes.

Subs: Charlie Finlay, Ross O’Callaghan, Zack Carty, Cory Myles-Gordon, Odhan O’Neill, Shane Canning, Ronan McGuinness.

Referee: David Bryant.

Assistant Referee’s: Sid Conerford, Emmanuel Phillips.