Page 72 - INTO THE WEST - March-April 2018

FOCUS ON GALWAY • FOCUS ON GALWAY • FOCUS ON GALWAY
Bonfires ablaze in north east Galway for All-Ireland champs St Cuan’s
Pictured are the St Cuan’s Castleblakeney team after their win against Colaiste Ailigh from Letterkenny in the All-Ireland D final.
St Cuan’s Castleblakeney (Galway).............................. 4-9
Colaiste Ailigh Letterkenny (Donegal)........................... 2-14
BONFIRES Blazed through Ballinamore Bridge, Castlefrench, Ahascragh, Fohenagh, Kilconnel, Ballymacward, Menlough, Caltra and Castleblakeney to welcome home the All Ireland schools football champions St Cuans Castleblakeney, who followed up on their Connacht Final win with a narrow but deserved win in near perfect condi- tions in Colloney.
St Cuan’s emerged as All-Ireland D Colleges football champions against gallant Donegal opposition Colaiste Ailigh Letterkenny. In a pulsating game Cuan’s we’re victorious on a scoreline of 4-9 to 2-14.
The Castleblakeney side started brightly and Shaun Keane had the ball in the net inside ten minutes after some fantastic work from Owen Naughton. The Letterkenny school responded brightly however, and struck some fine points. Their corner forward in particular was causing the Cuan’s defence serious prob- lems.
Cuan’s fought back though and a Darragh Glynn free and a long range point from Odhrán Loughrey gave them the lead again. It was tit for tat until the end of the half with Glynn and
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Loughrey adding further points from Cuan’s to give them a one point advantage at the break, 1-5 to 0-7.
Cuan’s second half performance was remi- niscent of that displayed in the semi-final against St Farnan’s of Kildare. They upped their standards considerably and an unbeliev- able catch from Shaun Keane set Owen Naughton on his way to finish calmly to the net leaving the score at 2-6 to 0-9.
Soon after substitute Enda Kenny found the net to give the Castleblakeney men a six-point advantage. The sides once again traded points with Darragh Glynn pointing another sublime free for Cuan’s. The game looked dead and buried when Loughrey and Naughton combined in an excellent flowing move with Loughrey palming home from close range.
That left the score at 4-7 to 0-11 and when Colaiste Ailigh were reduced to 14 and then 13 men it looked as though there was no way back. However the Donegal side refused to die and in bizarre circumstances they hit Cuan’s for 2-3 without reply giving them a one-point lead with 62 minutes played.
Cuan’s would get a chance to respond and that they did. They won a free 35 meters from goal and Loughrey stepped up holding his nerve to slot between the posts. Cian O’Rourke would catch the resulting kick-out and his lay off to Naughton saw his driving 40-metre burst come to an end as he was pulled to the deck on the 13-metre line. Loughrey slotted over the free to put Cuan’s one point ahead. Colaiste
Ailigh would get one more chance but they missed narrowly.
Cuan’s won out 4-9 to 2-14. All 19 players used were phenomenal however centre back Jack Hughes who was black carded, midfielder Cian O’Rourke and centre forward Owen Naughton all had stand out performances for the Castleblakeney side. Goalkeeper Jamie Kennedy was immense and the free taking from Glynn and Loughrey was pin point accu- rate.
It’s an achievement that will go down in history for the small rural Castleblakeney School.
ST CUAN’S: Jamie Kennedy (Caltra), Eoghan McCabe (Caltra), Sean Naughton (Menlough), Evan Naughton (Caltra and Captain), Diarmuid Butler (Caltra), Jack Hughes (Menlough), Dean Reilly (Padraig Pearses), Cian O’Rourke (St. Gabriel’s), Eanna O’Rourke (St. Gabriel’s), Micheal Glynn (Menlough), Owen Naughton (Caltra), Ross Hannon (Caltra), Darragh Glynn (Caltra), Shaun Keane (Caltra), Odhran Loughrey (Caltra).
Subs: Alan Naughton, Nicholas Hughes Cian Morrissey, Shane Murray, Pat and Eddie Corco- ran, Mark Connolly, Tommy Brehony(all Caltra), Eanna o Rourke, Tommy Leonard, Enda Kenny, Darren Garvey, Dylan Delaney (All St Gabriel’s), Dylan o Grady (Pearses), Shane Hynes (Pearses). Graham Glynn, Tommy Morrissey, Shane Loughrey (all Caltra).
MANAGEMENT TEAM: Gerald Mc Donnell, Seamus Meehan, Paddy Mockler, Conor Flaherty and Bernie Corcoran.