St Brendans College win Taft Cup after extra time drama seals deal against Tralee CBS
St. Brendan's College Samuel Scroope. tackled by Tralee CBS Danny Lane.
Despite a tough experience in the first half where they had to call on their goalkeeper twice to keep them in the game, St Brendans College Killarney staged a dramatic fightback late in second period to force extra-time before a goal in extra-time by substitute Leo Allen saw them emerge the victors over Tralee CBS in a see-saw Taft Cup decider.
The conditions favoured the Green in the first half with Danny Kingston a colossal figure for them going into a 0-4 to 0-0 lead in the opening 10 minutes. Jack Culloty got the Sem on the board a minute later but they only managed three points in total in the first period as Sem goalkeeper James Murphy had to save from Green corner-forward Jack Daly in the 16th minute. His save on Kingston in the 23rd minute was more impressive though as they also needed two well-executed block downs from their defenders to only be 0-9 to 0-3 down at half-time.
The Killarney lads scored 1-1 without reply (Roan Guerin scoring from a penalty) in the second period to suggest they were back in contention but it looked like the Green had steadied their ship when Kingston got 1-1 himself to make it 1-10 to 1-4 after 36 minutes. The Green would only get one more score in normal time though, a Luke O’Donovan point in the 50th minute, as the Sem forced extra-time through a fortuitous second goal, Mark Looney their scorer in the 43rd minute as a second point for Scroope in the 58th minute left the match level at 2-8 to 1-11.
The only scores in the first period of extra-time were two late frees from Kingston for the Green and it was telling as the elements swung back in the Sem’s favour in the second additional period. Like the second half, they converted 1-1 without reply early to go ahead for the very first time in the game. Leo Allen was on his toes for the decisive goal but while there were numerous chances for further scores neither side converted meaning the Sem snatched a dramatic first success in this competition since 2016.
J Culloty (0-5, 3f), R Guerin (p), M Looney and L Allen (1-0 each), S Scroope (0-2), C Stack and M Joy (0-1 each).
D Kingston (1-7, 5f), T Lenihan (0-2, 1f), S Shanahan, M Corridan, A Molloy and L Donovan (0-1 each).
J Murphy (Killarney Legion); R Downing (Spa), R O’Brien, T O’Donoghue (Spa); M Looney (Legion), C Clifford (Dr Crokes), C Lynch (do); C Stack (Kilcummin), R Guerin (Glenflesk); D Stack (Spa), S Scroope (Legion), M Joy (Spa); L O’Mahony (Kilcummin), D Cronin (Spa), J Culloty (Legion).
I Vickers (Firies) for D Stack (22), L O’Shea (Dr Crokes) for L O’Mahony (39), F O’Donnell for D Cronin and L Allen for M Joy (both 54), M Moroney for C Lynch (58), D Cronin ( Spa) for R Guerin ( Glenflesk) and L O’Mahony (Kilcummin) for M Moroney (both ET).
J Collins (Ballymacelligott); C Dunne (Kerins O’Rahillys), R Kirby (Ardfert), E Tansley (Na Gaeil); S Shanahan (St Senans), M Costelloe (Na Gaeil), E Mangan (Austin Stacks); M Corridan (Ardfert), A Molloy (John Mitchels); T Lenihan (Churchill), D Kingston (Na Gaeil), G Deasy (Churchill); D Lane (Austin Stacks), L Donovan (Ardfert), J Daly (John Mitchels).
D McMahon (Ballymacelligott) for G Deasy (41), R Burke (do) for S Shanahan (49), J Lacey (Kerins O’Rahillys) for M Costelloe, D O’Callaghan (Na Gaeil) for S Shanahan and L Hanafin O’Meara (John Mitchels) for D O’Callaghan and J Drysmala (Na Gaeil) for C Dunne (all ET).
E Horan (Glenflesk).
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