Bourke's late tour-de-force crucial as Colaiste Choilm show mettle to power home in closing quarter

FLIRTING with danger and blowing hot and cold, Colaiste Choilm, Tullamore stared disaster down to power into the quarter finals of the Leinster Colleges Senior Football Championship in O'Connor Park, Tullamore on Wednesday afternoon.

Leinster Colleges Senior Football Championship Knockout Preliminary Round

Colaiste Choilm, Tullamore 2-12

Gorey Community School 1-7

The home side put in a very poor first quarter and took their eye off the ball in the third quarter but still found a way to win. When the gun was put to their head, some of their key players stood up magnificently, none more so than their star man Cillian Bourke and their closing quarter tour de force was hugely impressive.

When Tom Finuge raced through to level it up for Gorey Community School at 1-6 to 0-9 after 45 minutes, Colaiste Choilm were in bother. 0-6 to 0-4 ahead at half time, they had outscored Gorey Community School by three points to two in the third quarter but were becoming complacent, not driving on in the way they needed to.

The goal was a real shock to the system and when Cillian Bourke dropped a fairly straightforward free into the hands of Emmett Slator two minutes later, it looked like it could unravel for Colaiste Choilm. Bourke, however, showed his class immediately. Slator's kickout was intercepted by Bourke who burst forward, cut inside his man and drove low and hard to the corner of the net.

Their two midfielders, Dara Bates and Eoin Dunne also rose brilliantly to the gauntlet, firing over super points to give Colaiste Choilm a 1-11 to 1-6 lead after 51 minutes. Fittingly it was Bourke who applied the knockout punch seconds later, again driving powerfully at goals, only one thing on his mind and applying another perfect finish as he fired low to the net.

That was that as Oran Morris and Bourke exchanged late frees but it really was strange to see Colaiste Chooilm in such comfort in the closing ten minutes as a few minutes earlier, this looked like going right down to the wire and their winning margin does not reflect the battle they had to come through.

The winners had started very slowly and their work rate and general intensity were well short of their usual levels for the guts of twenty minutes. Charlie Burns got an early free for them but Gorey got the next three points and could have got more.

Colaiste Choilm did play better in the last ten minutes of the half. A Bourke free and Bates point levelled it up before Darragh Forde put Gorey back in front in the 23^rd minute. Aaron Rattigan came good for Colaiste Choilm coming up to half time. Brilliantly composed on the ball, his finishing was exemplary and he got three excellent points to give them that 0-6 to 0-4 half time lead.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Cillian Bourke (Colaiste Choilm, Tullamore): When Colaiste Choilm needed their strong players to perform, they rose to the challenge spectacularly and the way was very much led by Cillian Bourke. It was a pleasure to watch the way he grabbed this game by the scruff of the neck after Gorey got level. It wasn't just his two goals, which were special on their own, it was his all round play as he found another gear and insisted that his team mates follow. He fielded ball, burst past challenges, calmed things down, drifted back to defence and he was the single biggest reason, they go into the quarter-final draw – it is a sign of a very good player when he can produce the goods in this manner.

There were others. Aaron Rattigan's first half performance was crucial as many of his team mates were stuck in third gear. Dara Bates and Eoin Dunne both played very well, taking the midfield honours and Davin Keegan made a terrific impact off the bench for the second half, using his physicality well but also doing the simple thing very effectively on the ball and helping them get on top. Tadgh Kelly, Brian Guinan and Charlie Burns were others who caught the eye.

THE SCORERS

Colaiste Choilm: Cillian Bourke 2-3 (3f), Aaron Rattigan 0-3, Charlie Burns (1f) and Dara Bates 0-2 each, Eoin Dunne and Eoin Rouse 0-1 each.

Gorey CS: Tom Finuge 1-1, Oran Morris 0-4 (4f), Jamie Hughes, Darragh Forde 0-1 each.

THE TEAMS

COLAISTE CHOILM, TULLAMORE: Ciaran Owens; William Cronly, Tadgh Kelly, Jack Bracken; Brian Guinan, Patrick Kenna, Jack Maher; Dara Bates, Eoin Dunne; Eoin Rouse, Cillian Bourke, Shane Horkan; Paddy Burns, Charlie Burns, Aaron Rattigan,. Subs – Davin Keegan for Horkan (HT), Donal Dooley for Cronly (40m), Ger Keating for Paddy Burns (53m), Cian Horkan for Rattigan (57m).

GOREY COMMUNITY SCHOOL: Emmet Slator; Kian Steadman, Tiernan Myler, Rory Cooper; Alex Carton, Dara Kelly, Conor Fanning; Tom Finuge, Eoin Hughes; Adam Furlong, Oran Morris, Jamie Hughes; Alex Deveraux, Darragh Forde, Eoin Kinsella. 

Referee – Jamie McDonald, Laois.

REFEREE WATCH

Jamie McDonald referees a lot of colleges games and did his usual good job here. The issue was a peripheral but important one. There was only one umpire at each end which is a problem on its own but the umpire at the town end wasn't waving the flag for scores in the first half. He did signal with his hand but it wasn't always clear to supporters, the scoreboard operator and media if a point had been scored. This was responsible for the scoreboard and media having the score wrong at half time initially: it was 0-6 to 0-4 but both had Gorey down for five points. That message was got to the officials for the second half when scores were clearly signalled.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Cillian Bourke's first goal turned the game on its head. The teams were level at that stage and his head didn't drop after he missed a free as he won the next ball and provided the springboard for Colaiste Choilm to win.

VENUE WATCH

The O'Connor Park pitch was remarkably solid for this time of year and the County Board treated this fixture with the respect it deserved.

WHAT'S NEXT

Colaiste Choilm go into the draw for the quarter-finals, which will be played in the new year.

STATISTICS

Wides: Colaiste Choilm – 3 (3 in first half); Gorey CS – 6 (5 in first half).

Yellow cards: Colaiste Choilm – 0; Gorey CS – 1 (Alex Deveraux).

Black cards: 0

Red cards: 0