St Mary's strike late to stunn Rinn Gaels

A six point winning margin may look comfortable but it took a ferocious late rally that yielded an unanswered 1-4 for St Mary's Kiltoghert to regain the Barna Waste U13 Championship Division 1 title against an impressive but devastated Rinn Gaels on Monday in Avant Money Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada.

The Bornacoola and Gortletteragh combination looked at times as if they might overpower the Carrick youngsters but a combination of missed chances and a defiant and well coached St Mary's side meant the game was in the balance going into the final ten minutes.

A goal would always prove decisive in such a tight game and so it proved as St Mary's Flynn O'Toole and Alex Kondratowicz combined to free Harry Hanrahan who drilled the ball to the net and with that, St Mary's took off. A stunned Rinn could only look on as Mary's added two more points to add the Championship to the Shield title they won earlier this year, maintaining Carrick's superb underage record.

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Credit a well coached St Mary's team for staying in it at times when Rinn threatened to pull away with Alex Kilrane, Liam Gray, Hugo Farrell and Rian McGuinness very impressive but intricate passing and a stubborn refusal to let Rinn get away from them were the bedrock of this victory.

Rinn Gaels' Alex Kilrane was the best player on the field but St Mary's Hubert Kiliszek Sromek, Alex Kondratowicz, James Faughnan, Harry Hanrahan, Flynn O'Toole, Caleb Russell, Sam Kieran, Eoin Thompson and Daithi Murphy made big contributions for the winners. Hugo Farrell, Liam Gray and Rian McGuinness also impressed for the Bornacoola Gortletteragh combo

Rinn Gaels will be gutted that they didn't follow up their League success by taking the championship - they looked the stronger team for long periods but could never get away from a well coached St Mary's who used the ball well. It is yet another success for St Mary's who are dominating underage football in the county and look set to dominate it for some years to come if they keep producing teams like this

The game opened with Rinn Gaels going close to two goals in the first 90 seconds, Hugo Farrell poking the ball inches wide after a good run and Luke Carlton seeing a chance blocked by Hubert Kiliszek Sromek before Alex Kilrane took a short fifty and pointed on two minutes.

Harry Hanrahan scored a fine point after a good run but Rinn Gaels were in the ascendancy and Rian McGuinness hold off a few defenders to score a fine point on six minutes.  Jack Duignan almost got a touch to a long ball from McGuinness, the ball going inches wide.

However, points from Mossie Farrell after a quick free and a Hugo Farrell free opened up a three point gap nine minutes in. Crucially, two Flynn O'Toole points, one from a free, followed quickly from St Mary's who then started to dominate play.

Despite hitting a few wides, Sam Kieran's long range effort tied the scores 14 minutes in while Eoin Thompson fisted an effort from a  O'Toole free at the Rinn goals. David Carr at the other end saw his shot hit the post.

St Mary's took the lead when Kondratowicz hit a long range point that looked wide from my angle but was given by the umpires and then Eoin Thompson scored after a Kondratowicz free hit the post and rebounded out.

Luke Carlton pulled back a point after a block on David Carr's shot and McGuinness tied the scores with a lovely long range effort. A free from Alex Kilrane gave Rinn Gaels a narrow 0-7 to 0-6 halftime lead at the interval.

The tit for tat continued in the second half - Kieran nabbed a second point after a high ball to Kondratowicz but Kilrane made a fantastic catch from a kickout, lost the ball but regained it to kick a superb long range effort.

Odhran Griffin made a superb catch under pressure to set up O'Toole for a sixth minute point but Rinn Gaels looked like they might be opening up a gap when Farrell converted a free and McGuinness fired over a wonderful point on 12 minutes after a great run.

St Mary's should have goaled when Flynn O'Toole was put clean through but Kaelan Rowe made an excellent save with Eoghan Mallon clearing the danger.

St Mary's suddenly hit overdrive with three scores in under two minutes - an O'Toole free was followed by a Kieran point after a short free before O'Toole took a pass from Kondratowicz after another high ball to edge St Mary's back in front.

Rinn Gaels tried to hit back with Hugo Farrell seeing a free hit the post but the game changed when St Mary's broke up a Rinn attack, Flynn O'Toole found Kondratowicz in the centre and the off-load led to Hanrahan firing low to the Gaels net.

St Mary's could now counter and they did when they broke up a Rinn attack, a free was worked back to O'Toole who fired over from distance. Putting the icing on the cake, St Mary's held onto possession before working the ball to  Odhran Griffin who fired over to seal victory.

There was still time for action at both ends - James Faughnan cracked a shot off the Gaels crossbar with the ball cleared off the line while Alex Kilrane's late free was blocked on the line after a Rinn player was fouled when he got in behind the defence. 

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ST MARY'S KILTOGHERT

Scorers: Flynn O'Toole 0-6, 2f; Harry Hanrahan 1-1; Sam Kieran 0-3; Odhran Griffin, Eoin Thompson & Alex Kondratowicz 0-1 each 

Team: Theo Kane Smyth, Caleb Russell, Callum Earley, Daithi Murphy, Odhran Griffin, Hubert Kiliszek Sromek, Jake Gibney, Shane Murtagh, Eoin Thompson, Sam Kieran, Alex Kondratowicz, Ben Cronin, Harry Hanrahan, Flynn O'Toole, James Faughnan. Subs: Sam Boyle for Cronin (HT); Cronin for Boyle (40); Ryan McWeeney for Kieran (47); Cronin for O'Toole (49) 

RINN GAELS

Scorers: Alex Kilrane (f) & Rian McGuinness 0-3 each; Hugo Farrell 0-2, 1f; Mossie Farrell & Luke Carlton 0-1 each

Team: Kaelan Rowe, Michael Hanley, Liam Gravy, Se Lawlor, Diarmuid Finnerty, Adam McCormack, Eoghan Mallon, Hugo Farrell, Alex Kilrane, Eoghan Mitchell, David Carr, Mossie Farrell, Jack Duignan, Rian McGuinness, Luke Carlton. Subs: Rian Reynolds for Finnerty (29); Patrick McDowall for M Farrell (44)

Referee: Enda Egan