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Boys' Football
Crows Crowned Coughlan Cup Champs After Cracking Final!
St. Cronan’s 4-3 St. Laurence’s 2-2
Ten teams turned out to brave the weather in Kilcoole on Wednesday 19th October to compete in a highly entertaining Coughlan Cup. This one-day boys’ football blitz is now into its second decade and is always a good barometer of what to expect in the Allianz Football Leagues which get under way in the spring term. More teams were expected on the day, but persistent rain in the early part of the week forced some schools to cancel their participation.
On the day the ten teams were divided into two groups. In group one were St. Cronan’s “A”, St. Kevin’s, St. Anthony’s, Newtown and St. Laurence’s. The schools that were pooled into group two were Kilmac, St. Pat’s, Fergal’s, St. Brigid’s and St. Cronan’s “B”. Under this arrangement each school got to play at least four matches. The top two teams from the two sections would contest the semi-finals. After an exciting round robin series of matches St. Cronan’s “A” drew their “St. Cronan’s “B” in the first semi-final. This pairing was a first for Cumann na mBunscsol Cill Mhantáin and reflects the work being done by teachers in the Bray school. It also reflects the input and support from the local GAA club, something that we have seen in other schools which have won titles in the last few years. In the second semi-final St. Laurence’s of Greystones qualified for the final following their tense hard-fought victory over St. Pat’s.
The final was a credit to both teams. It was a classic case of “end to end stuff” as one observer put it, with neither team dominating. Even though both schools had already played five matches, the pace of the final was hectic. Passing was excellent and both teams took their scores with great accuracy. The spirit in which the final was played was a credit to both schools and their managers, Dave Barry (St. Cronan’s) and Bernie Jones (St. Laurence’s). However, by the final whistle the Bray lads had done just enough to outscore their Greystones neighbours.
Cumann na mBunscol Cill Mhantáin would like to express its gratitude to Domnic Leech, Hugh Kenny and Linda Byrne who acted as referees on the day. We are particularly grateful to the Kilcoole GAA club for allowing us to use their facilities once again. A special word of thanks to the groundsman who had the pitches set up and ready before the arrival of the teams. Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.
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