2012-2013 Faul Cup

The season ended for the Yr 12 Gaelic footballers with a semi-final defeat to St Joseph’s, Donaghmore. Prior to this the team had progressed from a tough group that included perennial favourites Loreto College, Coleraine.

A hard-fought final group game against St Joseph’s, Derry had seen the team edge through by the narrowest of margins, 2-6 to 1-10. This set up a quarter-final against St. Benedict’s, Randalstown. The game was a tightly contested affair with the lead changing hands on a number of occasions.

After a slow start during which St Benedict’s established a 0-6 to 0-1 lead, a powerfully struck 15th minute goal by Patrick McKiernan began the Edmund Rice fight back and by half time the arrears were reduced to a single point.

The second half was a case of Edmund Rice domination but a lack of conviction in front of the posts meant that going into the last quarter the teams were level on 0-9 to 1-6. The captain, Declan McCormick was in fine, high-fielding form in midfield, robustly supported by Micheál McGivern at centre-half back and it was this pairing that gave the ERC boys the platform to finish the game worthy winners by a score line of 2-10 to 0-10.

The semi-final was convened in near-perfect conditions on the St Enda’s pitch in Glengormley. The match was played in excellent spirit throughout and while the final score line of 3-12 to 1-10 suggests a fairly one-sided game this was not the case. A half-time ERC deficit of 5 points was reduced to 2 within five minutes of the restart with a well-taken Conal McKeown goal. A few more points at this stage could have resulted in a different ending but it was not to be. The game remained close until the final few minutes when, after giving their all, the Edmund Rice team conceded two late goals to give an unsatisfactory look to what had been a compelling game.
Throughout the course of their five years at the school this team has never reached less than a semi-final berth despite having only five players who regularly turn out for their local Gaelic team. This has been due in no small part to their commendable battling qualities and team ethic; qualities which will no doubt serve them well in future sporting and life situations.

Squad

Anthony Curran
Adrian Gilvary
Cormac Gilvary
Nathan Gorman
Fionntan Marley,
Jason Marley
Declan McCormick
Micheál McGivern
Patrick McKiernan
Christopher McShane
James Proctor
Joseph Robinson
Micheál McGreevey
Aidan McLaverty
Pádraig Montgomery
Brendán Sharkey
Declan Carson
Eoin Brophy
Rory McFadden
Cillin Gilmore