Colaiste Choilm suffer setback with heavy defeat to Knockbeg College

Leinster Colleges Senior A Football Br Bosco Cup Group 4 Round 2

Knockbeg College, Carlow 6-17

Colaiste Choilm, Tullamore 0-7

COLAISTE Choilm made the trip to face Knockbeg College on Friday morning looking to back up their opening round win over St Fintan's of Sutton in Round 2 of the Leinster Colleges A Football championship.

In what the squad would have been hoping would be a good learning curve and an opportunity to fight for home advantage in the next round quickly tuned into a morning to forget for the Tullamore school.

It was the hosts who opened the scoring inside the first minute when Ennae Byrne pointed from close range, Colaiste Choilm responded two minutes later when Louis Aubin played Cian Horkan through who pointed to level matters.

Knockbeg were back in-front moments later when Dylan O’Dwyer, grandson of the legendary Mick O’Dwyer, son of Karl, pointed well off his left, and the same player was denied a certain goal moments later through a superb save by the Tullamore netminder Aidan Walsh.

Byrne was back on the scoresheet in the twelfth minute after an O’Dwyer free dropped in the square and was pointed, both players combined less than a minute later once again and the Knockbeg skipper made no mistake in palming the ball to the back of the Colaiste Choilm net for his and the game's opening goal.

It was to be the twentieth minute stage by the time the Tullamore men got onto the scoresheet sheet again when Eoin Rouse pointed a close range free after Darragh Stewert was fouled. This was all preceded by three Knockbeg points from the boots of Donnacha Lawlor, Ruaidhri Lawlor and Adam Farrell.

READ NEXT: Busy weekend ahead for Kickboxing Club in Offaly at home and abroad

Byrne tagged on another free in the 23rd minute before the resulting kick out landed in his arms, and the big full forward made no mistake in finishing to the back of the net punishing the Colaiste Choilm mistake with interest.

Two goals became three five minutes later when Donnacha Lawlor broke the ball brilliantly to the arms of Knockbeg centre back Jack Julian who calmly finished low into the back of the net.

The sides managed a score apiece in the remaining moments of the half with Mikey Byrne pointing for the hosts before Charlie Burns tapped over a free after Darragh Stewart was once again fouled.

Colaiste Choilm opened the second half scoring after thirty seconds when Charlie Heffernan powered through before pointing from a tricky angle for his first of the game and his side's fourth.

Knockbeg looked to get a good response to this and cut out any possibility of any Colaiste Choilm fight back and were rewarded at the 33rd minute mark when a ball broke to Ennae Byrne who tapped home soccer style from close range for his hatrick.

Half-Time substitute Ronan Dooley was in and looking to show his worth and try play his way into the starting team for the next day and showed his worth in the 36th minute scoring a lovely point to open his account.

Colaiste Choilm foraged hard in the backs and middle third but their turn over rate from the midway point up was never going to come even close to getting back into this clash and it’s something David Dempsey and his management team will really have to brush up on going forward in the competition.

READ NEXT: Tullamore women lose as mens' thirds held to draw

Knockbeg soon tagged on yet another score this time their full back Ross Moran broke up the field and showed his potential as an attacker pointing well for the Laois/Carlow outfit.

The hosts really turned the screw more between the 47th and 52th minutes tagging on five points on the bounce, Ruaidhri Lawlor, Mikey Byrne, Ronan Dooley, Ennae Byrne and Dylan O’Dwyer all raising white flags in some super passages of play by the men in blue and white.

Charlie Heffernan pointed well for the Colaiste Choilm men in the 55th minute for his side's sixth of the afternoon.

Substitutes Ronan Dooley and Jacob Curren rattled off two goals in quick succession for the home side to enhance the Colaiste Choilm men’s misery.

The boys in red finished the day with a flurry of late points with Heffenan, Charlie Burns and Paddy Burns from a '45’ completing the afternoon's scoring as Knockbeg top the group on the had to head rule.

