THIS TIME LAST year, Coláiste na Carraige Under-16’s were building something of a reputation for themselves.
In the Donegal final, Paddy Boyle’s team were on the brink of defeat as they trailed Abbey Vocational School by eight points with 10 minutes remaining. And worse again, they were four points in arrears with two minutes left.
However, Aaron Doherty’s goal and a point from Shane Gillespie made it 1-12 to 1-12 at full-time and victory was assured in extra-time, on a 1-16 to 1-13 scoreline.
That sense of devilment – swimming close to the tide – stayed with Coláiste na Carraige in Ulster.
In the Arthurs Cup quarter-final in Irvinetown, the deficit against St Joseph’s from Coalisland, Co Tyrone, was seven points with 13 minutes left before a 3-5 to 2-7 win was posted with Pauric O’Neill striking a late winner.
In the semi-final, there was more of the same as the Bawnacre Centre in Irvinestown, with the margin this time eight points – 3-7 to 1-5 – with 12 minutes ticking down against St Malachy’s from Castlewellen, Co Down.
Ultimately, four unanswered points in the second period of extra-time – two through Doherty with O’Neill and Lanty Molloy also scoring – confirmed a 4-12 to 3-11 victory.
You’d have been forgiven for thinking that Coláiste na Carraige’s name was on the cup. But the dream turned into a nightmare.
The team eventually fell on their sword in a way; leaning too heavy on the traits that had charaterised them – they had gone to the well just once too often.
In the final at Celtic Park in Derry, Coláisie na Carraige faced an all too familiar situation.
Trailing 2-8 to 0-4 in the 48th minute against St Mary’s College from Clady, Co Derry, somehow the two teams were soon lining up for extra-time – with the score 2-8 to 3-5 – after a 10-point swing that Nostradamus wouldn’t even have foreseen.
Conor Carr, Doherty and O’Neill goals made brought extra-time but there the legs went. But St Mary’s outscored Colaiste na Carraige 0-7 to 0-3 in extra-time and in the end, they would win 2-15 to 3-8.
“We were in the final of this competition but were beaten by Claudy from Derry after being 10 points down but just ran out of steam,” Lanty Molloy (pictured above) said last night back at the Bawncare Centre.
New year; new resolution; same dream.
The Coláisie na Carraige 2016 version aren’t getting themselves into as many hairy situations, although they were put to the pin of their collar by Carndonagh in the Donegal final at Magheragallon, where extra-time was again required and Doherty was again the match-winner in a 1-7 to 1-6 victory.
The Coláiste na Carraige panel celebrate their victory over Carndonagh in the Donegal Under-16 Schools final at Magheragallon, Gweedore, last month
Then, in the Arthurs Cup quarter-final last month, Storm Henry and St Colm’s from Draperstown were seen off on a 2-9 to 0-10 scoreline.
Last night in the Arthurs Cup semi-final – just like in the Donegal semi-final – there were no complications.
On the local scene in the last four last month, Coláiste na Carraige were relentless in their 1-20 to 0-5 last four hammering of St Columba’s Stranorlar in Raphoe.
Then, last night, Boyle and Neilly Byrne’s side refused to let their standards drop in a 2-22 to 0-2 Arthurs Cup semi-final trimming of Monaghan’s Ballybay Community College back in Irvinestown.
“Yes it was pretty easy but we knew nothing really about this team other than they had won the Monaghan final,” Molloy said afterwards. “They were not a bad team but it just was not their day with the shooting and all that.
“It was not much of a challenger really and while they had a few big men they could not really move all that well. We were the better footballing side and we were just quicker and faster and stronger.”
A point from Molloy on 24 seconds set the tone for the evening. Semi-finals can be false dawns but a routine win in Donegal wasn’t a problem so now it’s a matter of keeping the feet on the ground ahead of the final against Cavan’s Breifne College.
“Breifne will be very tough we beat them in the senior last year but you can’t go by that,” Molloy added. “They will be big tough men, Cavan bucks you know and we will be expecting quite a battle.
“The school has lost three or four Ulster finals and we would love to win this one for all those in charge of us. We hope to put that right this year.”
New year; new resolution; same dream.
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