Photograph Courtesy of St. Patrick’s
The footballers of St. Patrick’s Secondary School, Castleisland secured a third football title this year when they won the Kerry Post Primary Schools’ Joe O’Connor Cup last week defeating Pobail Scoil Sliabh Luachra Rathmore 3 – 7 to 0 – 11.
This was set up to be an intriguing contest as both schools had won their Munster colleges grades; St. Patrick’s winning the U 16 ½ C title and Rathmore winning the U16 ½ B title.
The Castleisland side knew that they would have to be at their very best to take the spoils and approached the game with great focus and intent. The sides were evenly matched for the opening 15 minutes, four points on the board from both teams. St. Patrick’s Darragh O’Connell scored his first goal of the day in the 25th minute which gave the Casrleisland boys a 1 -7 to 0 – 4 lead at half time. Shane O’Donoghue and Kieran Enright were very prominent in the opening half for St. Patrick’s as were Shay Walsh and Sean Walsh and a very solid display at full back from Adam Manley.
The second half started very well for St. Patrick’s with Darragh O’Connel scoring his second goal inside the opening six minutes and give them a nine point lead. Rathmore reduce the gap to five points but a well worked move from defence by Josh Kerin and Sean Horan set up Adam Manley for a well taken goal in the 50th minute which finished the game as a contest and secured yet another football title for the St. Patrick’s boys.
Goalkeeper, Jason Cronin delivered some very strategic kicks out throughout the game giving the St. Patrick’s boys a great attacking platform. This was yet another superb performance by this team which has have given so much this year. They deserve everything the players and coaches have achieved. They have one more final to play !! They are not done yet. Good luck to them in their quest for the clean sweep.
