Éanna u16s edge past St Patrick’s

Colaiste Éanna narrowly overcame St Patrick’s Castleisland 60-51 to win the U16 ‘A’ All-Ireland Schools League final, notching a ‘A’ level double for the school reports William O’Connor.

Colaiste Éanna captain Adam Charles was a goliath for his team, scoring 24 points to go with some powerful defence when his team needed him most.

Neither side deserved to lose a contest that featured four lead changes and during which the teams were tied on five occasions, but it was the Ballyroan school who held their nerve in the fourth quarter to eke out the win.

In an even first quarter, both teams had periods of dominance.

Killian Dennehy was the hot hand for St Patrick’s Castleisland, hitting a pair of jumpers when called upon, but Adam Charles and Adam McCarthy duly responded for Colaiste Éanna, both amassing six-points including a lovely three-point shot to leave his team with a small advantage, 18-12 through the first.

St Patrick’s Castleisland’s shooters erupted in the second quarter.

A 13-2 run in the first seven minutes, featuring an eight-point cameo from the lively Ruairi Brosnan and David Healy bucket from beyond the arc totally turned the game on its head to leave the Kerry school in front 33-26 at the break.

The second half ebbed and flowed with regularity.

Colaiste Éanna levelled the game at the midway point in the third, Ausgustine Farrell and that man Adam Charles combining to hit back-to-back lay ups, while Brosnan and Michael Griffin responded for Castleisland to set the game up for a thrilling finale.

The decisive scoring run came early in the fourth quarter.

Colaiste Éanna scored the first eight points through Conor Chambers, Adam Charles and Harry Lynch.

It was a blow St Patrick’s Castleisland couldn’t recover from.

They fought bravely, staying in touch through buckets from Josh Daly and Ruairi Brosnan, but some key blocks by Charles late in the piece sealed a famous win for Colaiste Éanna.