St. Clare’s All-Ireland defence ends as Kobe McDonald wonder goal seals Leitrim schools' exit

St Clare’s CS Manorhamilton's reign as All-Ireland C school champions came to an end on Wednesday at the hands of a Kobe McDonald-led Gortnor Abbey in a stormy St Osnat’s field in Glencar.

These sides were no strangers to one another after meeting in last year's Connacht final that saw St Clare’s crowned provincial champions on their way to All-Ireland glory.

A second-half surge saw Gortnor Abbey take over in this Connacht Quarter-final match, which took place in horrific conditions that worsened as the game went on. 

Gortnor Abbey made the hay with the gale wind at their back in the second half, kicking 1-11 to 1-01 and finishing off with a wonder goal from midfielders Kobe McDonald to secure victory.

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St. Clare's led for the majority of the game with the composure and fight you would expect from All-Ireland champions, but mistakes crept into the team, and they struggled increasingly to hold onto the ball and impose themselves as the game progressed.

The conditions suited Gortnor Abbey and their cast of exceptional shooters who produced a slew of impressive 2-point scores at important times to take over the game.

Gortnor Abbey looked dangerous from the opening minute when they found their way through gaps in a compact defence, opening the scoring when Dylan Flynn collected a rebounded shot on goal and tapped it over.

St. Clare's, with the wind at their back, looked assured and coordinated early on, moving the ball nicely and finding success with impressive performances from their inside forwards.

A Jack Attard free-kick opened their account in the second minute, and he turned supplier a couple of minutes later after receiving a kick from Luke Farrell and quickly handed off to Senan Kelly, who scored from 25 metres with the help of the crossbar to finish off a stellar team move.

Karl Gethins added another from a free out on the right side of the 21 metre line a minute later to extend their lead.

Gortnor Abbey got their second sniff at goal soon after when fast hands and direct running set Jack O’Brien in on goal, but from a tight angle, he could only rattle the post, and it was cleared away.

Gortnor Abbey were wasteful with the ball early on, frequently shooting from range and at poor angles, which led to short and wide balls.

Kobe McDonald sent a long-range effort just wide of the upright before getting his first of the day on ten minutes with a free kick from right in front of the posts about 30 metres out.

McDonald is a young man who has had plenty of attention on him in recent months after signing a rookie AFL contract with St Kilda, and this week being named in Andy Moran's plans for the Mayo senior team.  

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Despite seeming to struggle to settle into the game, a number of long-range efforts, he still managed to prove his quality, finishing as the top scorer with a tally of 1-4, which included a goal that was worthy of inclusion on any YouTube highlight reel.

They soon began to find some composure as they moved the ball over and back, the St Clare defence, before Dylan Flynn skipped through a gap and slotted over a point off his left boot to draw level.

A Gortnor Abbey breach then gave St Clare's Patrick Nolan the chance to slot over the first 2-pointer of the day, which he took to restore the team's lead.

Gortnor Abbey struggled to score, missing shots from McDonald and Eoin Dyra despite their pressure. Their efforts paid off 20 minutes in: A McDonald free kick that dropped short. The ball bounced out to Rory Coyne, who, from five metres, fired it into the net.

A minute later, St. Clare responded in the style of champions with a huge looping 2-pointer from the left boot of Senan Kelly, before Ronan Fox added another point off his right boot to round out the first half.

The champions would have preferred to be further ahead at the break after playing some decent football as they turned to face a worsening wind in the second half.

The second half opened promisingly for St. Clare's with Karl Gethins kicking a point from close range after a shot from Ronan Fox was held up by the wind and fell dangerously around the square.​

It was clear that Gortnor Abbey were going to give their lads the freedom to shoot with long shots from outside the 45 coming frequently and often dropping short and needing to be cleared up by an alert St. Clare’s defence led by sturdy full back James Hughes.

But Gortnor Abbey had faith in their shooters, and they were building a head of steam as Mark Sheerin stepped up to get them on the scoreboard and sent over a wonderful high right-footed shot from outside the arch. That score was followed up by a free from McDonald's, which was brought inside 25 metres for dissent.

As rain intensified, Gortnor Abbey pressed St Clare's on their kickout. A central kickout reached McDonald, who passed to Lorcan O’Donnell. O’Donnell then scored another two-point effort off his right boot.​ St Clare's were struggling to retain the ball in the poor conditions and pressure being applied by a Gortnor Abbey team that had their tails up.​

Mark Sheerin knocked over his second 2-pointer of the half before the cleanest attack of the half when McDonald took the kickout, handed off to Sean Og McGuiness, who kicked from midfield into Rory Coyne, who swung the ball over.​

Despite struggling to string penetrating attacks together in the second half, St. clare's managed to nick a goal against the run of play when a Ronan Fox free kick effort from near the sideline fell through the arms of a Gortnor Abbey defender and into the net.

The goal gave them a lifeline and made it a two-point game - but that is as close as they got. Gortnor Abbey won a free on the edge of the right side of the arch, which McDonald sliced beautifully over for his first two pointer of the day.

He followed that up with a spectacular goal when Gortnor Abbey caught a tiring St Clare's team on the break. Running through the middle of the routed defence with numbers alongside him, he looked up and decided to have a go himself and popped a rocket of a shot right into the top left corner from all of 30 metres.

He wheeled away with his teammates in tow, certain they had booked their place in the Connacht semi-final.

Gortnor Abbey

Team: Fionn Cosgrove; Luke Henry; James Ruane; Gary Naughton; Eoin Dyra; Sean Og McGuiness; Jack O’Brien; Mark Sheerin; Kobe McDonald; Lorcan O’Donnell; Andrew Barrett; Dylan Flynn; Ronan Walsh; Rory Coyne.

Scorers: Dylan Flynn 0-3; Kobe McDonald 1-4, 3f; Rory Coyne 1-1; Mark Sheerin 0-4, 2tp; Lorcan O’ Donnell 0-2, 2tp.

St Claire's Manorhamilton

Josh Sheridan; Conor Carty; James Hugh; Caolan Boylan; Ryan Kelly; Evin Gilligan; Sean Brady; Ben Gibney; Luke Farrell; Mathew Spears; Ronan Fox; Karl Gethins; Patrick Nolan; Senan Kelly; Jack Attard. 

Scorers: Patrick Nolan 0-3,1f,1tpf; Senan Kelly 0-3,1tp; Ronan Fox 1-2; Karl Gethins 0-1.