ST Brendan’s College, Killarney have experienced a truly devastating afternoon in Mallow as their dream of reaching the Munster colleges’ senior football championship final came to a very cruel end.
Despite battling bravely and with great tenacity, the lost out by a single point, 1-10 to 1-9, to a fired-up St Francis College of Rochestown in a very entertaining, if tense, Corn Úí Mhuiri semi-final clash before a big crowd.
Even though the Sem – backboned by several players from the Spa club – started as favourites, which was hardly surprising given the quality and experience of some of their players, it was the Cork side that held the aces when it mattered and none more so than the impressive Seán Power.
Ever the opportunist and always a threat, he popped up very late on to score the dramatic winning point in injury time after a great second half performance from his team.
The Killarney boys, with Fossa’s Matthew Rennie, Ronan Buckley of Listry and Kerry minor Micheál Burns of Dr Crokes to the fore, were much sharper in the first half and actually built up an impressive five-point lead.
But Rochestown battled back with true grit and great purpose to register a string of points to set the alarm bells off in the Sem camp.
St Brendan’s College, trained by Harry O’Neill, were 1-5 to 0-5 ahead at half time, the crucial goal coming from Listry’s Ronan Buckley who had a great game.
But Rochestown hit back on the resumption with 1-4 without reply, wing forward Daniel Meaney notching the goal.
The Sem, who were impressing at midfield with Glenflesk’s Shane Courtney sweeping up in defence, and Burns a constant threat up front, weren’t deprived of possession but they just couldn’t make the most of the scoring opportunities that came their way, kicking wide after wide – into double figures – and paying the ultimate price for their squandermania.
The Rochestown comeback paved the way for a grandstand finish and, in truly dramatic circumstances, it was Cork minor star Power that popped up late with the all-important point to seal the tie.
The Cork school, who haven’t won the Corn Uí Mhuirí title for an astonishing 65 years, prevented an all-Kerry Munster final as they now go forward to play Corn Uí Mhuirí and Hogan Cup holders, Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne, in a Cork-Kerry provincial decider.
St Brendan’s College: D Carroll (Spa); D Naughton (Dr Crokes); S Courtney (Glenflesk); J Flynn (Firies); G Whyte (Dr Crokes); D O’Brien (Glenflesk), M McCarthy (Spa); R Buckley (Listry); M Rennie (Fossa); E Cronin (Spa); M Burns (Dr Crokes); D Moynihan (Spa); D Clifford (Fossa); M Foley (Spa); L O’Donoghue (Glenflesk).
Subs: B Courtney (Dr Crokes) for Rennie (inj); L Kearney (Spa) for Clifford; W Courtney (Firies) for O’Donoghue; C Spillane (Spa) for Buckley; D O’Doherty (Legion) for Flynn (59).
