De La Salle reach Leinster decider

FAI SCHOOLS UMBRO LEINSTER SCHOOLS JUNIOR (U16) CUP SEMI-FINAL
DE LA SALLE COLLEGE, DUNDALK .............1
TEMPLEOGUE COLLEGE................0

Daniel Kerr produced a stunning finish two minutes into injury time to send 10-man De La Salle College, Dundalk into the final of the Leinster Schools Junior Cup and crush the spirits of a desperately unlucky Templeogue College in the Oscar Traynor Centre, Coolock, on Tuesday last, February 10th.
After 82 minutes of high octane football the players, officials and supporters were steeling themselves for a frosty period of extra-time, but with just seconds left on the clock the Dundalk side produced a goal that fittingly ended a contest that lacked nothing except goals.
Forward Kevin O'Hanlon showed great pace and great honesty in chasing a seemingly dead ball into the corner and managed to wrap his left foot around the ball that caught Templeogue's towering central defence wanting for the first time and Kerr showed admirable composure to chest the ball down and thunder a right-footed shot past a despairing Pauric McBrien.
With just seconds left on the clock, Templeogue barely had time to curse their luck before the final whistle pierced the freezing air and the Dundalk players merrily embraced their win.
It was the moment of quality that the game had longed for as both sides struggled to match their attacking flair with their defensive industry as both struggled with their final ball. Yet, De La Salle College proved to be masters of their own good fortune as they rode their luck after the dismissal of substitute Gerard McSorley mid-way through the second-half to keep Templeogue at bay.
McSorley had added some much needed impetus to the Dundalk side's attack on his introduction just before the break, but the DLS man proved to be just a little too anxious to stamp his authority on proceedings and two studs-up challenges saw him get his marching orders for two yellows and hand the initiative to the Dublin side.
From that point it was all Templeogue as the men in blue upped the tempo and began to stretch the Dundalk side's defence. However, Declan McGrath's side proved to be impressively resolute and centre-half, Michael McDonnell put in a warriors shift at the back, especially in the second half.
However, despite the admirable qualities of the Dundalk side it was hard not to feel for Templeogue, who were perhaps the more adventurous of the sides on the day. But sport is rarely fair and often cruel and from a DLS point of view it was fitting that Kerr was the man to send his team into the decider next month. A player with such loud and luminous green boots needs to have the skills to back up such flagrant footwear and Kerr certainly made his presence felt in the game.
His searing pace was a key factor in lifting the pressure in the second half and when the vital moment came Kerr showed he had the necessary ice in his veins to coolly dispatch the winning goal home. It was hardly surprising that Kerr proved the winner given that this was his sixth goal in five games in the Cup, including a hat-trick in the last-16 versus St. Fintan's High School, Sutton..
Yet the late goal may not have come to pass had Templeogue converted some of the chances that came their way over the course of the game.
As early as the sixth minute Cooney saw a header cleared off the line by an alert Kerr. However, Stephen McDonnell too had to have his wits about him to head a Kerr cross-cum-shot off the line moments later.
Yet the best chance of the game arrived just before the break when Templogue's Conor O'Sullivan darted to the by-line and fizzed in a cross that Rogers somehow managed to direct his header over the bar from just two yards out.
It was to prove a costly miss for Templeogue as for all their possession in the second period they struggled to breach a resolute Dundalk defence. Indeed only the tightest of offside decisions denied DLS's Kevin O'Hanlon a counter-attack goal.
But that reprieve only edged the game further towards the final whistle and as Templeogue continued to toil in front of goal the final sudden-death minutes arrived and it was here that De La Salle proved to have the endeavour to edge the fixture with the game's one moment of undeniable quality.
This is only the second time in 21 years of playing schools soccer that De La Salle have qualified for a Leinster Cup final. Whilst enjoying a large degree of success in the regional North East League scene, including an unprecedented treble in 2006-07 (U-13 First Year, U-14 & U-16 Champions), Leinster success has been harder to come by, with just a solitary defeat in the Junior Cup final in 1996 to Salesian College, Celbridge to note. De La Salle hope to break the duck this season.
The College have achieved two Leinster Champions League titles out of four attempts. The final will take place in late March against St. Kieran's College, Kilkenny, who dismissed competition favourites & reigning Leinster U-14 champions St. Benildus College, Kilmacud in the second semi-final.
DE LA SALLE COLLEGE, DUNDALK: Darren Breen, Daniel Kerr, Darren McMahon, Michael McDonnell, Rian Hand, Ryan Markey, Michael Keane, Leo Gallagher, Barry Carr, Mark Newell (Gerard McSorley, 35), Kevin O'Hanlon. Subs: Gerard McSorley, for Newell 35, Conall Smyth, Ciaran Byrne, Stephan Agbogbe, Sean Thornton.
Red card: G McSorley 66.

By Neil McCann (Evening Herald)

Back Row L-R: Rian Hand, Darren Breen, Barry Carr, Dean Shiel, Michael Keane, Darren McMahon, Ryan Markey.
Middle Row L-R: Declan McGrath (Coach), Kieran Lenehan, Daniel Kerr, Martin Murphy, Sean Thornton, Gerard McSorley, Kevin O'Hanlon, Conall Smyth.
Front Row L-R: Ciaran Byrne, Stephan Agbogbe, Stephen Cooney, Micheal McDonnell.
Absent from Photo: Leo Gallagher, Conor Smyth, Mark Newell.