By Ronan Cleary
Leinster Senior Schools A, preliminary Quarter Final, Glenisk O’Connor Park, Offaly.
Referee: Jamie McDonald
Colaiste Choilm Tullamore: 2-12
Gorey Community School: 1-7
In a pulsating encounter at Glenisk O’Connor Park, Coláiste Choilm delivered a resilient performance to claim a hard-fought 2-12 to 1-07 victory over Gorey Community School.
The first half was a cagey affair, with both teams trading early scores. Cillian Bourke opened the scoring with a well-taken free inside the first minute. Despite some promising attacks, Gorey struggled to find their range, missing several scorable frees in the opening quarter.
Gorey gradually settled into the game, with Tom Finuge landing a fine point to level the score at 0-01 apiece after 16 minutes. Moments later, Jamie Hughes added another for the Wexford side, fisting the ball over the bar to give them a one-point lead. A beautifully curled free from Gorey’s Oran Morris edged them further ahead, and a quick point from Alex Deveraux after a poor Coláiste Choilm kick out made it 0-04 to 0-01 with the clock approaching the 20-minute point.
Coláiste Choilm soon responded with determination. Eoin Dunne won a crucial free, which Bourke duly converted to keep his side in contention after Gorey’s quick scoring spree. Dara Bates added a stunning point to narrow the gap, and Aaron Rattigan came into his own late in the half, scoring two excellent points to leave the sides level at 0-05 each. Rattigan’s third point on the stroke of halftime sent Coláiste Choilm into the break with a slender 0-06 to 0-04 lead.
Second Half Surge
The second half saw Coláiste Choilm come out with renewed energy. Oran Morris of Gorey narrowed the gap with an early free, but Bourke showed his composure and quickly responded with another point from a free. Charlie Burns extended the lead with a composed effort from play.
Substitutions brought fresh legs into the fray, with Donal Dooley replacing William Cronly. Oran Morris kept his Gorey side in touch with another free, but Eoin Rouse restored Coláiste Choilm’s three-point cushion with a well-taken score.
The turning point came in the 46th minute when Finuge rifled home a goal for Gorey, bringing the game level at 1-06 to 0-09. However, Coláiste Choilm’s response was immediate and emphatic with the star of the show Cillian Bourke latching onto a loose ball and buried it in the net, restoring “The Brothers” lead.
Eoin Dunne and Dara Bates added further points to extend the advantage, before Bourke struck again, coolly finishing for his second goal of the match. Bourke capped off a remarkable individual performance with another free, sealing an impressive 2-12 to 1-07 victory.
Key Performers
Cillian Bourke was the standout player, contributing an impressive 2-05, including both of Coláiste Choilm’s goals. Charlie Burns and Dara Bates also played pivotal roles, while Aaron Rattigan’s first-half heroics set the tone for a spirited team display.
Up next for Coláiste Choilm is a quarter-final clash, with their opponents yet to be decided. Based on this performance, they will be full of confidence heading into the next round of the Br Bosco Cup hoping to continue this journey with a talented squad.
The Scorers
Colaiste Choilm: Cillian Bourke 2-3 (3f), Aaron Rattigan 0-3, Charlie Burns (1f) and Dara Bates 0-2 each, Eoin Dunne and Eoin Rouse 0-1 each.
Gorey CS: Tom Finuge 1-1, Oran Morris 0-4 (4f), Jamie Hughes, Darragh Forde 0-1 each.
The Teams
Coláiste Choilm: Ciaran Owens; William Cronly, Tadgh Kelly, Jack Bracken; Brian Guinan, Patrick Kenna, Jack Maher; Dara Bates, Eoin Dunne; Eoin Rouse, Cillian Bourke, Shane Horkan; Paddy Burns, Charlie Burns, Aaron Rattigan.
Subs – Davin Keegan for Horkan (35’), Donal Dooley for William Cronly (40’), Ger Keating for Paddy Burns (53’), Cian Horkan for Aaron Rattigan (57’).
Gorey Community School: Emmet Slator; Kian Steadman, Tiernan Myler, Rory Cooper; Alex Carton, Dara Kelly, Conor Fanning; Tom Finuge, Eoin Hughes; Adam Furlong, Oran Morris, Jamie Hughes; Alex Deveraux, Darragh Forde, Eoin Kinsella.