Details
Date | Time | Competition | Season |
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22 March 2023 | 1:30 pm | Connacht Schools Senior Cup | 2022/23 |
Match Report
Sligo Grammar have been crowned Connacht Senior Cup Champions for 2023
Sligo Grammar School have been crowned Connacht Senior Champions for 2023, beating Marist College by 21 points in the Sportsgrounds this afternoon.
Grammar are crowned back to back champions but Marist put it up to them especially in the opening half. The scoreline does not quite reflect the performance on the day as the Grammar scored two late tries. Sligo Grammar have now become the first side to win the league and cup double back to back.
Sligo Grammar came into The Showgrounds looking to become back to back champions and were aware of their favourites tag, having beaten today's opponents in the group stages of the competition by 12 points back in late January.
Marist kicked off in front of a massive crowd from both schools who turned up in full voice for the final. It was the Athlone side who had the first possession after turning over the ball deep in the Sligo end, and were held up over the line with just two minutes on the clock.
The Athlone school continued their early pressure on the reigning champions and after Sligo had a blistering start against the Jes this was exactly the opening period Marist needed, but soon after disaster struck.
Sligo dealt the first major blow with ten minutes on the clock, George Barlow with some very nifty footwork to break the tackle at halfway and had the whole of Galway to run into as he touched down between the posts leaving Earl Norris an easy conversion to put the Grammar seven up. Barlow was the first Grammar player to touch the ball in the Marist half.
Sligo finally gained some territory off the back of their early score and took the sensible option to kick for the posts as we crossed the halfway mark in the first half, as Norris made it 10-0.
The game ebbed and flowed in the minutes following the second Sligo score, with neither side gaining much territory. Marist won another lineout which they had been dominant in in the opening half but on this occasion Charlie O’Carroll couldn’t keep hold of the pass and as his head seemed to drop it was nice to see coaches and players particularly Paddy Egan of Marist immediately go over and give him some words of encouragement as the game was far from out of reach especially with their possession dominance early on.
Marist kept their head and off a scrum just outside the 22 managed to find the space out wide and it was Conor Dowling who got over the line to give the Athlone school a much deserved score. Charlie O’Caroll stepped up and kicked from a tricky angle right between the posts as the half time whistle went. Marist now within three.
The second half began with Sligo immediately adding to the scoreboard through an Earl Norris penalty. Sligo taking the option to kick for the posts just outside the 22.
Sligo Grammar put daylight between the sides just minutes later as once again the ball was handed to Earl Norris with confidence and he made no mistake as he went four from four on kicking this afternoon.
You could sense the nerves beginning to kick in as we saw errors creeping into both sides as the clock ticked towards twenty minutes to go.
As we went into the final ten minutes of this absolute war of attrition, it was Grammar who held the majority of possession. Marist did have the defence to match but needed the ball and a score quick as the game was beginning to slip away from the Athlone side.
With eight minutes left on the clock the Grammar through Jacob Kilcoyne added the insurance try as similar to the Sligo opener, he broke through the tackle and ran from outside the 22 to get over the whitewash. Earl Norris continued his excellent kicking form to put sixteen between the sides.
Marist heads dropped as the game fell away. Sligo put the sword into the Athlone side with Arann Platt going over in the far corner to the joy of the travelling support. One of the only blemishes on the day was Earl Norris missing the conversion but the full time whistle went. A now dejected Marist side gave it everything but Grammar proved too much for them on the day.
Timeline
George Barlow | 11' | |
Earl Norris | 12' | |
Earl Norris | 18' | |
Arann Platt Max Hunter |
35' | |
35' | Conor Dowling | |
35' | Charlie O’Carroll | |
35' | Bobby Foxe Evan McMickan |
|
Earl Norris | 36' | |
Earl Norris | 45' | |
Gareth McGinty Jacob Kilcoyne |
50' | |
50' | Tom Bourke Éanna McDonnell |
|
60' | Callum Kelly Sean Doyle |
|
Jacob Kilcoyne | 62' | |
Earl Norris | 63' | |
65' | Conor Sheehan Vincent Meyer |
|
Arann Platt | 70' |
Past Meetings
(Round 3)
10 - 22Connacht Schools Senior Cup
Marist College Athlone Marist College Athlone v Sligo Grammar School |
(Round 7)
38 - 6Connacht Schools Senior A Boys League
Sligo Grammar School Sligo Grammar School v Marist College Athlone |
(Round 7)
12:00 pmConnacht Schools Junior A Boys League
Sligo Grammar School Sligo Grammar School v Marist College Athlone |
(Semi Final)
6 - 18Connacht Schools Senior Cup
Creggs RFC Marist College Athlone v Sligo Grammar School |
Ground
Dexcom Stadium |
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The Sportsgrounds, Galway City, County Galway, Ireland |