Coláiste Pobail Bheanntraí Senior Ladies Football team secured the Munster C Schools Title after coming out on top in a thrilling decider against Boherbue Comprehensive School held at Éire Óg on March 29th.
CPB had an ideal start to the game when, in their very first attack, Sarah Bishop cut through the heart of the Boherbue defence and raised a green flag. The opening goal served to settle any nerves and with the wind on their backs, the West Cork side continued to look threatening in every attack. Midway through the half strong running from Boherbue saw Rachel O’Carroll score a goal that levelled the scoreboard with both teams on 1-02. CPB finished the half stronger with goals from Lorraine Murphy and Anne-Marie O’Mahoney crucial in establishing a 3-03 to 1-05 advantage at the interval.
The second half opened with a flurry of scores as Boherbue ate into their opponent’s lead narrowing the gap to just 2 points. The game’s crucial score came after forty-two minutes when substitute Leah O’Sullivan rounded off a fine attacking move with a goal that would give CPB an unassailable lead. The final third of the game saw the West Cork team’s defensive qualities come to the fore. Midfielders Ellen O’Sullivan, and, Player of the Match, Emma Spillane combined to lessen the influence of Boherbue’s Beatrice Casey while Rachel Murphy began to drift back from her centre-forward position to help starve Boherbue’s forwards of quality passes. CPB backs Lucy Coakley, Bernadette O’Flynn and Maggie Coppinger typified the tenacity and determination needed to close out the game and the success of these endeavours was evident as Boherbue were limited to a single point in the remainder of the game.
As the game drew to a close, the bright sunshine and clear skies had been replaced by dark clouds and wintry showers but even the elements could do little to dampen the celebrations as the referee blew his whistle and gave Coláiste Pobail Bheanntraí their cue to celebrate a 4-5 to 1-11 victory.
