Mount St Michael 0-8

Abbey CBS 0-7

NOEL HORGAN REPORTS

VICTORY doesn’t taste any sweeter than this.

Not only did Mount St Michael bridge a 30-year gap when claiming the Munster colleges senior B football crown for the second time, they achieved the desired result at the expense of Abbey CBS with virtually the last kick of an absorbing final at Páirc Uí Chaoimh’s 4G pitch.

The decisive score came from super-sub Dylan O’Neill, bringing his tally to three points after he had been introduced to the action for the second half.

It was a massive contribution from O’Neill, who, showing promise whenever the ball came his way, provided the winners with a fresh impetus up front where Luke O’Neill, Ronan Hayes and Odhran Duffy also had their moments.

Jerry McCarthy and the highfielding Pádraig Tobin both made their presence felt around the middle for the Rosscarbery school, but perhaps the platform for this win was built by a disciplined and well-drilled rearguard.

Michael Keohane and Enda Favier celebrate the win. (Photo: George Hatchell)

It’s fair to say Abbey CBS dominated possession during the opening quarter, so much so that the number of times a Mount St Michael’s player managed to get a touch on the ball might not have reached double figures.

Yet, for all their territorial supremacy, the Tipp students were limited to just two points before Luke O’Neill got Mount St Michael off the mark from a free in the 19th minute.

The losers did threaten a goal early on when Mount St Michael defender Sean Cuinnea did well to deflect a shot from full-forward Eoin O’Connell out for a 45.

In general, however, Abbey CBS struggled to create openings due to the pressure applied by Mount St Michael’s tenacious defensive sextet, who hunted in packs.

Mount St Michael manager Mike Keohane agreed the defence was excellent, adding it has been one of the team’s strong points all year.

‘Abbey had a lot of possession early on, but we felt this was the way the game was going to pan out, and we were confident our defence would be very disciplined and wouldn’t give away too many frees.

‘Just three points each at half time shows how tight it was, and we’re obviously delighted we got over the line in the end, especially since we were on the wrong side of a one-point defeat in the final four years ago,’ revealed Keohane, who was part of the management team when Mount St Michael previously lifted the title in 1996.

Mount St Michael's Ronan Hayes bursts forward. (Photo: George Hatchell)

Acknowledging the contribution of his fellow coach Enda Favier, Keohane believes Mount St Michael’s latest triumph was the result of three years of hard work.

‘We’ve always felt that, with 13 sixth-year students on the panel, this was the year to do it, and I’m very proud of the players. It’s a great feeling to be going home as Munster champions,’ said the elated Mount St Michael mentor.

After withstanding Abbey’s early bombardment, Mount St Michael gradually lifted the siege, earning parity courtesy of a second converted free by Luke O’Neill, and again when Ronan Hayes completed the first-half scoring from a free, won by Oran O’Donovan.

Much to Mount St Michael’s relief, Abbey wing-back Sean Cleary blasted a gilt-edged goal chance over the bar within two minutes of the resumption,

That was Abbey’s fourth point from play, but Dylan O’Neill broke Mount St Michael’s duck in this regard when landing an inspirational score a minute later.

Captain Ben Sheehy lifts the Dinny Long Cup. (Photo: George Hatchell)

Hitting the front for the first time after the lively Luke O’Neill was fouled, allowing Ronan Hayes to make it 0-5 to 0-4 in the 36th minute, Mount St Michael didn’t fall behind subsequently.

Aided by points from Dylan O’Neill and wing-back Dylan Scannell, they led by 0-7 to 0-5 inside the last ten minutes and were playing well enough to suggest they were ready to squeeze the life out of Abbey CBS’s resistance

They could have been further ahead at that juncture had not a skirmish developed after Dylan O’Neill won a scoreable free midway through the second half, prompting the referee to throw in the ball.

It seemed as if that decision might come back to haunt St Michael's after Abbey CBS rallied to draw level, but the Rosscarbery students finished the stronger.

Pressing hard, their wing-back Sean Cuinnea had what seemed a legitimate claim for a close-in free ignored before the irrepressible Dylan O’Neill broke the deadlock three minutes into stoppage time, putting the finishing touch to a slick raid involving Dylan Scannell, Pádraig Tobin and Luke O’Neill.

Scorers 

Mount St Michael: D O’Neill 0-3; L O’Neill (2f), R Hayes (2f) 0-2 each; D Scannell 0-1.

Abbey CBS: D Bresnan 0-3; A Brazil 0-2 (f); A Murphy, S Cleary 0-1 each.

Mount St Michael: C Campbell (Carbery Rangers); M McCarthy (Kilmacabea), B Sheehy (Carbery Rangers), R Fitzpatrick (do.), D Scannell (do.), C Buchanan (do.), S Cuinnea (do.); J McCarthy (do.), P Tobin (do.); S Lane (do.), R Hayes (do.) O O’Donovan (Kilmacabea); K Duffy (Carbery Rangers), Jerome McCarthy (Kilmacabea), L O’Neill (Carbery Rangers).

Subs: Joe McCarthy (Kilmacabea ) for Jerome McCarthy (inj, 4), M McCarthy (Carbery Rangers) for Duffy (inj, 19), D O’Neill (Carbery Rangers) for Lane (ht).

Abbey CBS: D Guerin; J Ryan, T Bradshaw, K Peters; P O’Brien, D Ryan, S Cleary;M Flanagan, D Bresnan; E Slattery, A Brazil, A Murphy; D Quigley, E O’Connell, J Civinas.

Subs: O Pearl for Quigley (37), C Brazil for Slattery (46), C Flanagan for O’Connell (55), C O’Shea for Cleary (56).

Referee: Tom McGlinchey (Limerick).