This St. Colmcille’s team put in the performance of the year to win the Premier 2 Football championship in Trabeg on Sunday last. Narrowly beaten in the final of the same competition last year (at under 12), the team set about their business this year to atone for that defeat. They have been extremely efficient all year with only one blotch on their copy book; a defeat to Kilmurry on a day when they were short many players.
However, they definitely saved their best performance for last. These sides played out a very tight game only a few weeks back when Colmcille’s escaped with a one-point win following a strong comeback from their opponents. In this game, they also made a very good start. They blitzed the O’Donovan Rossa lads in the opening quarter. Ben Cashman opened the scoring before Cian Ramsell pulled on a ball soccer-style to score the opening goal of the game in the fifth minute. The second goal came in the 9th minute when Gearoid Hayes got the first of his majors. His second goal game a minute before half time with a powerful shot to the roof of the net. By then Hayes himself, Ronan Cunningham, Corey Forde and wing back Shane O’Halloran had all chipped in with points. The Skibb lads were floored at this point with the score at the break reading 3-06 to 0-02.
To their credit, they came out fighting in the second half and they enjoyed a mini purple patch in the opening five minutes where they rattled off 1-03 without reply. Memories of the comeback in White’s Cross pitch a few weeks back may have played on the minds of the Colmcille’s management team at this point. Their fears were allayed though in the 11th and 12th minutes. Firstly goalkeeper Alex Lynam, who had pulled off two top-drawer saves earlier in the game, came up the field to take a free from a tight-angle. His sweet left-foot strike floated over the bar to big applause from the travelling contingent from White’s Cross and Carraig Na Bhfear. A minute later Charlie Cox got in for a goal and suddenly the Skibbereen fightback seemed less threatening.
Though Colmcilles would not score again for another ten minutes (another Charlie Cox goal) , the West Cork side made no impact either. This was due, in part , to the resolute defending from the Colmcille’s backs where Ruairi Harte was a rock in the number three berth. Cox second goal was followed by two points from Ross O’Donovan and Joseph Crowley, whose points ensured that every one of the six starting forwards, both midfielders and one half-back scored from play in the game. There is not a lot more you can ask of a team in a championship final.
When you consider that this is a Premier 2 final , to only concede 2-06 over the hour (with the second goal coming with almost the last kick) against such vaunted opposition as O’Donovan Rossa, it also shows how good each one of the six backs were. There were countless interceptions and turnovers from each one of them over the hour. It was as near as complete performance a team is likely to achieve.
TEAM
1 – Alex Lynam (0-01)
2 – Bradley Roche
3 – Ruairi Harte
4 – Danny Twomey
5 – George O’Connell
6 – Harry Varley
7 – Shane O’Halloran (0-01)
8 – Ben Cashman (0-01)
9 – Joseph Crowley (0-01)
10 – Corey Forde (0-01)
11 – Ronan Cunningham (0-01)
12 – Ross O’Donovan (0-01)
13 – Cian Ramsell (1-00)
14 – Charlie Cox (2-00)
15 – Gearoid Hayes (2-02)