Sport

St Gerald's pass late test to reach final

ST GERALD'S, of Castlebar, reached their first all Ireland colleges football final at the expense of St Patrick's, of Navan, …

Mon Apr 14 1997 - 01:00

ST GERALD'S, of Castlebar, reached their first all Ireland colleges football final at the expense of St Patrick's, of Navan, when they had just a point to spare at the end of a thrilling game at Pearse Park, Longford, yesterday.

It wasn't until the final quarter that St Patrick's, the Leinster champions and pre match favourites, reproduced their provincial final form and a superior Castlebar outfit were deserving winners of a most competitive game.

The turning point came five minutes after the break when Colm Staunton set up Fintan McHale for a cracking goal which left the students from the West with an eight point advantage. And although the Meath men finished strongly, the mountain was too steep for them and they could only manage to claw back seven points.

St Patrick's led 0-4 to 0-2 after the first quarter, with Colm Travers scoring three points. However, St Gerald's turned in a super second quarter and points from Colm Staunton, Colm Lyons, and Kenneth Hyland had them in front before Cyril Carty levelled matters for St Patrick's in the 24th minute.

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Back came the Connacht champions and points from Thomas Earley, Fintan McHale, Niall Dunne and Jamie Fitzmaurice left them in a 0-9 to 0-5 lead at the break.

St Gerald's had a great start to the second half when Staunton set up McHale for the game's only goal in the 32nd minute and when Fitzmaurice and Staunton added points for the winners they led by nine points and anything other than a St Gerald's victory looked unlikely.

St Patrick's, however, had other ideas and five points on the trot from Ciaran Grey, Ciaran Macken, Trevor Ratty, Colm Travers and Keith Callaghan brought the Navan school back to within four points of St Gerald's.

Lyons then notched up two late, points for the winners but still St Patrick's kept on fighting.

Points from Seamus Kenny, Travers (two), and Ian McManus (two), brought them back to within a point but with almost 64 minutes on the clock, referee Willie O'Mahoney could not find any more time for the Meath men and St Gerald's were a relieved team when he sounded the full time whistle.