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The competition caters for boys and girls in first year which delivers a quality fast paced action packed game focusing on skill, speed and technique.
BOYS SECTION
There were five schools representing the Western regions of Galway, Leitrim, Mayo Roscommon and Sligo.
St. Joseph’s College (Galway), St. Clare’s Community School (Leitrim), Rice College (Mayo), CBS Roscommon (Roscommon), and Summerhill College (Sligo) all advanced from their regional heats to challenge for provincial glory. Each team would play off against each other with the group winners advancing.
The action began with a heavyweight clash between Summerhill College and St. Joseph’s College. In an exhilarating encounter, they could not be separated as the referee blew for full-time with the scores tied at 1-1. The pace and the ferocity of the tempo set in the opening encounter could not be matched by any other team as both Summerhill and St. Joseph’s claimed maximum points from their remaining games and when the final tallies were counted the two teams were deadlocked.
A play-off was in order to decide the winners of Connacht and this time St. Joseph’s struck first, missed a glorious opportunity to double their advantage from the penalty spot and withstood severe pressure to eliminate last year’s National winners.
Elsewhere in the group, Rice College proved to be the best of the rest with a victory over CBS Roscommon proving to be decisive. The Roscommon school would not leave with four defeats as they battled to a 1-1 draw with St. Clare’s Community School in the final game.
GIRLS SECTION
The girls section followed the same format, with the 5 schools grouped together and competing for top spot in the group.
Claregalway College (Galway), St. Clare’s Community School (Leitrim), Sacred Heart (Mayo), Scoil Mhuire, Strokestown (Roscommon), and St. Attracta’s, Tubbercurry (Sligo) were the quintet that competed for the provincial spoils.
The section was a fantastic advert for the women’s game in the West. St. Attracta’s opened their campaign with an excellent win over St. Clare’s. The Sligo school were dreaming of a first Connacht championship and overcame a significant hurdle when defeating Sacred Heart.
Approaching the final game between Scoil Mhuire, Strokestown and St. Attracta’s, the Tubbercurry natives knew that they had to avoid defeat in order to secure glory. The girls from Roscommon were not willing to go down without a fight and put great pressure on the Sligo school who managed to navigate their way through the rough passage and lift the trophy.
Sacred Heart would finish as runners-up by virtue of the Head to Head record with Scoil Mhuire. Claregalway would follow after victory in their opening game against St. Clare’s CS who were short-changed with no victories despite some excellent play.
St. Joseph’s College, Galway and St. Attracta’s, Tubbercurry will now advance to the National Finals which take place in Waterford IT Sports Arena on December 5. We wish all participating schools the very best of luck.
WINNER St. Joseph’s College, Galway (BOYS)
St. Attracta’s, Tubbercurry, Sligo (GIRLS)
RUNNER UP Summerhill College, Sligo (BOYS)
Sacred Heart, Westport, Mayo (GIRLS)
THIRD Rice College, Westport, Mayo (BOYS)
Scoil Mhuire, Strokestown, Roscommon (GIRLS)
FOURTH: CBS Roscommon, Roscommon (BOYS)
Claregalway College, Galway (GIRLS)
FIFTH: St. Clare’s CS, Manorhamilton, Leitrim (BOYS)
St. Clare’s CS, Manorhamilton, Leitrim (GIRLS)