Colaiste Choilm bridged a 30 year gap with victory over Cnoc Mhuire, Granard in the Top Oil Leinster Schools Senior Football B final on Friday.
The Tullamore school enjoyed a deserved 4-5 to 2-7 success, but were forced to endure some anxious moments late on as their Longford opponents hit two late goals.
Colaiste Choilm led by 4-4 to 0-7 with less than ten minutes remaining but were just three points ahead in the dying moments before Sean Courtney hit over an ‘insurance’ point.
Against the wind in the opening half, Colaiste Choilm built up a 2-3 to 0-5 interval lead at TEG Cusack Park, the goals netted by Luke Egan and Cathal Ryan. Meanwhile, Jack Bryant was on target with frees.
Cnoc Mhuire missed a penalty in the first half and were denied a goal early in the second period with a great save by Anthony Lambe. Colaiste Choilm took advantage with gaols from Michael Fox (40th minute) and Sean Courtney (53rd minute) to put them in the driving seat.
Despite the late drama, joint-captains Jack Bryant and Oisin Keenan-Martin accepted the cup from Leinster GAA Chairman, Pat Teehan.
COLAISTE CHOILM: Anthony Lambe (Tullamore); Michael Feeney (Tullamore), Aaron Flanagan (Na Fianna, Diarmuid Walsh (Na Fianna); Cathal Ryan (St Vincent’s), Colm Leonard (Kilcormac/Killoughey), Jay Sheerin (Tullamore); Josh Evans (Tullamore), John Furlong (Tullamore); Sean Courtney (St Vincent’s), Cormac Egan (Tullamore), Emmet Curley (Na Fianna); Jack Bryant (Shamrocks), Luke Egan (Tullamore), Oisin Keenan Martin (Tullamore). Subs – Michael Fox (Tullamore) for Walsh (half time).
Later on Friday afternoon, history was created in Bord na Mona O’Connor Park when St Joseph’s SS, Rochfortbridge won the Leinster Schools SF A final for the first time ever. They defeated favourites Naas CBS by 2-13 to 0-15.
The Westmeath school was captained to glory by Aaron Kellaghan of Rhode, whose father Paschal played for Offaly for many years, while John Rouse of Tullamore was one of the team mentors and some of their substitutes were from Offaly clubs also.
