U16.5 PAT KING CUP SECTION C
St. Aidan’s 4-10
Colaiste Oiriall 2-4
by Martin McBrien
TWO goals from Ethan Brown helped St Aidan’s High School to a big win over Colaiste Oiriall at O’Connell Park in Derrylin, helping them qualify for the quarter-final of the U16.5 Pat King Cup.
Essentially, it was the home side’s ability to strike for goals, two in each half, along with Ethan Brown’s accuracy from frees and play, which swung this entertaining O’Connell Park contest.
In contrast, the Monaghan boys were wasteful in their finishing against a solid St Aidan’s defence led by full back Jack Maguire.
The win was all the more meritorious given that St. Aidan’s were missing the key forward services of Cahir Maguire and also lost midfielder Sean Fitzpatrick to injury after just eight minutes play.
After Oisin Darcy had netted the early opening goal, snapping up a loose ball to blast home from a narrow angle close in, both sides found first quarter scores hard to come by.
Apart from a fine eighth minute point on the run by Cian Martin, who was prominent throughout in the winning effort, there was no further scoring until Brown landed a 16th minute two pointer free.
It wasn’t until the 20th minute that Oiriall finally got off the mark per a Cormac MacMaolain free and he slotted over another four minutes later.
Those were quickly cancelled though, with Martin on target again and a Brown free, before the half ended in a goals trade.
First, Cormac MacCionnaith netted for Oiriall, before a Brown two pointer free attempt from the right rather fortuitously dropped into the net to give St Aidan’s a deseved 2-05 to 1-02 lead at half-time.
Two Brown restart points widened the gap, but Oiriall came back with a brace of frees to leave it 2-07 to 1-04 by the three quarters stage.
Another Brown free and a 53rd minute Shea McManus goal doubled the lead and even though Daithi O’Maoileoin did net a second Oiriall goal, St. Aidan’s finished with an emphatic flourish.
McManus and Brown tagged on further points points, either side of a Brown penalty goal, to wrap up the victory for the St Aidan’s side.
Team
St. Aidan’s: Fergal Owens, Cahir McManus, Jack Maguire, Oisín Reilly; James Mullen, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Cian Gartland, Sean Fitzpatrick, Cian Martin (0-02), Fionan Reilly, Shea McManus (1-01), Evan Prior, Ethan Brown (2-07), Oisin Darcy (1-00), Ben O’Reilly. Subs: Cillian McManus (8), Shane Cassidy (HT), Conor Hogg (45).