Mac Dara's march on in Leinster
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Nathan Dunne, left, St Mac Dara's CC, in action against David Kelly, Oatlands College. 1st year Boys Soccer Cup, St Mac Dara's CC v Oatlands College. Templeogue, Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn / www.cquinnphotography.com
Craig McMahon, left, is congratulated by St Mac Dara's CC team-mate Stephen Sweeney after he scores a goal. 1st year Boys Soccer Cup, St Mac Dara's CC v Oatlands College. Templeogue, Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn / www.cquinnphotography.com
Nathan Dunne, right, St Mac Dara's CC, in action against Luke O'Neill, Oatlands College. 1st year Boys Soccer Cup, St Mac Dara's CC v Oatlands College. Templeogue, Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn / www.cquinnphotography.com
St Mac Dara's CC team. 1st year Boys Soccer Cup, St Mac Dara's CC v Oatlands College. Templeogue, Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn / www.cquinnphotography.com
Aaron Murray, right, St Mac Dara's CC, in action against Sean Clarke, Oatlands College. 1st year Boys Soccer Cup, St Mac Dara's CC v Oatlands College. Templeogue, Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn / www.cquinnphotography.com
Oatlands College team. 1st year Boys Soccer Cup, St Mac Dara's CC v Oatlands College. Templeogue, Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn / www.cquinnphotography.com
Craig McMahon, St Mac Dara's CC kicks a goal. 1st year Boys Soccer Cup, St Mac Dara's CC v Oatlands College. Templeogue, Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn / www.cquinnphotography.com
Oatlands College team. Back row l-r; Peter Daly, Daire Fitzmaurice, Luke O'Neill, Derek Dunne, Dylan Rebola and Sean Clarke. Front row l-r; John Sharkey, David Kelly, Chris Greene, Eoin Kelly and Derek Byrne. 1st year Boys Soccer Cup, St Mac Dara's CC v Oatlands College. Templeogue, Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn / www.cquinnphotography.com
Es Butler, left, St Mac Dara's CC, in action against David Kelly, Oatlands College. 1st year Boys Soccer Cup, St Mac Dara's CC v Oatlands College. Templeogue, Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn / www.cquinnphotography.com
Nathan Dunne, left, St Mac Dara's CC, in action against David Kelly, Oatlands College. 1st year Boys Soccer Cup, St Mac Dara's CC v Oatlands College. Templeogue, Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn / www.cquinnphotography.com
Aaron Murray, right, St Mac Dara's CC, in action against Sean Clarke, Oatlands College. 1st year Boys Soccer Cup, St Mac Dara's CC v Oatlands College. Templeogue, Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn / www.cquinnphotography.com
Oatlands College team. 1st year Boys Soccer Cup, St Mac Dara's CC v Oatlands College. Templeogue, Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn / www.cquinnphotography.com
Craig McMahon, St Mac Dara's CC kicks a goal. 1st year Boys Soccer Cup, St Mac Dara's CC v Oatlands College. Templeogue, Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn / www.cquinnphotography.com
Oatlands College team. Back row l-r; Peter Daly, Daire Fitzmaurice, Luke O'Neill, Derek Dunne, Dylan Rebola and Sean Clarke. Front row l-r; John Sharkey, David Kelly, Chris Greene, Eoin Kelly and Derek Byrne. 1st year Boys Soccer Cup, St Mac Dara's CC v Oatlands College. Templeogue, Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn / www.cquinnphotography.com
Es Butler, left, St Mac Dara's CC, in action against David Kelly, Oatlands College. 1st year Boys Soccer Cup, St Mac Dara's CC v Oatlands College. Templeogue, Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn / www.cquinnphotography.com
Nathan Dunne, left, St Mac Dara's CC, in action against David Kelly, Oatlands College. 1st year Boys Soccer Cup, St Mac Dara's CC v Oatlands College. Templeogue, Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn / www.cquinnphotography.com
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ST Mac Dara's Community College survived more than one comeback scare from Oatlands College to move into the last-16 of the Leinster First Year Boys Cup.
Despite dominating the first half and reacting to the visiting side's equaliser with two quickfire goals, the Templeogue team were left sweating as Oatlands pulled themselves within touching distance late on.
Jason Carey's side held on for the victory on Monday and are now just two wins away from equalling the school's 2013 semi-final finish.
Despite that final-four loss two years ago to eventual winners Coláiste Phádraig CBS, Lucan - who Carey's current side face in the next round - the school are making a real mark on the Leinster schools soccer scene.
The senior girls were unlucky not to reach a second Leinster final in that same period on Tuesday - losing their semi-final to Sacred Heart, Tullamore - while last year's minor boys were beaten in the Leinster showpiece by treble winners Templeogue College.
staggering
The consistency of the mixed school's success is staggering when you consider they are competing with all-boys and all-girls schools - with much bigger populations - in each section.
The question on Monday morning as they welcomed fellow Dublin southsiders Oatlands was could Mac Dara's latest first-year boys live up to the standard already set?
The answer was an emphatic yes as they attacked their visitors straight fromt the kick-off.
Less than 30 seconds were on the clock when Cole Omore Hio Mwan played Craig McMahon in on goal, but he rushed his shot over from just inside the penalty area.
Seven minutes later Nathan Dunne's flick from a Stephen Sweeney throw-in forced goalkeeper Derek Dunne into an acrobatic save, before McMahon struck the oppossite post himself with a sensational delivery from the resulting corner.
The home side - and playmaker McMahon in particular - were rewareded for their dominant start on 20 minutes when the youngster curled an effort into the top corner from the edge of the box for the opener.
Despite the goal, the home side's 1-0 lead at the end of the 30-minute half was the least they deserved for their play but within minutes of the restart it was wiped out.
Oatlands sprung a quickfire attack to catch out their hosts and when Chris Greene wriggled his way into the penalty area he was brought down by two Mac Dara's defenders.
Derek Byrne made no mistake with the spotkick, firing into the bottom corner to make it 1-1.
Despite the blow, however, MacDar'a's responded in style, with two quick-fire goals sealing victory.
Aaron Murray regained the lead for his side with a spectacular volley less than two minutes after the equaliser and before Oatlands knew it, they were 3-1 down as Cole Omore Hio Mwan finished off a great move.
Byrne fired a stunning free-kick into the top corner of the Mac Dara's net to reduce the deficit, but the home side held out.
St Mac Dara's: Thomas Moriarty; Es Butler, Stephen Sweeney, Jack Delaney, Simon Murphy, Aaron Murray, Ray Singleton, Craig McMahon, Nathan Dunne, Kevin Lahiff, Cole Omore Hio Mwan. Subs: Alex Rafferty, Darren Flanagan, Thomas Kelly, Ciaran Hogan, Leon McMahon.
Oatlands college: Derek Dunne; Sean Clarke, David Kelly, Luke O'Neill, Daire Fitzmaurice, Dylan Rebola, Chris Greene, Derek Byrne, John Sharkey, Eoin Kelly, Peter Daly. Subs: Eoin Crowley, Aidan Connor, Liam O'Hagan, Callum O'Hanlon, Neville Godfrey, Steven Giles.
Referee: Tom Shannon.