The delighted St Paul's team celebrate with the Munster Schools Cup. | Photos: Noel Browne
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St Paul’s Community College from Waterford City were crowned Munster champions at the RSC on Friday night last. They held all the aces against a hard-working St Declan’s side from Kilmacthomas and were too strong for the team who are managed by the Dungarvan United clubman Kealon O’Neill.
Mairead Collins has worked with some fine teams down through the years at St Paul’s and she would be the first to admit that this present team is perhaps the strongest on them all. Many of the players are involved with the Waterford Inter League Youth squad and some of them have also played for Ireland at different levels and indeed in the local Premier League.
The St Declan’s players are a talented outfit also, but they were unfortunate to come up against such a powerful side.
St Paul’s dominated from the opening whistle and it was Craig Keane that went close with the first opportunity of the tie on nine minutes, however the Southend United player saw his effort from distance comfortably saved by St Declan’s netminder Dylan Power.
It took a brave block from St. Declan’s defender David Hallihan to deny Ian Galgey the breakthrough on 18 minutes after the latter latched onto a flicked Shane Nolan pass after good work from Keane and Mark Phelan but his goalbound effort was cleared by Hallihan.
But the goal did arrive less than three minutes later when a short corner between Ian Galgey and Glen Hawe saw the latter whip a dangerous ball into the a penalty area. The ball was punched clear by keeper Power into the path of the unmarked Phelan and he kept his composure to fire home from close range.
See The Munster Express newspaper for full story.
