St. Colmcille’s produced an excellent second-half performance in White’s Cross this morning to overcome a strong St. Nick’s side by 1-12 to 1–07 in the Rebel Óg East Group 2 Under 12 Football League.
There was plenty at stake for the home side following the narrow defeat to Glanmire in their previous outing, and Colmcille’s were determined from the outset to get back to winning ways. They knew, however, that they faced a very strong St. Nick’s team, with many of the players on both sides good friends and neighbours away from the football field.
The morning rain – the first decent shower in quite some time – made conditions tricky, with a greasy ball contributing to a number of handling errors. St. Nick’s adapted quickly and made the perfect start, finding the net with their first attack. They then added three points without reply, while Colmcille’s saw several early chances saved or directed straight into the hands of St. Nick’s accomplished goalkeeper Eoin McCarthy.
The key moment of the opening half came after a superb Colmcille’s team move created a clear opportunity for Ollie Galvin. McCarthy produced an excellent save, but RJay Whitley was first to the rebound and made no mistake from close range, giving Colmcille’s the goal they badly needed.
That score sparked the home side into life. The backs began to get a grip on their opponents, while Michael Looney was having a major influence from centre forward, covering enormous ground, linking play and driving his team forward. Points from Donncha Harte, Ollie Galvin and Darragh Quinlan ensured Colmcille’s stayed in touch, and they went into the interval just one point behind, 1–04 to 1–05.
The second half was a different story.
Colmcille’s immediately raised the tempo, with Zach Forde leading the charge. He kicked a series of excellent points from play and frees, while Michael Looney, Ollie Galvin and Donncha Harte continued to make important contributions. Colmcille’s quickly moved into a five-point lead and, although St. Nick’s never stopped battling and added two points of their own, the home side were now firmly in control.
Ultimately, this was a victory built on a superb team effort. All 15 players saw action and every one of them contributed to a strong second-half display.
A special word of praise must go to Cayden Ramsey and Ben Kennefick, who each took a half in goal. Regular goalkeeper Cillian Buckley is unfortunately sidelined following an injury sustained recently, and we wish him a speedy recovery and hope to see him back in action before the end of the season. Until then, great credit is due to Cayden and Ben for stepping into the goalkeeper’s jersey despite both being much more comfortable playing outfield.
St Colmcille’s (13 a side)
1 – Ben Kennefick
2 – Patrick Foley
3 – Ollie Roche
5 – Liam O’Donovan
6 – Donncha Harte (0-02)
7 – Isaac Duhig
8 – Michael Looney (0-01)
9 – Zach Forde (0-05 – 2 frees)
10 – RJay Whitley (1-00)
11 – Darragh Quinlan (0-01)
12 – Cayden Ramsey
13 – Ollie Galvin (0-03)
14 – Noah Foley
SUBS USED: Brody Forde, Sam Moloney
St Nick’s (13-a-side)
1 – Eoin McCarthy
2 – Daragh Duke
3 – Conor Phillips
4 – Alex Kelly
6 – Donagh Kelleher
7 – Padraig O Dubhgain
8 – Nathan Nugent Ramsell
9 – James Cronin
10 – Evan McCarthy
11 – Cameron Forde
12 – Alex Twomey
13 – Conor Burke
14 – Elijah Whitley-Moore
SUBS
Billy Walsh, Zach Reidy, Josh Murray, Conor Martin