READ NEXT: New Shannonbridge jetty is nearing completion

Match Analysis

Man of the Match

Ennae Byrne (Knockbeg College). As the scoreline would suggest all of the contenders would be from the victorious side.

Darragh Stewart was the pick of the visitors, trying hard to create chances running at the defense and playing some fine passes.

Jack Julian had a solid game at centre half back while Ronan Dooley and Mickey Byrne also put in powerful shifts.

The choice here is the man who finished with 3-4, 3-3 of which came from play in what was a superb display from the full forward.

The Scorers

Knockbeg College: Ennae Byrne 3-4 (0-1f), Ronan Dooley 1-2, Dylan O’Dwyer 0-3, Jack Julian and Callum McElroy 1-0 each, Mickey Byrne and Ruaidhri Lawlor 0-2 each, Adam Farrell, Ross Moran, Donnacha Lawlor and Jack Doyle 0-1 each

Colaiste Choilm: Eoin Rouse (1f) and Charlie Heffernan 0-2 each, Cian Horkan, Charlie Burns (1f), Paddy Burns (1’45'), and Patrick Duffy 0-1 each.

The Teams

KNOCKBEG COLLEGE: Cody Tucker; Sam McHugh, Ross Moran, Senan Gallagher; Patrick Fitzgerald, Jack Julian, Jack Doyle; Mickey Byrne, Donnacha Lawlor; Jack O’Gorman, Ruaidhri Lawlor, Callum McElroy; Adam Farrell, Ennae Byrne, Dylan O’Dwyer. Subs: Ronan Dooley for Fitzgerald (half-time), Aodhan Bergin for Farrell (40), Fionn Lawlor foy O’Gorman (45), Jacob Curren for Lawlor (47), Fionn O’Sullivan for Byrne (53). 

COLAISTE CHOILM, TULLAMORE: Aidan Walsh (Tullamore); William Cronly (Tullamore), Odhran Briody (Rhode Og), Robert Burns (Tullamore); Charlie Heffernan (Tullamore) Tadgh Kelly (St Vincent’s ), Louis Aubin (Tullamore); Eoin Rouse (Tullamore), Darragh Stewart (Tullamore); Patrick Duffy (Tullamore), Charlie Burns (St Vincent’s), Cian Horkan (Tullamore); Cian Multany-Kelly (Na Fianna), Colm Nolan (Na Fianna), Adam Martin (Tullamore). Subs: Cormac Staunton (Na Fianna) for Cronly (HT), Caden O’Beirne (Tullamore) for Burns (HT), Paddy Burns (St Vincent’s) for Multany-Kelly (HT), Ben Dillane (Tullamore) for Nolan (40), Shane Lawless (St Vincent’s) for Martin (45)

Referee Watch

Lar Murphy is a great referee to get for this level of football and was not in any way a factor to proceedings here. He had a compliment of umpires and clear signaling and communication with players made life easier. It was a clean game and no cards were needed.

Moment of the Match

Ultimately the games opening goal in the twelfth minute from Knockbeg Captain Ennae Byrne was the moment of this clash. It put his side five points clear a gap they would never have had anything less than for the remainder of the clash.

Venue Watch

Graiguecullen GAA hosted this clash and everything was in order. Cool sunny conditions made for a lovely morning for football. Given the recent weather conditions the pitch was in really good order. They had a scoreboard in operation and stewards on hand welcoming everyone and keeping tabs on parking etc.

The Knockbeg supporters brought great atmosphere to proceedings and contributed well.

What’s Next

Both teams progress to the knockout stages of the competition, Knockbeg top the group ensuring a home knockout game against Rochfortbridge, while second place means Colaiste Choilm will be on the road again facing Terenure College.

Statistics

Wides: Knockbeg College: 2 (1 in first half) Colaiste Choilm. 5 (3 in first half)

Cards: Yellow 0

Black 0

Red 0

READ NEXT: Birr Tidy Towns honoured with Civic Reception