High drama as Marist prevail on penalties
Marist College, Athlone 3-15 Terenure College 3-15, after extra-time. Marist win 3-2 on penalties
By Gerry Buckley
It took extra-time and penalties to separate two evenly-matched teams in yesterday afternoon’s pulsating Leinster Schools SF ‘A’ (Bro. Bosco Cup) quarter-final on a great surface in Terenure College where the home team was somewhat unfortunate to bow out to Marist College, Athlone in a truly dramatic encounter.
This action-packed game had a bit of everything, not all of it good. The latter category was largely due to the lack of an orange/two-point flag at one goalmouth, while the other end of the pitch saw disputed calls from the umpires with the swirling wind an undoubted factor when high shots rained in from frees and open play.
However, the visitors showed more composure in the all-important shootout to advance to a semi-final slot in January.
Thankfully the action was not spoiled by the threatened rain which fell afterwards. Terenure College, famous for its rugby achievements but nowadays also a power in Gaelic games, had to find a replacement top for goalkeeper Josh Cooney prior to his unsuccessful taking of a first-minute ‘45’, due to a colour clash with Marist’s primrose jerseys. It was that sort of day!
The Athlone lads went two points clear via Donal Dawson and James McHugh (a tricky free), but Oisín Costello halved this deficit in style in the tenth minute. Garrycastle’s Andrew Henson lit up proceedings just a minute later with a fabulous solo goal – having caught the ball from the kick-out – leaving the winners ahead by 1-2 to 0-1 at the end of the opening quarter.
After 14 scoreless minutes during which chances were missed at both ends, midfielder Costello doubled his tally. McHugh’s frees accounted for the remaining scores in the first moiety – a two-pointer (when the ball was moved forward for dissent), and two one-pointers, the second of them in added-time. This left the side co-managed by Fergal Wilson, Paul Kelly and Kevin Fagan ahead by 1-6 to 0-2 at the interval.
There was a sensational start to the second half, by any standards. In the opening minute, Darragh Glennon put Marist College ten points clear when he reacted the quickest to bury the ball in the Terenure net, after a two-point attempt by Tubberclair’s Sean Whittaker had come back off the upright. However, the lads in the purple jerseys pounced for a brace of very well-taken goals in the ensuing 90 seconds, one each from lively corner forwards Conor Quinn and Lucas McAllister.
Hugh O’Neill then converted a two-point free and the ever-dangerous Billy Shouldice slotted over a great one-pointer from play. When the same player converted a free in the 41st minute, astonishingly, the sides were level at 2-6 apiece.
The Athlone side steadied their travelling supporters’ nerves with four unanswered points by the 48th minute via Cian Duffy and a McHugh free, prior to a two-pointer from Whittaker at the end with no orange flag. Quinn and Shouldice (a free after Marist skipper Adam Smyth appeared lucky to escape with a yellow card, rather than a black) soon reduced the gap to two points.
In the 56th minute, a penalty was correctly awarded when Marist sub Daragh Murray was fouled by goalkeeper Cooney, and McHugh superbly dispatched the spot kick to the net.
A five-point lead (3-10 to 2-8) looked sufficient, but Padraig Forde’s troops gave their huge in-house support lots to cheer about in the closing stages courtesy of one-pointers from McAllister, Shouldice (a routine free), and Costello (despite being pressurised).
A 64th-minute free from Shouldice appeared to have tailed wide, but the referee awarded the two points to tie up the match. In truth, his two hands in the air signal had many present confused as to whether he was signalling the end of the match and/or a two-pointer! But extra-time it was, with the officials confirming the scoreline at 3-10 to 2-13.
Terenure College edged the first ten-minute half by two points (both from Quinn – the first with his fist), to one from Dawson. Marist College nudged ahead on the change of ends with a point each from Whittaker and Henson.
Terenure sub Cathal Martin was black-carded, as was Marist’s Sean McDonnell a minute later at the other end when he fouled David Lombard en route to goal. Shouldice’s subsequent penalty was almost kept out by Zac Mullally, but Whittaker equalised with a great two-point free with time almost up – again many spectators were confused due to the absence of an orange flag.
A last-gasp Shouldice attempt for a winner caused more confusion when the white flag umpire signaled a point, but the linesman intervened and correctly – in this scribe’s view – informed the referee that the ball had gone wide.
On then to penalties - see the sequence below - prior to virtually everybody exiting the ground talking of a ‘crazy game’!
Penalty shootout sequence: Rory Curry (Terenure) missed, 0-0. James McHugh (Marist) scored, 0-1. Billy Shouldice (T) saved, 0-1. Sean Whittaker (M) scored, 0-2. Alan Delaney (T) scored, 1-2. John Timlin (M) scored, 1-3. Thomas Tisdall (T) scored, 2-3. Cian Duffy (M) saved, 2-3. Lucas McAllister (T) saved, 2-3
Man of the match: Billy Shouldice (Terenure College). The lanky St Jude’s full forward was unlucky to be on the losing side after an eye-catching 80-plus minutes as the fulcrum of the Terenure attack.
What’s next: Marist College will meet Ardee CS in their semi-final early in the new year, scheduled for the week starting January 12. Ardee edged out Knockbeg College by 1-15 to 1-14 in their quarter-final today (Thursday). The other semi-final will see defending champions Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar (who pipped St Patrick’s CS, Navan by 1-12 to 0-14) take on Naas CBS.
Scorers – Marist College: J McHugh 1-6 (1-0 pen, 1tpf, 4f); S Whittaker 0-5 (1tp, 1tpf); A Henson 1-1; D Glennon 1-0; D Dawson 0-2; C Duffy 0-1. Terenure College: B Shouldice 1-6 (1-0 pen, 1tpf, 3f); C Quinn 1-3; L McAllister 1-1; O Costello 0-3; H O’Neill 0-2 (tpf).
Marist College, Athlone - Zac Mullally; Tadgh Fallon, Jacob Bourke, Sean Keegan; Diarmuid O’Higgins, Sean McDonnell, Rory McMickan, Adam Smyth, Donal Dawson; William Geraghty, Darragh Glennon, Cian Duffy; Sean Whittaker, James McHugh, Andrew Henson. Subs used: Darragh Lough for O’Higgins (inj., 20 mins), Daragh Murray for Geraghty (35), Dáire Burke for Lough (50), Aidan Brennan for Burke (e/t, 6), John Timlin for McMickan (e/t, 6).
Terenure College - Josh Cooney; Conor Quigley, Jack Cooney, David Lombard; Isaac Duffy, James Norris, Conleth Fitzpatrick; Oisín Costello, Matthew Fowler; Mark Power, Hugh O’Neill, Thomas Tisdall; Conor Quinn, Billy Shouldice, Lucas McAllister. Subs used: Jack Ledwidge for Power (h-t), Rory Curry for Duffy (h-t), Peter Cashin for O’Neill (56 mins), Cathal Martin for Fitzpatrick (h-t, e/t), Alan Delaney for Fowler (h-t, e/t).
Referee - Henry Barrett (Kildare).