2024/2025 TUS Corn an Bhráthar Choilm Taft (Under 15 A Football) Final – Tralee CBS 2-7 CC Ballincollig 0-10

Tralee CBS defeated CC Ballincollig by 2-7 to 0-10 in the TUS Corn an Bhráthar Choilm Taft (Under 15 A Football) Final on Friday February 28th at Mick Neville Park Rathkeale.

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Tralee CBS held off Colaiste Choilm Ballincollig to claim Brother Taft Cup https://t.co/IK9iYQ9v4D

— Irish Examiner Sport (@ExaminerSport) February 28, 2025

Tralee CBS hold off Colaiste Choilm Ballincollig to claim Brother Taft Cup

Report by Mort Murphy courtesy of the Irish Examiner newspaper

Munster PPS U15 A Brother Taft Cup final: Tralee CBS 2-7 CC Ballincollig 0-10

Tralee CBS (the Green) just about held off a brave second-half fightback from Colaiste Choilm Ballincollig to claim the Brother Taft Cup for the school for the first time since 2021 on Friday lunchtime. Leading 1-7 to 0-1 with the breeze at half-time they were nearly totally on the defensive in the second-half with Ballincollig rising to the challenge, but Danny Lane’s 55th minute goal after being put through by Calvin O’Sullivan was the decisive score in the Tralee school’s favour.

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A seventh minute point from Riain Madden was Ballincollig’s only first-half score against the breeze as the Green got their first goal two minutes later from full-forward Adrian O’Connor after he forced a high ball from Cillian O’Brien over the line at close range. The Cork school had more of the ball in the first period but they could not find a way to cope with the element against them as the Green scored plenty on the counter as Irish U15 Schoolboy Soccer player Calvin O’Sullivan scored three points for the Green.

He did miss a scoreable one before the half-time whistle to put them into a double digit lead as the Ballincollig fightback in general was started by their midfielder Evan Stack with his ability to gain primary possession. Centre-back Billy Mehigan came forward for four points for Ballincollig as well as both Madden and himself brought the score down to 1-7 to 0-8 after 52 minutes. The Green’s second goal had some bit of luck about it as Ballincollig goalkeeper Riain O’Sullivan was not able to get his hand fully to Lane’s 55th minute effort to make it a five-point game again.

Ballincollig kept coming though as there was a prolonged period of injury time lasting over 10 minutes. They brought the deficit back to a goal and looked like stealing for a dramatic equalizer as the ball was tossed dangerously over a number of Green defenders however no Ballincollig player could get a hand to force it into the net.

The Green finished with 14 players as Tom Slattery was sent off late on in proceedings but they just managed to keep Ballincollig out long enough to the sound of the final whistle. The win will be greatly appreciated by the school after David Clifford’s St Brendans College Killarney side had defeated them in the Kerry U15 A Final (Russell Cup) via a late goal back in October.

The Green had already beaten the Sem in the quarter-finals of the provincial event.

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Mike Nash presented the Taft Cup to winning captain, Eoin Tansley of Tralee CBS.

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Scorers for Tralee CBS: D Lane (1-2), A O’Connor (1-0), C O’Sullivan (0-3), E Tansley and J Gaynor (f) (0-1 each)

Scorers for CC Ballincollig: R Madden (0-5, 2f), B Mehigan (0-4) and D Conway (0-1)

TRALEE CBS: D O’Connor (John Mitchels); C O’Sullivan (Ardfert), M Riordan (Austin Stacks), D Gazi (Churchill); D Cullinan (John Mitchels), E Tansley (Na Gaeil), J Field (Na Gaeil); T Slattery (Na Gaeil), S Harty (Ardfert); E Quirke (Ballymacelligott), C O’Sullivan (John Mitchels), J Gaynor (Ardfert); D Lane (Austin Stacks), A O’Connor (Ballymac), C O’Brien (Churchill)
Subs: R Harrington O’Callaghan (John Mitchels) for S Harty (24), Ben O’Connor (Ardfert) for E Quirke (38), A Costello (Na Gaeil) for R Harrington O’Callaghan (52), T Lonergan (Kerins O’Rahillys) for C O’Sullivan, R Lynch Clifford for D Cullinan (both 60 +4)

CC BALLINCOLLIG: R O’Sullivan (Ballincollig); J O’Sullivan (Ballincollig), F Murphy (Ballinora), M Delea (Blarney); C Murphy (Ballincollig), B Mehigan (Ballinora), C Noonan (Ballinora); E Stack (Ballincollig), F O’Leary (Ballincollig); G O’Keeffe (Valley Rovers), D O’Driscoll (Kilmurry), A Hennessy (Ballincollig); D Conway (Ballinora), C Murphy (Éire Óg), R Madden (Kilmurry)
Subs: None made

Referee: T McGlinchey (Tipperary)