Counsel claim Junior honours
GOOD COUNSEL (NEW ROSS) ST. PETER'S (WEXFORD)
2-10 3-4
VERY LITTLE separated Good Counsel College (New Ross) and St. Peter's of Wexford when they met in St. Patrick's Park, Enniscorthy, on Tuesday last in the South Leinster Schools Junior 'A' football championship final.
A last-minute goal by Pierce Doyle (son of Coiste na nog Loch Garman Secretary, Marion) gave Good Counsel a hard-earned win over their old rivals in a game that was close, tough and physical.
With less than 15 minutes to go it appeared as if Peter's were gaining the upper hand when they went two points clear, but Good Counsel responded well and for that reason deserved their win.
Aaron Diskin and Tony Smith exchanged early points before Smith was in the thick of the action again as he got through for a controversial Peter's goal before the end of the opening quarter.
A Diskin point kept Good Counsel in touch and when the St. Peter's goalie, Richard Cleary, made a slip-up, Cathal Bolger was quickly in to find the net from close range.
Bolger followed up with an immediate point to put Counsel three ahead, but Aaron Kehoe levelled matters with a well-taken goal and it was 2-2 (Peter's) to 1-5 at the break.
Just after the resumption of play, the highly-impressive Robert Vallejo put Good Counsel a point ahead and their lead was extended when Lee Norris accounted for a brace of points following good combined play between himself and John Reville.
Donal Shanley, although carrying an injury, brought St. Peter's right back into contention with a well-taken point followed by a goal that put them ahead after a misunderstanding between the Good Counsel goalie and full-back.
Aaron Diskin's fourth point followed by a second one from Robert Vallejo brought Good Counsel level.
Both sides were guilty of making mistakes in the tense final moments before Pierce Doyle got through for the winning goal in the dying seconds of a hard-fought game.
Good Counsel: Cian O'donoghue; Seán Ryan, Donnachada O'connor, Darren Carthy; Darragh Joyce, Robert Vallejo (0-2), Liam Hennessy; Dylan Walsh-carthy, Seán Stafford; Lee Norris (0-2), Cathal Bolger (1-1), John Reville; Adam Diskin, Aaron Diskin (0-4), Pierce Doyle (1-1).
St. Peter's: Richard Cleary; John Gannon, Jim Rossiter, Paddy Devereux; Matthew Joyce, Bill Eviston, Tom Hudson; James Cash, Aaron Maddock; Aaron Kehoe (1-0), Jack Fenlon, Jake Firman (01); Donal Shanley (1-2), Glen Malone, Tony Smith (1-1). Subs. - Tony Walsh for Malone, Stephen Maguire for Smith, Nevin Rossiter for Fenlon, Niall Cash for Hudson.
Referee: Pat Keogh (Carlow).
