St Flannan’s sweep Ardscoil Rís aside in Clare U15A final

Eoin Brennan was in Caherlohan to see St Flannan’s College produce a devastating display sweeping Ardscoil Rís aside on a score of 5-25 to 1-3

THERE was an almost incredible 57 point turnaround from last year’s U15A final as St Flannan’s exacted full revenge on holders Ardscoil Rís to clinch their first Clare Under 15A title in Caherlohan on Thursday evening.

The development competition promotes and prepares Clare players for the provincial championships which begin in January and given the large Clare contingents at schools like Limerick’s Ardscoil Rís and St Munchin’s and Galway’s Gort also features these teams from outside the Banner.

Ardscoil’s outstanding inaugural title win 12 months previously proved a stepping stone to recent Dean Ryan Cup success whereas this time around, it was an exceptional St Flannan’s panel that showcased their pace, movement and scoring prowess in a devastating display.

The schools’ great rivalry isn’t merely to do with their strong Clare links that saw 33 Banner natives play their part in this laudable occasion. It was as much to do with the all-too regular clashes in the Harty, Dean Ryan and Munster Under 15 Championships.

It’s rare that there is such a chasm between these heavyweights but following last year’s 23 point final win for Ardscoil, typifying their seesaw relationship, it wasn’t surprising to see the pendulum swung completely in the opposite direction as St Flannan’s were clearly the superior force from the outset.

Indeed, the outcome was never in question and realistically the only question was how big the final margin would be as to their credit, St Flannan’s emptied their bench with nine subs but it still didn’t diminish the lofty standards they set.

Raiding for six of the first seven points through five different scorers by the end of the opening quarter, St Flannan’s were somehow denied a goal when Eoin O’Connor’s powerful shot was saved by both goalkeeper Marcus Murphy as well as the post before ricocheting to safety.

A breakthrough seemed inevitable though and it only took two minutes to arrive after a ball over the top was ruthlessly picked and finished to the net by Jason Keane Hayes at 1-7 to 0-1.

With that, the floodgates opened as within ten minutes, two more majors were procured, with Luke Vaughan teeing up the magnificent Donnacha Mahon for a top corner finish while the equally impressive Leon Talty raced through for a third on St Flannan’s way to an unassailable 3-11 to 0-2 interval cushion.

Talty turned provider for Dara Kennedy to grab a fourth immediately on the restart but to their credit, Ardscoil Rís refused to yield and within three minutes, substitute Billy Gavin picked out chief marksman Alex Kearns to pull to the net at 4-12 to 1-2.

St Flannan’s response was emphatic as over the next 15 minutes, they fired 1-7 without reply, with Leon Talty (3), Rory Ralph (2), Dara Kennedy and Jason Keane Hayes grabbing points before Ralph played an inch-perfect ball over the top for Keane Hayes to score his second goal entering the final ten minutes.

If the hour wasn’t harrowing enough for the Limerick side, the sight of St Flannan’s bench entering proceedings with a point to prove ahead of January’s Munster Under 15 Championship ensured that there was no let-up in the siege.

Indeed, replacements Fionn Daffy (3) and Eoin Hegarty (2) hit five of the last six points as St Flannan’s eased up to the honours, with the prospect of a historic double now the focus when the Ennis side take on Scariff Community College in the B version back at the same venue next Tuesday (7pm).

St Flannan’s College: Brian Lynch (Éire Óg); Sean Meere (Clarecastle), Cian Breslin (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield), Diarmuid Hastings (Ruan); Colm Daly (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield), Graham Ball (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield), Darragh Murrihy (Inagh-Kilnamona); Donnacha Mahon (Clooney-Quin), Rory Ralph (Clarecastle); Jason Keane Hayes (Kilmaley), Eoin O’Connor (Ballyea), Leon Talty (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield); Finn Duignan (Banner), Dara Kennedy (Ballyea), Luke Vaughan (Éire Óg). Subs: Stephen Gavin (Sixmilebridge), Eoin Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona), Darragh McDonnell (Clarecastle), Sean Considine (Clooney-Quin), Fionn Daffy (Inagh-Kilnamona), Riain O’Donnell (Crusheen), TJ Moore (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield), Marc Kennedy (Ballyea), Andrew Clancy (Kilmaley)
Scorers: Dara Kennedy (1-6, 4f); Donnacha Mahon (1’65), Leon Talty (1-4 each); Jason Keane Hayes (2-1); Rory Ralph (0-5); Fionn Daffy (0-3), Eoin Hegarty (0-2)

Ardscoil Rís: Marcus Murphy (Na Piarsaigh); Ronan Butler (Ahane), Tom Slattery (Clarecastle), Oisin Donnelly (Mungret St Paul’s); Gareth Murphy (Cratloe), Jack O’Halloran (Sixmilebridge), Aaron Kelly (Cratloe); Sean Fitzgerald (Murroe-Boher), Cuan Mac Giolla Ceara (Sixmilebridge); Conor Bermingham (Na Piarsaigh), Cathal O’Doherty (Cratloe), Ian O’Brien (Cratloe); Rian Horgan (Murroe-Boher), Xavier Nelligan (Kilmallock), Alex Kearns (Na Piarsaigh). Subs: Billy Gavin (Ballybrown), Evan Ryan (South Liberties), Tommy McCormack (Ballybrown), Donal O’Leary (Sixmilebridge), Eoin Hennessy (Patrickswell), Mark Sheehan (Ballybrown), Gavin O’Brien (Kilmallock), Mark Fitzgerald (Clonlara). Scorer: Alex Kearns (1-3, 2f)

Referee: Jim Hickey (Cratloe)