COLÁISTE AILIGH booked their place in the Donegal Vocational Schools Senior B final after wrestling away from Deele College.
Coláiste Ailigh 0-16 Deele College 3-03
Simon McGlynn’s hat-trick of goals kept Deele College in the hunt, but Coláiste Ailigh (pictured above) were the more economical side with the scraps off which McGlynn was feeding in contrast to his oppents, who dined off plates of clean ball.
McGlynn scored all bar one point of the Deele tally and the Raphoe students managed to go 40 minutes without a score after initially racing 1-2 to 0-1 ahead in the early moments.
At key stages, Paddy Flood’s team suffered for a slight lack of discipline and yet it felt perverse that, with just three points separating the sides, Brett McGinty was denied a penalty for a chance to level it in the final minute.
McGinty – the Commonwealth Youth Games silver medal-winning boxer – appeared to be barged to the turf after McGlynn floated in an inviting free to a crowded goalmouth, but referee Liam McConigley was unconvinced.
McGinty, Bryan McNamee and Stephen Gallagher helped lead the charge for Paddy Flood’s boys (pictured above), but they fell just short as Allen Pasoma steered over the insurance point in added time.
It seemed like an age since McGlynn had given Deele the perfect start.
Brian McIntryre boomed over the opener for Coláiste Ailigh, but the Deele response arrived in a landslide as McGlynn’s effort deflected past Josh Pond.
Two pointed frees by McGlynn put Deele in command, but they managed to lose their way thereafter.
It wasn’t until the 24th minute that Eóin McGeehin leveled it up for Coláiste Ailigh and the home side – on a playing surface that stood up superbly to the horrid weather of the past few days – finished strongly with three frees by Maitis Mac Ceallabhuí giving them a 0-8 to 1-2 half-time lead.
During the score famine, Deele fashioned two more goal chances, but McGlynn had the ball taken from his toe just as he was lining up the target while McNamee hit the outside of the post.
Coláiste Ailigh themselves might have struck gold, but Dillon Doherty, the Deele goalkeeper, thwarted Dara McCarthy’s well struck effort.
When Coláiste Ailigh moved five up, thanks to McIntyre, Pasoma and McGeehin, the Deele goose looked cooked, but they gave themselves a fighter’s chance as McGlynn’s free took a wicked deflection that took it past Pond.
After Mac Ceallabhuí (2), Niall Hannigan and Mikey Sweeney, with a magnificent point off the outside of his right foot, landed scores, Coláiste Ailigh had a foothold again, but when McGlynn raced away to finish, ice cool after being played in by Anthony Bogle, the hosts were thankful for Pasoma’s last-gasp point when time was called.
Coláiste Ailigh will meet Moville Community School in the final.
Coláiste Ailigh: Josh Pond; Fiachra McLaughlin, Cahir Doherty, Darragh Toal; Padraig Mac Diarmada (0-1), Oisin Toal, Macdara Heaney; Sean McNulty, Ross Marley; Maitis Mac Ceallabhuí (0-5, 5f), Niall Hannigan (0-1), Brian McIntyre (0-2); Eóin McGeehin (0-2), Dara McCarthy (0-1, 1f), Allen Pasoma (0-3). Sub: Mikey Sweeney (0-1) for Marley (41).
Deele College: Dillon Doherty; Jordan McDaid, Ian Fitzpatrick, Jason Fitzpatrick; Bryan McNamee, Brett McGinty, Anthony Bogle; Philip Doran, Stephen Gallagher; Shea McDaid, John Toye, Kenan Gibson; Oran Higgins (0-1), Simon McGlynn (3-2, 1-2f), Kevin Gallagher. Subs: Eamon Connaghan for Doherty (41), Sean Bond for McDaid (47).
Referee: Liam McConigley (Downings).
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