On Friday we had the final of our annual 4th/5th/6th class gaelic league and the above 2 teams (Longford and Offaly) made it to the final. We had 72 boys from across the 3 classes who took part in the lunchtime league and this extra time playing gaelic obviously helped our school teams do so well this year. Thank you to the teachers who gave up their breaktime to referee the matches throughout the league.
The final was a real ding dong affair, with Offaly racing into a 3 point lead. However Longford scored a great goal through Radvin Mahnavian to level up the game. Again Offaly pulled ahead with another point and then a goal on the stroke of half time to lead Offaly 1-4 Longford 1-0. Things were looking ominous for Longford at half time with 'star of the show' Conor Walsh pulling the strings, ably assisted by Jayden Deans, Crisan Rostas and Ethan Arkins.
Ms. Healy, with her Longford connection felt the need to speak up for her countymen and gave the boys in blue a rousing half time team talk. They came out like men possessed at the start of the second half and scored 2 goals and 1 point without reply to surge ahead by 3 points. This game was not over! Central to this revival were Mason Oglesby, Jayden Bewley, Joy Ali and Florin Cristea. There was an epic battle in midfield between Brody Meehan, Archie Skelly (both Longford) and Bobby Hand, Alfie Burke (both Offaly).
Gradually Offaly began to get to grips again with the game and 2 goals from Conor Walsh put Offaly ahead by a goal. Some great saves from Robert Bancuta kept Longford in the game. Lennon Harris was looking dangerous every time the ball went near him and he was involved as Offaly scored another point to move 4 ahead.
Mr Treanor was heard to say the game was over but these Longford boys are made of stern stuff. They worked the ball through the defence and Archie Skelly got the vital finish to leave only a point in it with time almost up. Cometh the hour, cometh the boy! Mihai Florin in the Offaly goal pulled off a wonder save to keep his team in it in the dying embers of the game. Man of the match, Conor Walsh scored an insurance point in injury time to leave the score Offaly 3-7 Longford 4-2.
This was the best final that we have had in years and the tournament as a whole was played in great spirits. Congratulations to the winners and indeed all the boys who took part in the competition. OCS is the best
