U15C Football Final Replay
O’Donnell’s 3-11 St. Teresa’s 0-3
Pics by Bert Trowlen
Last week a fancied O’Donnell’s were unable to shake off the challenge of a spirited St. Teresa’s on the Glen Road, that one finishing at 3-7 apiece but on Thursday night at Musgrave Park they made no mistake in this U15C football final replay.
Aodhan Mclaughlin pointed O’Donnell’s ahead after five minutes but when Eoin Altwood replied for St. Teresa’s to draw his side level in the 7th minute we looked like we might be in for another tight contest.
It didn’t materialise as O’Donnell’s took control with Sean Michael Clarke driving them forward from mid-field and Fionnbar McKernan sending over some excellent points, from both frees and from play as the MacRory Park side hit 1-5 without reply by the 25th minute.
McKernan scored 1-4 of that total and earned himself a yellow card in between with Aodhan McLaughlin getting the other point and even at this stage of the game it looked a long way back for the Glen Road side who were struggling to re-produce the fluency of a week ago.
Their keeper Conor McGuigan pulled off an excellent save to deny his ide further punishment and Seamus Tennyson raised their second white flag of the contest in the 28th minute but the final score of the half fell to O’Donnell’s Francis Tate to leave his side leading 1-6 to 0-2 at the short whistle.
The Whiterock Road side started the second half as they had finished the first with a point in the opening minute from Francis Tate and the impressive Fionnbar McKernan added a second after 7 minutes before blotting his copy book when he received a second yellow with 13 on the clock.
Despite the loss of their most influential forward, O’Donnell’s continued to dictate matters as the excellent Aodhan McLaughlin added a point before Lewis Smyth climbed to palm an inviting cross to the St. Teresa’s net in the 23d minute and the cup was on its way to MacRory Park.
The O’D’s continued to press in the later stages with Sean Michael Clarke sending over an excellent long range point before Corey Colinns Devlin replied with St. Teresa’s only score of the half with four minutes of normal time remaining.
Fionntan McLaughlin stroked over another long range point for the MacRory Park side and Conor McGuigan in the St. Teresa’s goals brought off his third great save of the game but he was helpless to prevent Clarke striking his side’s third goal of the evening with virtually the last kick of the game.
After the game St. Teresa’s and Antrim official, |Gerry McClory presented the Saffron Gael man of the match award to Sean Michael Clarke of O’Donnell’s and the U15C trophy to his mid-field partner, Fionntan McLaughlin to the delight of a good O’Donnell’s support.
O’Donnell’s: 1 Cody Breathnach, 2 Niall Rice, 3 Pratham Ravikiran, 4 Carl McCaffrery, 5 Johnny Cunningham, 6 Sean Loughran, 7 Jack Johnson, 8 Fionntan McLaughlin, 9 Sean Michael Clarke, 10 Fionnbar McKernan, 11 Francis Tate, 12 John Austin, 13 Aodhan McLaughlin, 14 Lewis Smyth, 15 Caden O’Hallaron
St. Teresa’s: 1 Conor McGuigan, 2 Ruiri McNally, 3 Kevin Wilson MacDonald, 4 Michael McCann, 5 Eoin Altwood, 6 Liam Connolly, 7 Conor Delaney, 8 Corey Collins Devlin, 9 Robert McKee, 10 Tiarnan Headley, 12 Zachary Morgan, 13 Seamus Tennyson, 14 Austin Drumm, 15 Conor McGoran, 16 Gerard Delaney, 17 Eoghan McClory, 18 Kevin McKee, 22 Criostior McKee, 23 Homza Alkhesh
Referee: Brendan Toland (Lamh Dhearg:
