St Martins land historic first minor title
Thrilled St Martin's players celebrate their victory
St Martins won an epic Central Under 18 Division 1 Football A Final at Netwatch Cullen Park on Sunday when they came from nine points down early in the second half to emerge as worthy winners. It took extra time to divide the sides as both sets of supporters were put through the cruncher.
With the sides tied on three points, Aaron Dowling scored an opportunist goal to edge the eventual winners in front. By half-time, Palatine had turned it around to lead 2-8 to 1-7 helped by a goal from Mark Buggy and an Eoin Ryan penalty.
When Peter Lynch added a third Palatine goal immediately after the resumption it looked odds on they would push on. Instead, St Martins dug ever so deep and they dominated the last quarter. Brian Maher scored two goals and Edward O’Byrne also raised a green flag. After sixty minutes the sides were tied at 3-14 to 4-11.
So it was on to extra-time where the conditions made life difficult for the players. It was knife edge stuff. St Martins went two clear but at the interval they led by a single point at 4-13 to 3-15.
A free from Ryan levelled for Palatine but just when it looked as if they were going to have to meet again, up popped Brian Maher to shoot a point which propels St Martins into the history books with a first ever win at this grade.
A Dowling 1-6 (3fs), B Maher 2-2 (1f ), E O’Byrne 1-3 (1f), D Ruane 0-1, M Shanahan 0-1, R McCaffrey 0-1.
E Ryan 1-7 (1-0 pen 3fs), M Buggy 1-3 (3fs), L Byrne 0-4, P Lynch 1-0, J Keating 0-2.
James Hogan; Padraig Eustace, Sean Hourihane, Dylan Ruane; Kyle Moloney, Kieran Donald, Michael Shanahan; Martin Carroll, Rory McCaffrey; Aaron Dowling, Ben Curry, Brian Maher; Edward O’Byrne, Sam Meyler, Freddie Gibson. Subs: Davy Francis for O’Byrne (57), Billy Flynn for Gibson (58), Matthew O’Brien for Moloney (70).
Ryan Gordon; Joe Carberry, Seanie McMahon, Ewan Breen; Kyle Broderick, Luke Campion, Ronan Kelly; Cormac McConnon, Sam McHugh; John Hendricken, Luke Byrne, Conor Buggy; Peter Lynch, Eoin Ryan, Mark Buggy. Subs: Jack Keating for McConnon (39), Callum Martin for McMahon (41), Conor McDaid for Gordon (52), Dylan Farrell for Byrne (58), McConnon for C Buggy (71), Byrne for Hendricken (72), TJ Brennan for Farrell (77).
Jonathan Murphy (St Mullins).
