Simcox Cup: Coláiste Choilm cruise into final with win over Spioraid Naoimh
Kevin O'Leary scored the goal for Coláiste Choilm in Monday's Simcox Cup semi-final win over Coláiste an Spioraid Naoimh. File picture: Larry Cummins
Coláiste Choilm geared up for next week’s pivotal Corn Uí Mhuirí clash by breezing into the final of the Simcox Cup with victory over Coláiste an Spioraid Naoimh.
On Monday at the Bishopstown 4G - site of last week’s loss to St Brendan’s College - the Ballincollig side produced an assured display as they led for almost all of the encounter. It sends them through to the decider of the Cork PPS U19AFC, where they will play Clonakilty Community College - who will also provide the opposition in the final Corn Uí Mhuirí game next Wednesday.
Coláiste Choilm owed much to their middle diamond as centre-back Cian O’Connor and centre-forward Cian Ahern linked effectively throughout, aided by the supremacy of Kevin O’Leary and Brian Cronin at centrefield. Ahern finished with six points to his name while it was O’Leary who rounded off the good team move leading to the goal that ended the tie as a contest, making it 1-8 to 0-4 on the three-quarter mark.
While a good two-point free from Neil Crowley put Spioraid Naoimh ahead in the opening ten minutes, it was the only time they led and a run of four unanswered points from Coláiste Choilm opened up a 0-5 to 0-2 advantage by the 22nd minute.
Wing-forward Seán Murphy, roving full-forward Riain Coakley and half-back Colm Herlihy also impressed for them and they might have even had a goal but Spioraid Naoimh goalkeeper Kyle Dee Hosford showed safe hands to claim a dropping Joe Miskella delivery that Coakley might have reached.
While Donagh McGuirk, set up by Eli Murphy McKeon, pulled one back for Spioraid Naoimh, Cathal Murphy ensured Coláiste Choilm retired with a 0-6 to 0-3 lead at half-time.
They had got two of the first three points after the restart when a flowing counter-attack saw the ball move through a series of hands, including O’Leary, before he applied the close-range finish to open up a seven-point advantage.
Coláiste an Spioraid Naoimh did have an immediate response through a good Conor Walsh point but Ahern, aided by O’Connor and Alex Rose, showed his class with late points as they eased clear while full-back Peter Rose kept the sheet clean with a great intervention after Conor Garvey of Spioraid Naoimh sought to find Jamie Dineen with a pass across goal.
Two big games against Clonakilty loom.
D Ahern 0-6 (0-2 f), K O’Leary 1-0, S Murphy, C Murphy 0-2 each, R Coakley, J Miskella 0-1 each.
N Crowley (1 2ptf, 0-1 f), D McGuirk, C Walsh 0-1 each.
N Tait (Éire Óg); Darragh Sheehan (Éire Óg), P Rose, E O’Donovan; C Herlihy (Inniscarra), C O’Connor, A Rose; K O’Leary, B Cronin; M Delaney, C Ahern, S Murphy (Éire Óg); C Murphy (Éire Óg), R Coakley (Éire Óg), J Miskella.
F Lordan Walsh for C Murphy (48), É Lynch for Delaney, D Strand (Éire Óg) for Sheehan (both 56), M O’Riordan (Éire Óg) for Miskella (57).
K Dee Chisholm (St Finbarr’s); B Moloney, R Lynch, M Conroy; D Enright (Inniscarra), S Young, CJ Barrett (St Finbarr’s); N Crowley, J Drinan (Ballinora); E Walsh, D McGuirk (St Finbarr’s), C Garvey (St Finbarr’s); C Walsh, E Murphy McKeon (St Finbarr’s), J Naughton (Douglas).
J Dineen (Inniscarra) for Mc Guirk, J O’Callaghan for E Walsh, D Martin (Ballygarvan) for Enright (all 54), C McSweeney (St Finbarr’s) for Drinan (58), D Akar (St Finbarr’s) for C Walsh (60).
B Coniry (Crosshaven).
App?
