Knockbeg College 4-17 Moate CS 1-24
Leinster Colleges SFC Round 2
Knockbeg College are through to the knockout phase of the Leinster Colleges SFC following a high scoring encounter with Moate Community School.
Arles-Killeen’s Eoghan Harris was the hero as his substitute cameo saw him score 1-2 in the final five minutes to claim the win.
The Laois school travelled to Westmeath yesterday knowing a win would knock their opponents out.
That is after they were beaten by Clane in Round 1. Knockbeg will host them in their final group game where the winner will claim a home quarter final.
Liam Knowles and Aaron O’Gorman’s charges played with the wind and began brilliantly as Mark Buggy swung over a two pointer.
Moate responded well to this with three points in a row but Knockbeg kicked on again.
Aaron Mackey smashed over their second two pointer while Luke Byrne and Aodhan Bergin also pointed.
The first goal arrived just before the end of the opening quarter as John Hendricken floated in a ball to midfielder Cormac McConnon and he shot low to the corner.
That left it 1-6 to 0-3 and Buggy grew the lead further with two more points.
Moate responded with an excellent two point free into the wind but lovely direct football resulted in Knockbeg’s second goal in the 22nd minute.
Greg Kelly fired in a ball which was flicked on excellently by Aodhan Bergin into the path of Buggy and he shot low to the bottom corner of the net.
But Moate hit back with a goal of their own in the 25th minute when Billy Stenson knocked the ball in at the back post following a long ball from Luke Toher.
This gave Moate a massive lift and they scored the next two points to cut the deficit to just two points with 27 minutes played.
Mark Buggy landed a two pointer but Moate got the next three scores to leave it Knockbeg 2-11 Moate CS 1-13 at half time.
Knockbeg now had to play against the breeze vut made an excellent start as a turnover from Aaron Mackey resulted in Buggy scoring his second goal.
Ronan Dooley and Aodhan Bergin cancelled out a Moate score to leave it 3-13 to 1-14 after 40 minutes.
Luke Byrne added another but quickfire two pointers from Moate cut the gap to one as we entered the final quarter.
And then the Westmeath men drew level for the first time in the 52nd minute via Donal Deegan – with the same player putting them ahead in the 55th minute.
Sub Eoghan Harris levelled matters two minutes later and then flicked in what proved to be the match winning goal when he got to Bergin’s ball first.
Harris scored again before the end as Knockbeg held on to claim a valuable win.
SCORERS – Knockbeg College: Mark Buggy 2-7 (two two pointers), Eoghan Harris 1-2, Aodhan Bergin 0-3, Cormac McConnon 1-0, Aaron Mackey (two pointer) and Luke Byrne 0-2 each, Ronan Dooley 1-0
KNOCKBEG COLLEGE: Mark Dowling (Crettyard); Joe Davis (Athy), Hugh Wall (Arles Kileen), John Hendricken (Palatine); Fionn Lawlor (St Laurence’s), Fionnan Brennan (Crettyard), Ronan Dooley (Éire Óg); Cormac McConnon (Palatine), Donnacha Lawlor (St Laurence’s); Michael Brennan (Crettyard), Greg Kelly (Castledermot), Aaron Mackey (Arles-Kilcruise); Luke Byrne (Palatine), Mark Buggy (Palatine), Aodhan Bergin (Grangenolvin)
Subs: Dylan Scully (Killeshin), Nisun Balogun (Killeshin), Callum Ryan (O’Dempseys), Macdara Deane (Tinryland), Harry O’Gorman (Castledermot), Will McGrath (Arles Kileen), Jacob Curran (Éire Óg), Eoghan Harris (Arles Kileen), Eolann Maguire (Arles Kilcruise), Pat Murphy (Grange), Jamie Jullian (Ballylinan).
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