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GAA

23rd Oct 2018

Champions celebrates with pile-on, runners-up lie on ground dejected, they’re all winners

Niall McIntyre

Scoil Bhríde Raghnallach 3-7 Swords Educate Together NS 2-9

It can be a fine line between agony and ecstasy.

There was nothing between Scoil Bhríde Raghnallach and Swords NS in this Corn an Cheid final, the closing game of the Allianz Cumann na mBunscol football finals in Croke Park this year.

Fittingly, a competitive encounter would bring the two days of magic to a close. The Corn an Cheid is heading back to Ranelagh this year after a thrilling clash at GAA HQ.

The kids in green got off to a blinder of a start, their dynamic attacking duo Conall Criostóir and Conall Ó Maonaigh getting in for early goals.

But Swords never let them too far ahead. Their midfielder Mark Duggan led the fight with his dainty, deceptive and scheming forward runs. The Ranelagh backs couldn’t lay a glove on the boy with the feet of a ballerina as he danced and dazzled through their defence on his way to four points from play.

He was well assisted by his midfield partner in crime Eoin McCarthy, another tricky Swords customer. In the end, however, the southside Gaelscoil earned their victory.

Midfielder Bobby Coilbeard scored a goal in the second half worthy of the stage and indeed worthy of winning any game. He burst onto a breaking ball before lashing a right boot at it that sent the ball arrowing into the top corner.

Swords came back again, but Scoil Bhríde Raghnallagh did enough to hold on.

Scorers:

Scoil Bhríde Raghnallach:

Conall Criostóir (1-2), Conall Ó Maonaigh (1-3), Bobby Coilbeard (1-0), Sean Ó Hainle (0-1), Ruairí O Flannabhra (0-1)

Swords Educate Together NS:

Eoin McCarthy (1-1), Mark Duggan (0-4), Kody Honer (1-0),  Jack Byrne (0-2), Mark Palmer (0-1), Matthew Gibson (0-1), Alex Fitzsimons (0-1)

Teams:

Swords Educate Together NS

Managers: Emily Walsh, Niall O’Donnell

Scoil Bhríde Raghnallach

Manager: Gearóid Mac Suibhne

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