2019 / 2020 Corn Uí Mhuirí Under 19 A Football Semi-Final – St. Brendans Killarney 2-12 St Francis College Rochestown 2-8

St. Brendans Killarney defeated St Francis College Rochestown by 2-12 to 2-8 in the Corn Uí Mhuirí Under 19 A Football Semi-Final on Saturday February 1st at Mallow.

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St Brendan’s overcome two own goals to qualify for Corn Uí Mhuirí final

Report By Therese O’Callaghan for the Irish Examiner newspaper

St Brendan’s College (Kerry) 2-12 St Francis College (Cork) 2-8

The dominance of Kerry teams in the Corn Uí Mhuirí continues with St Brendan’s College qualifying for the decider on the weekend of February 22/23.

The Killarney side, who were defeated finalists last year and won back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017, survived a testing challenge from St Francis College, Rochestown, in Mallow today.

St Francis took the lead in the third quarter. However, and despite conceding two own goals over the hour, the Sem who had a greater array of scoring forwards held out for a four-point win.

Against the wind, corner-forward Alan O’Hare got St Francis College off the mark in the second minute and when Aaron Sheehy followed from a free, it was looking good for the Cork team.

Once St Brendan’s settled through an Emmet O’Shea free, they proceeded to take over for the rest of the half as four of their six forwards got on the board. William Shine, Ryan O’Grady, and Jason Kerins all found the range to lead 0-4 to 0-2 after a quarter of an hour.

Roco had a goal opportunity but Nathan O’Connell’s effort went across the face of the goal. In the same 26th minute, St Brendan’s worked the ball up-field after O’Grady fielded the kick-out. He swiftly passed to Dylan O’Callaghan and onto Kerins who found the net.

Shine added a point for St Brendan’s to move 1-5 to 0-2 ahead. However, in stoppage time, St Francis College won a ’45 and Sheehy’s effort went in off a St Brendan’s defender to the net.

St Francis restarted the second half with four points on the bounce from O’Hare (3) and Sheehy to move ahead by one. And when Sean Andrews delivered to the danger area, the ball was diverted into the net by a St Brendan’s defender for the second time in the game, 2-6 to 1-7, in favour of the Rochestown side.

St Brendan’s weathered the storm and kicked the next 1-4 – the penalty put away by O’Shea following a foul on O’Callaghan in the 50th minute.

Sheehy made it a three-point match but St Francis College couldn’t get the goal they needed, O’Grady sealing the outcome in the fifth minute of injury time from a difficult angled free near the sideline.

Scorers for St Brendan’s College: E O’Shea (1-3, 1-0 pen), J Kerins (1-1), W Shine (0-4), R O’Grady (0-3, 0-1 free), D O’Callaghan (0-1).

Scorers for St Francis College: A Sheehy (1-4 frees), S Andrews (1-0), A O’Hare (0-4, 0-1 free).

St Brendan’s College: E Moynihan (Glenflesk); R Doyle (Fossa), M Cooper (Dr Crokes), N O’Shea (Dr Crokes); T Doyle (Dr Crokes), T Sparling (Dr Crokes), E Looney (Dr Crokes); E O’Sullivan (Legion), M Lenihan (Dr Crokes, Capt); J Kerins (Dr Crokes), R O’Grady (Legion), P Looney (Dr Crokes); W Shine (Legion), D O’Callaghan (Firies), E O’Shea (Fossa).
Subs: H Buckley (Dr Crokes) for P Looney (49), C O’Leary (Legion) for M Cooper (58).

St Francis College: C O’Leary (Douglas); M Harrington (Nemo Rangers), B McCarthy (Douglas), S Cummins (Cobh); S Brady (Ballygarvan), N O’Connell (Cobh), S Andrews (Shamrocks, Capt); A Cantwell (Douglas), S Ahern (Douglas); S Fenton (Ballygarvan), A O’Hare (Douglas), A Connolly (St Michael’s); S Harrington (Passage West), P O’Halloran (Ballygarvan), A Sheehy (Douglas).
Subs: R O’Halloran (Ballygarvan) for S Aherne (half time), W Buckley (St Finbarr’s) for S Harrington (49), P Leneghan (St Michael’s) for A Connolly (52), F Sheehan (Douglas) for M Harrington (56).

Referee: Donncha O’Callaghan (Limerick)