Summerhill take Connacht senior schools title with strong second-half showing

Summerhill College 0-16 Coláiste Bhaile Chláir 1-9

Just as they had done in their semi-final against Ballinrobe Community School a week previously, Summerhill College of Sligo recovered from a meek first-half performance to overpower their opponents in Saturday’s Connacht senior schools A football final, racking up a dozen points after the break to overpower a younger Coláiste Bhaile Chláir side that were playing in their first ever provincial A final at this level.

Corner forward Jack Mullen was in sensational scoring form for the Claregalway school in the first half, scoring 1-3 and helping them to a 1-5 to 0-4 interval lead. However, a string of missed chances (four wides, four dropped short) meant that they didn’t have enough of an advantage accumulated, and within seven minutes of the restart, scores from Mark McDaniel, Dillon Walsh, James Donlon and Eli Rooney had Summerhill back on level terms.

With a host of Sligo under-20 panellists in their ranks, the physically stronger and more athletic Summerhill side were always likely to improve as the game went on, though points from their two star men – Mullen, and corner back Luc O’Connor – kept Coláiste Bhaile Chláir narrowly in front until the 49th minute, when Ronan Niland’s score from play tied up the teams at 0-11 to 1-8.

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That was the second of six points in a row for Summerhill, as Rooney, Niland (two frees) and McDaniel pushed the lead out to four points, leaving the Galway school chasing a goal that never came.

SUMMERHILL COLLEGE: D O’Brien; R O’Callaghan, E Keane, R O’Hehir; R O’Kelly-Lynch, J Donlon (0-1, free), J Campbell; D Walsh (0-2), P O’Brien; M Carroll, R Niland (0-6, five frees), M McDaniel (0-2); S O’Neill (0-1), E Rooney (0-4, two frees), G Lynch.

Subs: J Walsh for Carroll (47 mins), C Flynn for Lynch (50).

COLÁISTE BHAILE CHLÁIR: E McGrath; E Geraghty, C Hanley, L O’Connor (0-2); O Kelly, C Greaney, R Flaherty; D Kilcommins (0-1), C Trayers; C Murphy, J Lonergan, O Morgan; J Mullen (1-5, two frees), J Ramsay, S Curley.

Subs: E Monaghan for Ramsay (h-t), G O’Riordan for Murphy (43 mins), D Fitzmaurice (0-1) for Morgan (56).

Referee: John Glavey (Mayo).