Third time lucky for 'Benildus

DUBLIN COLLEGES FOOTBALL FINAL:St Benildus College1-13 St Declan's CBS 0-15 (AET – 1-9 to 0-12 after normal time) - IT WAS third time lucky for St Benildus as they captured the county title at Páirc Barróg on a sunny afternoon at the north Dublin venue. Driven on by Craig Dias, who assumed the captaincy following an injury to Brian Hanamy in the first half, Benildus, having lost the last two finals, finally got their hands on the cup, with Fergal Duffy's late free sealing the issue.

Certainly Benildus, who were chasing a first ever title, must have thought fate was conspiring against them as Declan’s rallied in the last 15 minutes of normal time to take the game into two additional periods.

The two teams had been tied at four points apiece when Benildus struck for the only goal of the game on 23 minutes. Conor Haskins, having just replaced Hanamy, took the ball on the run before delivering a low shot past the goalkeeper.

The two teams then pegged on a point apiece to leave it 1-5 to 0-5 at the interval and although Declan’s prolific free taker, Niall Murray, was to put just two points between the sides shortly after the restart, Benildus then upped their game.

Successive points inside a minute from Glen Whelan and Duffy saw Benildus surge ahead, a subsequent free from Duffy leaving the south Dublin team up by 1-9 to 0-6 going into the final quarter.

But following back to back frees from Murray, Declan’s came close to a goal with Diarmuid Shields’ fisted effort just clearing the bar.

Now in the ascendancy, Declan’s piled on the pressure and following another two frees from Murray, the same player then sent over a point from play to leave it 1-9 to 0-12 at full-time.

Benildus outscored their opponents by two points to one in the first period and after the turnaround, Declan’s goalkeeper Darragh Carolan tipped away an effort from Dias after the two teams had exchanged a point apiece.

And with Murray then tying the game with two minutes to go, the destination of the game looked uncertain before Duffy sent over a free from the left to win the game in the most dramatic of circumstances.

ST BENILDUS COLLEGE:M O' Connor; S Fitzsimons, M Coen, J O'Connor; D Reilly, P O'Curry, C Kyne-Delaney; B Hanamy, J Dunning; C Dias (0-1), C Roe, F Duffy (0-4, two frees); S Horan (0-4, two frees), L Murphy, G Whelan (0-3). Subs: A Clabby for Reilly, C Haskins (1-1) for Hanamy, J Quinn for Roe, D Byrne for Whelan.

ST DECLAN'S CBS:D Carolan; A Kelly, J Caffrey, D Kelly; N McGovern, S Bonfil, S McGuinness; R Mulvaney; C Walsh (0-1); D Brennan; G Dodril (0-1), E McMahon; N Murray (0-11, nine frees, 45), N Kennedy (0-1), E O'Sullivan. Subs: S Burke for Kelly, D Shields (0-1) for Mulvaney, C Harrison for Kennedy, J Bray for McGuinness

Referee:T McCarthy (St Vincent's)