Blackrock College - 4 St Patrick's College - 1 The All-Ireland Schools' Cup found a new home yesterday as the Mark Vaughan-inspired Blackrock College finished in style with two late goals at Belfield Park.
A sublime individual effort from the multi-talented Blackrock striker with 10 minutes remaining put the south Dublin side into a 3-1 lead to effectively settle the contest.
Blackrock are no strangers to success on the sporting field, with 63 Leinster Senior Cups in rugby to their name, which makes this feat all the more remarkable considering the lack of emphasis and resources for soccer in the school.
Coach Joe McGrath had a pool of only 19 players to select from, but if anyone deserves this accolade he does. This is his 25th year as the school's soccer coach and, bar fleeting success in winning the Leinster Senior League in 1982, the results have never matched his commitment, until now that is.
Initial signs pointed to St Patrick's being too strong for their opponents as Michael Lyng and David Quinn gained the upper hand in a competitive midfield battle. Lyng opened the scoring after just 10 minutes when he hit an unstoppable, first-time shot into the top corner from 25 yards after a Francis Graham pass.
Strong running from Vaughan was causing the Cavan school numerous problems at the back, but the Dublin Minor footballer seemed to have left his shooting boots at home as he blazed over with two early efforts.
Besides Lyng's magic strike, the opening half was a dour affair with neither side able to build cohesive passages of play. The 3,500-crowd that crammed into Belfield Park was eventually given something to cheer as the game suddenly came alive just before the interval.
First, Simon Ward's pace took him clear of the St Patrick's defence only to see his shot expertly saved by goalkeeper Charles Halligan. Almost immediately down the other end Enda McCormick flashed a shot across the goalmouth after Blackrock goalkeeper Stephen Greir was caught stranded.
After surviving this scare, Blackrock kept the hectic pace up, and when Mark Kelly came in off his wing to calmly slide home the equaliser his side went in at the break with a different outlook on the proceedings.
In the second half, St Patrick's continued to probe for a winner, but John Power was chief of the resistance at centre-back. Killian Phair and Geroid Collins saw shots go agonisingly wide, and it looked only a matter of time before they would score as fatigue began to set into the Blackrock ranks.
It was at their lowest point that a moment of inspiration changed the flow of the contest. Vaughan was finally on target with a powerful, low drive that Halligan could only parry into the path of Mark McDermott who side-footed into the net with 15 minutes left.
Moment's later Vaughan went on a mesmerising run past several defenders from the right wing to the byline, but instead of squaring to the unmarked McDermott he cut back inside to fire home.
St Patrick's managed to manufacture other gild-edged opportunity for Francis Graham but Greir pulled out another great save to deny him.
With the game in injury-time Vaughan sent McDermott racing through on goal and he rounded the unfortunate Halligan for his second of the match to kick-start the Blackrock celebrations.
BLACKROCK COLLEGE: S Greir, J Doyle, B Fox, J Power, S Dillon, N Daly, M Kelly, J Bourke, M McDermott, M Vaughan, S Ward.
ST PATRICK'S COLLEGE: C Halligan, K Phair, D Lynch, B Greenan, A O'Riordan, F Graham, M Lyng, D Quinn, E McCormick, G Collins, K Hussain. Subs: A Pickett for K Hussain (62 mins).
