Boyne's second-half surge proves too much for final opponents

Boyne Community School, Trim 1-20

St Colmcille's CS, Knocklyon1-8

At one stage in the second-half of this Leinster Schools' SH C final at Abbotstown on Friday afternoon victory was slipping away from the grasp of the Boyne CS players.

An interval advantage of 0-8 to 0-5 had been transformed, as if by some weird mathematical algorithim, into a 0-9 to 1-8 deficit by the 45th minute. Not only that Boyne were on the backfoot seemingly unable to do anything to stem the Knocklyon takeover.

Then Boyne did what they have done in a few games on their march to glory this year. They delved into their reserves of strength and skill and found they had more then enough to not only retrieve the situation but push on to win with plenty to spare.

Leon Harris, Alex Cole, Cathal Barron, Joey Christie, Sean Howley and Shane Jordan all fired over a series of splendid points in the final quarter that left Knocklyon wondering where it had gone so wrong for them.

The transformation in the fortunes of each team was remarkable, magical even, like something out of Harry Potter, with Boyne's march to victory helped by their large, raucous following. Their relentless chants must have spurred the players on as effectively as any magic potion.

Included in that late scoring splurge were a couple of monster, magical points converted by Barron and Jordan. There was also the clincher - Boyne's goal scored by Howley in the closing minutes. A long ball was delivered out of defence, Howley won possession close to the opposition posts, and finished clinically. That left it 1-18 to 1-8.

We shouldn't, in hindsight, have been a bit surprised by Boyne's transformation in the the second-half from a team struggling to find their best form to a side capable of producing exceptional, powerful fare that, in the end, overwhelmed their opponents.

In an epic semi-final against Colaiste Bhride, Carnew, the Boys in Green were eight points down well into the second-half but won out in the end - after a penalty shoot-out!

That pride, that resilience and never-say-defeat attitude was borne out again in this game against a very capable Knocklyon outfit who were certainly looking good when Adam Kelly plundered the opening goal of the game eight minutes after the resumption with colleagues Darragh Ormsby and Fiachra Codd adding unanswered points to put them 1-8 to 0-9 in front. Then, when things were looking at its bleakest Boyne, hit that flurry of points in the final quarter to draw away.

Boyne are clearly a team who thrive on adversity. They were greatly helped on Friday by their ability to turn chances into scores with Joey Christie illustrating that most powerfully with eight points from play, some of them exceptional efforts.

Shane Jordan's high level of marksmanship (seven points frees, one '65') ensured that frees conceded by Knocklyon in their own half were invariably punished. For most of the afternoon too Boyne defended bravely with Ed Dunne and Kasei Kirwan among those to stand out. Howley wore the 10 shirt but spent a lot of time mopping up at the back. That workrate was clear throughout the team.

"The passion these lads have, their determination and resilience they showed all year is unreal," said proud manager Niall Regan. "They won a few tight encounters to get to the final, they did themselves proud throughout in their attitude and workrate." Indeed they did. Boyne's hurling warmed the hearts of their supporters, young and not so young, on a bitterly cold afternoon.

Boyne CS, Trim - Conor Cummins (Na Fianna); Aron Doherty (Rathmolyon), Darragh McLoughlin (Trim), Ed Dunne (Kildalkey); Kasei Kirwan (Rathmolyon), David Regan (Kiltale), Luca Taheny (Trim); Leon Harris (Trim 0-1), Dan Quinn (Kildalkey); Sean Howley (Rathmolyon, 1-1), Cathal Barron (Dunderry 0-1), Joey Christie (Rathmolyon, 0-8); Alex Cole (Trim 0-1), Darragh Purcell (Boardsmill), Shane Jordan (Na Fianna, 0-8, seven frees, on 65). Subs - Ruairi McCaffrey (Trim) for Purcell 47m, Ciaran O'Brien (Dunderry) for Cole 59m, Cormac Byrne (Boardsmill), Charlie O'Connor (Trim), Robbie Johnson (Kiltale), Alex Fox (Trim), Conor Dixon (Longwood), Eimhinn Flynn (Na Fianna), Fran Witchlow (Na Fianna), Kaden de Lacey (Kiltale), Dylan Buckley (Trim), Andrew Gallagher (Boardsmill), Daniel Fitzsimons (Trim), Jessie O'Rourke (Trim), Jamie Ashe (Kiltale), Eoghan Monaghan (Boardsmill), Alex Healy (Na Fianna), Evan Lawless, Dan Callaghan (Rathmolyon).

Management - Niall Regan, Ken Quinn, Mark Murray.

St Colmcille's CS, Knocklyon - Rory O'Donoghue; Cathal McClean, Jamie Mahon, Evan McCabe; Mathew Hade (0-1), Darragh Durkin, Ben Herbert; Fiachra Codd (0-2), Jack McIntyre (0-1); Hugo McCrystal, Darragh Ormsby (0-3 frees), David Worthington; Gary Ormsby, Adam Kelly (1-1), Daniel O'Connor. Subs - Ryan Gleeson for Ormsby 42m, Colin Duffy for Kelly 50m.

Referee - Brian O'Connor (Dublin).

* See Paula Greif's photographs from game and more details from match in next issue of the Meath Chronicle