Garbally College 14
Sligo Grammar School 12
Kevin Egan reports from the Sportsground
GARBALLY COLLEGE ARE Connacht Senior Schools Cup champions for the third time in a row and the 48th time overall, and only by the skin of their teeth after they withstood an incredible second-half onslaught from Sligo Grammar School that lasted through 15 minutes of added time this afternoon in Galway.
The free-scoring Ballinasloe side, who registered at least 40 points in each of their three cup games leading up to the final, came into this tie as the overwhelming favourites and they wasted no time in showing their attacking instinct. From the first series of play, they quickly set about getting the ball out to their strike runners in the back division, bringing play into the Sligo Grammar 22′ on the very first attack thanks to an excellent kick from Conor Goode.
Garbally caused disruption on the Sligo lineout all afternoon, in no small part because of some incredible jumping by Daithí Blackweir at the number two position, and they duly stole this first aerial contest before conceding possession in a ruck.
Their intent was clearly signalled, and their supporters didn’t have long to wait for the first score. With a penalty advantage, quick passes from Matthew Devine and Cian Treacy set up John Devine, who burst through to score. Treacy added the points from the conversion, and almost immediately Garbally were back on the front foot.
Through a combination of their slick handling in desperate conditions, their set-piece dominance and an injury to Sligo centre Hubert Gilvarry — a crucial player for the Grammar School — Garbally kept the pressure on and should have added a second try just a couple of minutes later only to butcher a four-on-two chance out wide.
Goode did break through for the second score on 22 minutes with Treacy tacking on the conversion, leaving them well-poised to wrap up the win before half time.
Instead, though, Sligo began to show signs of life in those late stages of the period, gaining some traction in the tight exchanges where Matthew O’Hara, James Whelan and in particular Kacper Palamaraczuk were strong on the ball.
After half-time, Sligo Grammar had the wind behind them and they took full advantage, keeping Garbally pinned in their own half thanks to excellent ball control and good kicking from Darragh Feehily and William Whelan.
Perhaps daunted by the size of the lead, they turned down the chance to kick easy points at a couple of stages, and this was to prove crucial. Garbally’s defensive play was immense as they repelled wave after wave of Sligo Grammar School attacking play, and while the action became very disjointed with a huge number of injury stoppages, it seemed like Sligo’s breakthrough came too late, with just four minutes of the regulation 35 to play.
Gilvarry seemed to be about to go over in the corner when he was illegally impeded by Jamie Curley, resulting in a penalty try and a yellow card for the prop.
Little did anyone realise there was still nearly 20 minutes of action to come. After 10 of those, William Whelan chased down a kick over the top and just about caught up with the ball to touch it down inches short of the dead ball line, but joy turned to heartbreak as Gilvarry’s conversion to tie the game up went a couple of feet wide.
Play continued and Sligo were to get one more chance when Garbally were penalised in a ruck on their own 10-metre line in the 50th minute, but with Gilvarry still slightly injured, they opted to kick for the lineout. Palamaraczuk claimed the throw but a powerful maul from Garbally forced the Ireland U18 international out over the line.
With that, they sealed yet another Connacht Senior Cup title for the perennial kingpins out west – albeit in a very different fashion to how most would have imagined.
Scoring Sequence: John Devine try & Treacy con, 6 mins, 7-0; Goode try & Treacy con, 23 mins, 14-0; Penalty try, 65 mins, 14-7; William Whelan try, 70+2 mins, 14-12
GARBALLY COLLEGE: Adam Fogarty; Tom Fitzpatrick, Conor Goode, John Devine, Shea Hennessy; Cian Treacy, Matthew Devine; Robbie Carry, Seamus Egan, Jamie Curley; Daithi Blackweir, Pádraig Galvin; Kyle Blackweir, Conor Lohan, John Claffey.
Replacements: Luke Feehily for Carry (41 mins), Luke Walsh for Lohan (50 mins), Naoise Murphy for M Devine (56 mins, temporary), Brian Feeney for Galvin (68 mins), Joey Carry for Claffey (70 mins, temp), Ben Daly for Fitzpatrick (70+11 mins)
SLIGO GRAMMAR SCHOOL: Isaac Ellison; Mark McGlynn, Hubert Gilvarry, William Whelan, Sean Ndego; Darragh Feehily, Jacob Fleming; Sean Nee, James Whelan, Mark Irwin; David John Barlow, Matthew O’Hara; Fiachra Staunton, Adam Hunter, Kacper Palamarczuk.
Replacements:n/a
Referee: Shane Gaughan