South Leinster Schools SF D Final
Coláiste Eoin, Hacketstown 3-10
Coláiste Lorcain, Castledermot 1-12

CATS. Nine lives. Phew.
Words which came to mind in the immediate aftermath of yet another late, late smash and grab from Coláiste Eoin.
There are other words. Gritty. Resilient. Defiant. Self-belief. Character.

The Coláiste Eoin, Hacketstown team which won the South Leinster schools senior football D final Photos: Thomas Nolan Photography

No doubt they were fortunate in this South Leinster Schools senior football D final win at Fenagh Training Centre on Friday. It took a 63rd-minute equalising goal from Colm Keogh to ensure the game went to extra-time but buoyed by their reprieve, the eventual winners rode their luck and won out convincingly in the extra 20 minutes.
The game could have been over in the opening five minutes. The Hacketstown side arrived four minutes before the scheduled throw-in time of 10.30am. In fairness to them they were on the pitch fairly quickly but then Coláiste Lorcain dallied in the dressing rooms. From the new 10.45am start the Castledermot side moved the ball straight to Dan Grey who buried the ball in the back of the net.

Coláiste Eoin’s Padraig O’Toole slips away from the tackle of Alfie Dunne

Coláiste Eoin minds must have still been on the bus and for the next four minutes they were pulled apart. The Castledermot side should have registered at least another 2-1 before Ruari Tompkins landed a sixth-minute free and then another from play. Padraig O’Toole levelled but for the entire first-half Coláiste Lorcain looked dangerous but never fully turned the screw. Thanks to the excellence of Grey who landed two points and another from Joseph Keatley, they went to the break 1-3 to 0-4 ahead.

Jim Conway, on behalf of Leinster Council, presents Coláiste Eoin’s captain Jamie Daly with the shield

The sides exchanged points before Tompkins took a pass from Eoin Byrne and from a difficult angle the full-forward struck a great goal.
It looked as if Castledermot were going to shake off the concession when Grey registered three points on the trot. Ryan Byrne followed up with two more as Coláiste Lorcain pulled away to lead by five points.
With 10 minutes left it didn’t look as if it was going to be significant when Coláiste Lorcain’s Ryan Cullen picked up a straight red. His loss was then amplified when in a brawl involving players from both sides, his two team mates Alfie Dunne and Oisin Nolan, were sent off. Coláiste Eoin’s Reid Byrne was also red-carded.
Castledermot hung on and looked to be safe when leading by three points going into injury time. Then a punched goal from Colm Keogh brought the game to extra-time at 1-10 to 2-7.
Even though Coláiste Eoin were allowed to replenish their numbers in extra-time, they ran out of steam. Dan Grey did score two more points but an Eoin Byrne salvo of 1-1 was the clincher for a group of young men who just don’t know the meaning of surrender.
Coláiste Eoin (Clonmore unless stated): Francis Whelan; Aaron O’Neill (Knockananna), Sean Tompkins, Rory McKiernan; Colm Keogh (1-0, Michael Dwyers), Bryan Kearney (Michael Dwyers), Josh Bowes (Clonmore); Padraig O’Toole (0-1, Kiltegan), Jamie Daly (Kiltegan); Daniel Quigley, Jordan Tallon (0-2), Jake Hickey; Cormac Malee, Ruairi Tompkins (1-4, 0-1 free, Coolkenno), Andy Foley (0-2, Michael Dwyers). Subs: Cormac Connolly for O’Neill (11 mins), Eoin Byrne (1-1) for Malee (h/t), Luke Doyle (Knockananna) for Tomkins (38 mins), Reid Byrne (Knockananna) for Quigley (38 mins).
Coláiste Lorcain (Castledermot unless stated): Shane Nolan; Ian Moore (Stratford), Kevin Eustace (Rheban), Dylan Walsh; Harry Kirwan (St Laurence’s), Jack Flood, Ryan Cullen (St Laurence’s); Ryan Byrne (0-2), Alfie Dunne (St Laurence’s); Eric Lyons, Joseph Keatley (0-1), Oisin Nolan; Barry Grey, PJ Cullen (St Laurence’s), Dan Grey (1-9, 0-4 frees) . Subs used in extra-time to replace players sent off in ordinary time. Glen Dunne (Grangenolvin), Brian Byrne, Stephen Casey.
Referee: Pat Moran (Laois)