For 43 minutes, Marist College dined on scraps and somehow feasted, nudging into a 1-9 to 0-11 lead despite playing second fiddle to reigning Leinster champions Colaiste Mhuire in the kickout and turnover battle.
Their work was undone when one stray pass was seized by Will Scahill and the prodigious inside forward made no mistake, sliding the ball past Zac Mullally for the goal that set the Mullingar school on the road to retaining the Brother Bosco Cup.
An incredible shooting performance from James McHugh and two stunning first half saves from goalkeeper Zac Mullally, not to mention a defensive masterclass from Diarmuid O’Higgins up against Scahill, had kept Marist in contention up to that point, but they couldn’t fight the tide any longer and were a beaten side by the time McHugh snatched their second goal late on.
It was a completely different game when the Garrycastle forward burst past his marker and slammed a low shot to the Coláiste Mhuire net midway through the first half.
That was the key score in Marist’s 1-4 to 0-6 interval lead, that and Coláiste Mhuire’s wasting of ten clear scoring chances.
Críostóir Ormsby was a powerhouse at midfield in ensuring that they devoured the Marist kickout, setting up the platform for the half-back line of Michael Weir, Seán Byrne and Michael Moloney to control the game. While this was the case in the first half, it became even more pronounced in the second. That trio kicked two points from play each as Coláiste Mhuire started out after the interval with five points in a row, before bouncing back with two McHugh two-pointers.
Just when it looked like a smash and grab raid was on and that Marist might be about to win this title for the first time after five unsuccessful attempts, including a loss to Coláiste Mhuire back in 1983.
The game’s momentum shifted completely when Will Scahill pounced on a stray pass across the full-back line to intercept and find the net in the 45th minute, making it 1-12 to 1-9. Coláiste Mhuire didn’t look back from there, with Conor Cleary and Eoin Meehan scoring late goals to rubber stamp their progression to an All-Ireland semi-final against either Abbey CBS (Newry) or St. Patrick’s of Dungannon, who meet in tomorrow’s MacRory Cup final.
W Scahill 1-2 (0-2f), C Cleary 1-1, E Meehan 1-1, R O’Brien 0-4 (1tp), M Weir 0-2, S Byrne 0-2, M Moloney 0-2, C Ormsby 0-1, F Higgins 0-1.
J McHugh 2-8 (2tpf, 1tp, 2f), D Murray 0-2 (tp), S Whittaker 0-1, D Lough 0-1, D Glennon 0-1.
A Buckley; B Sheerin, T Masterson, E Donohue (Milltown); M Weir (St. Loman’s), S Byrne (St. Loman’s), M Moloney (The Downs); C Ormsby, R O’Brien (Shandonagh); P Keating, K Loughlin (The Downs), C Cleary (The Downs); W Scahill (Shandonagh), F Higgins (St. Paul’s), P Monaghan (The Downs).
J Flynn for Sheerin (48), S Hayes (St. Loman’s) for Monaghan (53), E Meehan (St. Loman’s) for Keating (56), R Byrne for S Byrne (58), S McWade (Shandonagh) for Higgins (60).
Z Mullally (Clann na nGael); R Fallon (St. Brigid’s), S McDonnell (St. Brigid’s), D O’Higgins (Clann); D Murray (Moate), J Bourke (Castledaly), S Keegan (Tubberclair); A Smyth (Maryland), D Dawson (Ahane); C Duffy (Doon), D Glennon (Garrycastle), W Geraghty (Maryland); S Whittaker (Tubberclair), J McHugh (Garrycastle), D Lough (Athlone).
J Timlin (Clann) for Lough (39), D Burke (Tubberclair) for Geraghty (44), G Staunton (Tubberclair) for Keegan (55), A Cotton (St. Dominic’s) for Duffy (58), R McMickan (Athlone) for Smyth (60).
Marius Stones (Offaly)
