St. Attracta’s clinched a place in the Connacht Colleges ‘B’ Championship final with this dramatic extra-time victory over Rice College in a pulsating match at Parke, Castlebar, on Wednesday last.

St. Attracta’s started the game smartly, playing a fast running game and forcing the Westport schools defence into some unnecessary fouling in the early stages. Brian Egan notched two early scores for the Sligo team, one from a free and the other from play, before Rice College opened their account in the 7th minute.

The early exchanges were fast and furious with St. Attracta’s midfield of Cian Killoran and Denis Coffey dominating in the first quarter. They restored their two point lead when Ciaran Brennan, one of two brothers playing on the team, pointed after good interchanges including Hughie Marren.

The Westport boys pulled a point back in the 12th minute but over the next 10 minutes St. Attractas scored three good points from play through Joseph Rogers and wing backs Jason Matthews and Raymond Connolly while Rice replied with one point to leave the scores six points to three after 18 minutes.

Rice reduced the deficit but St. Attracta’s finished the first half very well with three unanswered points from frees (Egan 2 and Rogers 1) to leave the half time score nine points to four in favour of the South Sligo boys.

Joseph Rogers got St. Attractas first point of the second half from a free seventeen minutes after the break to steady the ship and quickly followed up with a score from play. This left the score 11 points to 7 in favour of St. Attractas but Rice College came back strongly, firing over three points without reply to cut the gap to the minimum.

Joseph Rogers pointed in the 28th minute to leave two between the teams but Rice College mounted wave after wave of attack as the game entered into injury time.

These attacks finally paid off as a low shot from 10 yards across goal got a deflection and finished in the back of the net. This gave Rice College the lead for the first time in the game and they thought they had snatched a win. However from the resultant kick out St. Attractas mounted one last attack and they won a free on the left wing 30 metres from goal. Brian Egan stepped up, cool as a cucumber, and split the post for a dramatic late equaliser The Westport team had the first score of extra time but a minute later St. Attractas made a sweeping move involving 5 players and substitute Cathal Surlis finished the ball to the net giving them a half time lead 1-13 to 1-11.

Killoran and Coffey regained their midfield dominance as Rice’s midfielder McDermott had to retire injured. Rice College were still not finished and in the last few minutes won two frees close to goals which were converted to tie the scores yet again at 1.13 each. As the tension became almost unbearable in the closing stages, Cathal Brennan clinched the winning score for St. Attracta’s following great work by Conor Gorman and Brian Egan.

In the dying minutes Rice again pressed for an equaliser but fatigue meant skill levels dropped and when the final whistle blew both teams could just collapse on the ground with the St. Attractas boys relieved to be a point to the good.

St. Attracta’s: John O’Hora, Enda Kivlehan, James Connolly, Cian O’Dowd; Raymond Connolly, James Kelly, Jason Matthews; Denis Coffey, Cian Killoran; Ciaran Brennan, Joseph Rogers, Christoir Davey; Cathal Brennan, Brian Egan, Hugh Marren. Subs: Conor Gorman, Cathal Surlis.