Despite the result, the Cork school are eliminated, as too are St. Flannan’s who arrived at the University of Limerick needing a minor miracle to progress to the knockout phase.

A run of 1-6 to just a point in the final fifteen minutes saw Ballincollig celebrate a victory for a group of players who’d been up against it at both U19A football as well as the top tier hurling competition, the Harty Cup.

The winning score from Johnny Galvin capped a fine 15 minutes after they’d kicked eight wides on the bounce in the third quarter.

St. Flannan’s will rue a missed opportunity to have beaten the SEM in round two, which would have meant a victory here would have been sufficient. Instead, they needed a huge win, as well as a Killarney defeat. With news filtering through that the SEM had secured the win, the Clare side were playing for pride, as much as anything else.

This tie saw St. Flannan’s play with the aid of the breeze, but in an even first half, they were slow to put their stamp on proceedings. Indeed, they trailed 0-4 to 0-3 by the quarter hour, with Colm Meaney and Darren Keane on target. For Ballincollig, Darragh Clifford and Sean O’Neill both split the posts, but they left a number of efforts short into the gloves of Cian Howard.

The opening goal arrived at a perfect time for Flannan’s. The powerful Keane cut through the Cork rearguard with a typical run, before feeding Harry Doherty who finished low to the corner. Doherty had been introduced to contribute scores and the same duo linked up well for a point a couple of minutes before the break.

A second point from Meaney ensured a 1-6 to 0-6 interval lead – St. Flannan’s guilty of kicking five first half wides in Limerick.

The Ennis school couldn’t get out of their own half for the first ten minutes of the half. Despite this, their goal lived a charmed. Ballincollig’s wastefulness looked costly, when a second major came the way of the boys in blue.

Keane was hauled to the floor, which resulted in a penalty. He dispatched to the net for a six point lead. His point soon after, when a goal looked a brief possibility, opened up the seven point margin.

But Ballincollig, who only travelled with 18 to this one, got joy from their bench and eventually won out. Ciaran Buckley landed a quick-fire brace but it was the goal from transition year Danny Miskella, that levelled this tie with seven to play.

At the other end, it was Cadian Walsh who pulled off two fine saves which could have helped St. Flannan’s over the finishing line. There was a superb pace to the contest, as has been the case on the 4G surface in many of the games to date.

The tireless Ben O’Connell put his side ahead, 1-11 to 2-7, but Keane’s free meant we were still searching for a match winner. That arrived from Galvin who curled over wonderfully to forget a string of earlier misses from the pacy and exiting looking inside forward unit.

A small victory in a big competition, but one which Coláiste Choilm will savour.

Scorers for Coláiste Choilm Ballincollig: J Galvin (0-6, 2s), D Miskella (1-0), C Buckley, S O’Neill (0-2 each), D Clifford, B O’Connell (0-1 each).

Scorers for St. Flannans College: D Keane (1-4, 1pen, 1f), H Doherty (1-1), C Meaney (0-2), F Hegarty (0-1 each).

Coláiste Choilm Ballincollig: C Walsh; C Power, B Dore, L Harris; C Malone (Eire Óg), C Clifford (Eire Óg), D O’Leary; D Clifford (Eire Óg), B O’Connell; E O’Dwyer, S O’Neill, G Howard; J McCarthy (Eire Óg), J Galvin (Eire Óg), F O’Leary (Eire Óg).

Subs: D Miskella for McCarthy (39); C Bukley for F O’Leary (43); C O’Donoghue (Ballinora) for O’Dwyer (46); O’Dwyer for D Clifford (Inj – 47).

St. Flannans College: C Howard (Eire Og); R Kilroy (Banney), P Nagle (Doora-Barefield), J Casey (Ennistymon); C Hannan (Doora-Barefield), F Meaney (Doora-Barefield), I Williams (Doora-Barefield); J Hegarty (Ennistymon), F Hegarty (Ennistymon); L Aherne (Clarecastle) C Meaney (Clondegad), B Skerritt (Lissycasey), D Keane (Lissycasey), L Cleary (Eire Og).

Subs: H Doherty (Clarecastle) for Aherne (20); C Maher (Doora -Barefield) for J Hegarty (39); C Daly for F. Hegarty (44) R Markham (Clondegad) for Skerritt (47).

Referee: John O’Halloran (Limerick).