Glynn 3-7 St. Senan’s 1-3

Glynn and St. Senan’s of Enniscorthy played out a lively encounter in this year’s Allianz Cumann na mBunscol Rackard League Roinn B boys’ football final in St. Patrick’s Park last Thursday. It was Glynn’s first appearance in a final since they parted ways with Barntown N.S. and the conditions could not have been better for a good game of football and their attempt to make a little bit of history.

Within seconds, they had the goal they wanted when Corben Brown and Pierces Arthurs combined down the wing to score a great goal. Senan’s goalkeeper Rhián Moore was called into action again moments later but this time saved a James Doyle shot. Glynn seemed determined to get some early scores and were taking their men on very well. St. Senans however, rose to occasion to reply with a goal of their own in the eighth minute when corner forward Michael Fortune finished to the near post from close range. The match continued in this excitement when Glynn missed another great goal chance up the field.

Glynn eventually settled when they got three points on the board through Pierce Arthurs and Corben Brown. Overall they were playing much better football with some lovely kick passes and assured handling but five wides kept them from pulling away and just before halftime Senans got important points through Paddy Connors and Paddy Cash to bring the gap between them to a minimum. On one hand, the blistering pace of Dapo Abidoya was causing Glynn problems on the counter attack but on the other, it was clear that without Rhián Moore in the goal and Shadrach Onwubiko leading the defensive effort, the haftime lead could have been much bigger.

Glynn performed much better in the second half and really took over the game from the fifth minute onwards. Early points from Darragh Carley and Michael Mackey set the tone before the latter scored a smashing goal on the break to give Glynn a six point lead. Both centre forwards then exchanged a point each and the game hung in the balance until Glynn’s Kaylem Codd reacted quickest to a crossbar rebound to sweep home the insurance goal. Aaron McDonagh came on and was involved in some good team moves down the wing as Glynn played to the final whistle but fittingly it was star performer Michael Mackey who got the final score of the night thus sealing a historic first football title for his school.

Glynn: Luke O’Rourke, Tadhg Bonnington, Aaron Cuddihy, Ben Doran, Seán Laffan, Darragh Carley, Tom Murphy, Corben Brown, Connor Mackey, Greg Furlong, Michael Mackey, James Doyle, Jack McNamara, Kaylem Codd, Pierce Arthurs, Aidan Conneely, Callum Berry, Matthew Lewis, Aaron McDonagh, Eoin Bonnington, Liam O’Reilly, Philip Jackman, Eoin Walsh, Alan Walsh, Thomas Donavan, Oliver Barry, Liam Cooney

St. Senan’s: Rhián Moore, Robert Cahill, Shadrach Onwubiko, Michael Webster, Seán Levingstone, Paddy Connors, Jordan O’Brien Murphy, Paudi O’Brien, Dapo Abidoya, Nathan O’Brien Cash, Killian Murphy, Jay Hogan, Jerry Connors, Paddy Cash, Michael Fortune, Darren Murphy, Bobby McKeown, Darragh Breen, Ricky Morrissey, Jerry Connors, Taylor Cowman, Evan Quigley, Johnny Connors, Michael Connors