Colaiste Choilm stay alive with solid win in must win game

A SOLID if not completely convincing display saw Colaiste Choilm, Tullamore keep their hopes alive when they were the better team against Athlone's Marist College in the Leinster Colleges Senior Football Championship in Tullamore on Thursday afternoon.

Leinster Colleges Senior Football Championship

Colaiste Choilm, Tullamore 3-8

Marist College, Athlone 1-9

After losing by 3-12 to 2-7 to St Mel's of Longford in the first round, this was a must win game for Colaiste Choilm but they now face an anxious wait to discover if they will make the knockout stages. Two out of three teams qualify for knockout and the result of the final game between St Mel's and Marist will determine Colaiste Choilm's fate. If St Mel's win or draw, Colaiste Choilm will be through while Marist will need to win by five points or more to survive.

Colaiste Choilm will be disappointed at the concession of a penalty goal deep in injury time here and that could come back to haunt them yet. They had the win safely in the bag when outstanding centre half back, Patrick Kenna was penalised for picking up the ball in his own small square in the 62nd minute. Daire O'Connor dispatched the penalty and with scoring difference possibly coming into play, an eight point win would have been a whole lot better than a five point one.

That, however, was the only blemish on an overall satisfactory afternoon for Colaiste Choilm. They went about their business in a very professional manner and never looked like losing. They weren't brilliant but on a difficult day for football with heavy underfoot conditions and a strong wind blowing down the Park Avenue end, they concentrated very well on the basics and didn't really put a foot wrong.

They had been missing midfielder, Cillian Bourke the first day while Niall Furlong went off injured at half time but were close to full strength here. Ryan Kenny didn't start after failing a pre-match fitness test but came off the bench before half time, scoring a decisive 1-2 on a day when scores were hard earned.

Davin Keegan, who will partner Cillian Bourke at midfield in Sunday's minor football final was also missing and if Colaiste Choilm can get into the knockout stages, they have the potential for vast improvement and could really get going.

They did what they had to here and more or less controlled the game the whole way, albeit with Marist having good spells where they looked dangerous and played some good football.

Colaiste Choilm laid the foundations with a very effective first half display against the wind. They led by 2-2 to 0-6 at half time and it was very much theirs to lose.

They came flying out of the blocks and could have had four goals in a few minutes. Cillian Bourke should have found the net when racing straight through the middle from the throw in and drawing a good save from Luke Nicholson. He made amends moments later when blasting a rocket to the roof of the net and Cian Bracken was just centimetres to getting his fist to another ball a couple of metres out as Marist floundered.

The second goal arrived in the 11th minute with Steven Doran making a great incisive run and Dara Bates punching his pass to the net for a 2-0 to 0-2 lead. After this, Tullamore defended very well as Marist enjoyed plenty of possession without truly opening them up.

The winners were very happy with that half time lead and concentrated on doing the simple things right, keeping the mistakes down in the second half. Marist pulled players back and this meant that the Tullamore students found it hard to create chances but it also meant that the Athlone students wouldn't win the game.

Cian Bracken's free taking was exemplary and he converted two to give Colaiste Choilm a four point lead, 2-4 to 0-6 after 39 minutes. They wrapped it up in the next ten minutes. Niall Furlong missed a goal chance, his shot saved by Nicholson after a surging run but a '45' and two frees frm Bracken made it 2-7 to 0-6 after 50 minutes.

Colaiste Choilm could have went for the jugular but instead played it safe as sub Finn Duffy and Daire O'Connor got Marist's first second half points in the 50th and 55th minutes. A Marist goal would have changed everything but instead Colaiste Choilm got the next big score in the 59th minute. A wonderful move involving Patrick Kenna, John Colgan and Steven Doran ended with Ryan Kenny stroking the ball to the net and adding a point seconds later.

A nine point win would have been a very good result for Colaiste Choilm but they conceded 1-1 from placed balls in injury time even though Marist were down to 14 as Andrew Stuart Trainor had been blacked carded and now have to wait and see what happens.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Patrick Kenna (Colaistre Choilm): Marist had a very good player in Tadgh Baker, a son of former Clare hurling stalwart and Offaly manager, Ollie Baker while Andrew Stuart Trainor looked good at times without inflicting the damage he looked capable of. All the contenders were on the Colaiste Choilm team and Patrick Kenna is the choice. He was superbly effective at centre half back in the first half, mopping up any ball that came near him and moving up field to offer support to his midfield. He continued to play well in the second half, though he wasn't as busy with Colaiste Choilm dominant.

The Tullamore midfield of Cillian Bourke and Eoin Dunne were excellent with Dunne putting in a terrific shift and Bourke oozing class. Cappincur's John Colgan also staked a claim – a strong player who clearly relishes football at this time of year and the raw physicality of it, he did his primary defensive duties well and also made frequent bursts up the field. Colaiste Choilm had several more players who were very steady with Ryan Kenny contributing very well in an attack who can play better.

THE SCORERS

Colaiste Choilm: Cian Bracken 0-5 (4f and 1`'45'), Ryan Kenny 1-2, Cillian Bourke 1-1 (1f), Dara Bates 1-0.

Marist College: Daire O'Connor 1-2 (goal from a penalty and 1f), Tadgh Baker (1f) and Andrew Stuart Trainor (1f) 0-2 each, Thomas Bourke, Kian Mitchell and Finn Duffy 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

COLAISTE CHOILM, TULLAMORE: Sean Kavanagh; Tadgh Kelly, John Colgan, Peter McKegney; David O'Rourke, Patrick Kenna, Brian Guinan; Cillian Bourke, Eoin Dunne; Cian Bracken, Niall Furlong, Dara Bates; Shane Horkan, Cormac Whittle, Steven Doran. Subs - Ryan Kenny for Whittle (25m), Cormac Whittle for Horkan (46m), Colm Nolan for O'Rourke (57m), Cillian Owens for McKegney (57m).

MARIST COLLEGE, ATHLONE: Luke Nicholson; Liam Staunton, Josh Kenny, Owen McNamara; Conor Dowling, Tadgh Baker, Cathal Hardiman; Thomas Bourke, Kealan Connell; Daire O'Connor, Adam Smyth, Kian Mitchell; Andrew Henson, Andrew Stuart Trainor, Charlie O'Carroll. Subs – Killian Redmond for Hardiman (HT), Finn Duffy for O'Carroll (40m), Conor Reid for Bourke (49m).

Referee – Brendan Hickey.

REFEREE WATCH

Brendan Hickey had a solid game and was consistent.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Ryan Kenny's 59th minute goal after a great move was a great score but in terms of qualification, Daire O'Connor's injury time penalty goal could be a bigger moment – though the odds still favour Colaiste Choilm.

VENUE WATCH

O'Connor Park has got a lot of games lately and could do with a rest. There was only one umpire on one end and one linesman here which was completely unacceptable for a game of this importance – clubs really need to give schools more assistance with games such as this and they have a duty in this regard.

WHAT'S NEXT

Marist College play St Mel's while that result will determine Colaiste Choilm's fate.

STATISTICS

Wides: Colaiste Choilm – 5 (1 in first half); Marist College – 5 (3 in first half).

Yellow cards: Marist College – 1 (Thomas Bourke); Colaiste Choilm – 0.

Black cards: Marist College – 1 (Andrew Stuart Trainor); Colaiste Choilm – 0.

Red cards: 0.