Knockbeg College 3-11 Patrician Newbridge 3-10 (AET)
1st Year Leinster ‘A’ Football Championship Semi Final
Knockbeg College 1st Years are into the Leinster Final after a titanic battle with Patrician Secondary School Newbridge on Tuesday, winning out by a point following extra time.
Knockbeg enjoyed a quick start to match with two points from centre back Jack Fingleton and a point from Oisin Maguire in between a point from Patricians to race into a 0-3 to 0-1 lead.
Patricans replied to make it three points apiece with their lively midfielder and centre forward kicking over points.
Knockbeg then hit a purple patch on the lead up to half time and raced into a 2-5 to 0-5 advantage at the break.
Fingleton added another free whilst Killeshin’s Cathal English got his first from play and was quickest to react to a short free from Fingleton to get Knockbeg’s first goal just before half time.
Things got better for Knockbeg on the stroke of half time when Arles-Kilcruise’s Connor Moore finished off a brilliant team move by rounding the keeper to leave Knockbeg six clear at half time.
Patricians needed a fast start to the second half and after an early English free that put Knockbeg seven points up, they got their purple patch.
They hit the net in the third minute of the half and by the sevent minute they were level after another goal and a point.
Killeshin’s Rhys Morrissey settled things and got Knockbeg’s second score of the second half and that was quickly followed up by a penalty from Crettyard’s Eoin Dowling, following a foul on Morrissey, and that put Knockbeg four to the good again midway throught the second half.
Patricians saw their full back black carded in the process of giving away the penalty which seemed to spur them on as they never gave in and got their reward when they hit 1-2 on the bounce to take the lead with five minutes left on the clock.
Now back to the full compliment, Patricians looked like they had turned things around and when Knockbeg midfielder Ethan Finnegan got a black card with five minutes to go, the advantage favoured the Newbridge school.
Credit to Knockbeg they didnt panic, Cathal English got two frees in between another Patrican score to level matters with two minutes left.
Patricians then re-took the lead with a minute left on the clock, but Knockbeg worked the ball back up the pitch and found Connor Moore in a bit of space and with a cool head he curled over a brilliant leveller to bring this dramatic contest to extra time.
Knockbeg managed the first five minutes of extra time particularly well with the black card to only go a point down and when Ethan Finnegan returned to the pitch, Knockbeg took control again.
Another English free levelled matters once again at half time of extra time.
Chances were few and far between but when Rhys Morrissey was fouled 30 yards out from goals, he showed excellent composure to solo and go and knock over the winner for Knockbeg.
There were joyous scenes at the full time whistle as the Knockbeg 1st years reach the Leinster A Final after a monumental battle, where they will play either Colaiste Mhuire Mullingar or St. Pat’s Navan in the final after midterm.
SCORERS – Knockbeg College: Cathal English 1-5 (0-4 frees), Connor Moore and Rhys Morrissey 1-1 each, Eoin Dowling 1-0 (pen), Jack Fingleton 0-3 (two frees), Oisin Maguire 0-1
KNOCKBEG COLLEGE: James O’Gorman (Fighting Cocks); Sean Keating (Fighting Cocks), Cian McDonald (Timahoe), Michael Tomlinson (St. Laurences); Oisin Maguire (Arles-Kilcruise), Jack Fingleton (Grangenolvin), Christopher O’Toole (St. Pats, Tullow); Rhys Morrissey (Killeshin), Ethan Finnegan (Fighting Cocks); Eoghan Webb (Palatine), Eoin Dowling (Crettyard), Tom Byrne (Grangenolvin); John Conway (Arles-Kilcruise), Cathal English (Killeshin), Connor Moore (Arles-Kilcruise) Subs: Charlie Conway (Arles-Kilcruise) for O’Toole (30) Ross Condell (Michael Davitts) for Sean Keating (75)
