St Patrick’s Cup, May 7th, 2006

High School Championship
Sacred Heart 4-9 Peninsula 0-4

Ladies Football
Saoirse 4-9 Clan na Gael 1-3 Report...

Mens’ Football (Junior)
Celts 3-9 Naomh Padraig 1-10 Report...
Young Irelanders / St. Brendan’s 1-6 Sean Treacy’s 1-5
(Points awarded to Sean Treacy's)

Mens’ Football (Senior)
Ulster 3-13 Sons of Boru 0-8 Report...
Shannon Rangers 1-6 Michael Cusack’s 3-4
(Points awarded to Rangers)

Hurling
Na Fianna 0-11 Naomh Padraig 0-10
Video report to follow

Naomh Padraig on the Receiving End
Junior Football - Celts 3-9 Naomh Padraig 1-10

Naomh Padraig took to the field minus Darren Reidy, John Semandel, and Seamus McCorry against a Celts team that is maturing at a rapid rate and beginning to assert itself on the field with a lot more confidence.

Despite an early Naomh Padraig goal by Ross Brunton, the Celts were as quick-handed as ever, snatching the ball out of their opponents’ hands at every opportunity, but a new degree of toughness has come into their game with a bit of brute force being added to the nimble basketball moves of before. The youngsters still squandered several opportunities though, many points were taken where goals were on offer, and there was a profusion of wides.

Jimmy Flynn got the first goal of the day after taking a clear shot from just outside the box, and also a very similar goal a few minutes later to go in at half time leading by 2-3 to 1-4.

The second half was characterised by the Celts coming through in droves and taking score after score until the peninsula team started grinding them down and getting a few points back. A few injuries in the O’Flynn family threw the Celts off their game, but it wasn’t enough to do the depleted Padraigs much good.

Saoirse Get Into Gear for Great Victory
Ladies' Football
Saoirse 4-9 Clan na Gael 1-3

There was a promising start to this game for Clan na Gael who began by running riot and getting a lot of ball into the Saoirse box into the capable hands of Anna Glennon who was able to set up or take most of the shots at goal. Only the finishing touch let them down as shot after shot drifted wide.

After about ten minutes of play, Saoirse seemed to settle down and make themselves at home in the Clan na Gael box, soon resulting in a bit of goal mouth commotion leading to a close range goal. The Peninsula girls then locked down the mid-field keeping the ball confined to the Clan na Gael half of the field until two more goals emerged.

Clan na Gael managed to mount a few expeditions down the field, one of which culminated in Anna Glennon getting pulled to the ground leading to a penalty and Clan na Gael’s first and only goal of the day.

It was more of the same Saoirse domination in the second half as the Clans were hassled every step of the way and forced into making technical errors and conceding frees.

What looked ominously like goal number five for Saoirse was averted by some impressive defending by the Clans at the end of a game that should have had a more even score line.

No Cavalry to the Rescue This Time for Boru
Senior Football
Ulster 3-13 Sons of Boru 0-8

The first fifteen minutes of this important game were fast, tough, and clean, if a little low scoring. Ulster gradually crept into the lead, with their trademark style of fast running combined with short but accurate handpassing very much in evidence. This is something that Boru found very hard to stop, and despite getting plenty of possession they did not manage to convert this to scoring opportunities to compensate for an Ulster goal by Fergal Clancy and seven other points.

Boru came out fighting in the second half with tough play all over the field, but after ten minutes they only managed to get two points from frees compared to Ulster getting the same number from play in the same amount of time.

Boru didn’t get any breakthroughs (despite the introduction of Chris Kinghtly who turned the tables the previous week), Ulster were getting in dangerously close with balls that were either saved precariously on the line or disallowed as square balls. However, Ulster kept the pressure on to get good quality goals by Lester and a few minutes later by Denver.

The result was never really in doubt for most of the game, and it produced a three-way tie at the top of the senior football table. A draw was held to determine who had to play a semi-final. Rangers were sent straight to the final, Ulster and Boru now go to a semi-final.