All-Ireland Colleges Senior Football ‘B’ Final
Roscommon CBS v Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra on Saturday in Croke Park at 12.45 pm
Roscommon CBS footballers will be bidding to become only the second team from the school to lift an All-Ireland senior football colleges title when they take the field against Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra, Rathmore (Co. Kerry) on Saturday in Croke Park.
The CBS lads have been very impressive through this championship thus far, but they will not need reminding that a Kerry side in any underage final is a daunting prospect and this Rathmore side have some really top class performers. However, this CBS side are well organised and well coached and they have some outstanding players all over the field and if they can perform to their ability on the day the Paddy Drummond Cup is there for the taking.
There is quality throughout this Roscommon CBS team. Gustavo Rodrigues has been a revelation between the sticks this year and his clever kick-outs were a feature of an excellent semi-final win against Downpatrick last week.
In defence, Roscommon CBS have been very solid when required with Colin Walsh, James Martin and James Browne consistent performers throughout the campaign. But it is the CBS half-back line that has impressed this writer most of all this year. Cian Glennon, Jack Lohan and Cian Murray have been playing very well and their ability to get forward and assist in attack has been crucial to the success of the town school in this campaign. Their input will be vital again on Saturday. This is the line that can be the platform for CBS success this Saturday.
In the engine room, Albert Looby and Keith Doyle have been outstanding and they will have to perform to that standard on Saturday against a much-vaunted Rathmore duo.
Captain of the team, Ciaran Lawless, has been superb his year leading from the centre-forward position, with his Oran teammate James Fitzpatrick inside on the edge of the square. Tim Lambe, Richard Walsh, Liam Ormsby and Jack McGahon have all been playing so well that Charlie Carthy has had to make do with being just a sub this year. That’s an indication of how well the attack has been playing because Carthy is a top class performer and a great sub to have in reserve.
The Kerrymen were given the fright of their lives in the semi-final against Ashbourne Community School. They were winning comfortably by 2-7 to 0-3 at half-time before a barrage of goals in the second half saw the Meath school come back into it. Rathmore survived in the end to win by three points. The final score was Rathmore 2-15 Ashbourne 4-5. The concession of four goals would suggest that there may be a question mark over the Kerry school’s defence and the CBS attack should be able to take advantage of any such weakness.
It is a tribute to this excellent team that they will travel to Croke Park on Saturday expecting to win this All-Ireland title. But Eoghan Coll and his selectors won’t need me to tell them that unless they perform on the day there will be no fairytale ending. Any Kerry team in an All-Ireland final are a dangerous prospect and this Rathmore side are certainly no different. When Kerry teams go to Croke Park they expect to win.
But I really like the look of this Roscommon CBS team. There are really good footballers on every line and if they play to the standard that we have seen in this championship so far they can bring back the cup. Memories of many great days in the past will be revived for many of us on Saturday. Only one team (2011) has won that elusive All-Ireland title. I am expecting that the men of 2019 will write their own page of history on Saturday.
Prediction: Roscommon CBS
