Prior to this year, the Herald Cup was the only schools football competition in their sphere that Patrician High School had never won. By Kevin Carney.

It was a long road but all the more satisfying because of it. The High School's odyssey to an unprecedented Herald Cup success was indeed sweet.
The would-be champions began preparations for their all-conquering 2010 campaign in the first week of September 2009 with a players' meeting.
The players had tunnel vision from the off. The memory of having lost out in the '09 U15 Treanor Cup quarter-finals made them a determined bunch.
There was a feeling at Patrician that had the team not been missing a handful of first-teamers, Rathmore (Belfast) would have been put to the sword.
"We knew we had the players who had the potential to be successful in 2010," joint-manager Eoghan Cunningham explains.
 "We asked the players to give us 100% commitment and to put their club commitments and the development squads on hold at times."
On Monday, September 13th, the Carrick bastion of sporting and academic excellence began their campaign with a tie against St. Louis, Ballymena.
Despite the absence of a winning pedigree, Patrician High School's finest hit the ground running, with venomous intent and supreme ambition.
In a game that demonstrated a lot of what made the Carrickmacross-based side a stand-out crew in 2010, Ballymena were defeated by 2-9 to 2-8.
"We got the winning point with about five minutes to go which capped a tremendous fightback," states the aforementioned Cunningham.
"The game was played in very bad conditions in Coalisland but both teams gave it their all and they were in front by ten points at one stage.
"They had a brillant full-forward but our lads stuck at it brillantly and when Pauric Keelan got the winning point, I thought justice was done."`
It was obvious that the Class of 2010 was intent on making up for past disappointments such as their U14 'B' Colleges final defeat to Downpatrick.
Composed mostly of transition year students plus a handful of third years, a raft of clubs Farneyside and in Cavan was represented on the squad.
The players would do Carrick Emmets, Magheracloone, Donaghmoyne, Corduff, Inniskeen, Killanny plus Kingscourt and Shercock proud.
With twice weekly training sessions, during and after school hours, the High School weren't going to lack for fitness or match fitness.
"They even trained during the school holidays," joint-manager Elaine Coughlan enthused. "There was a great spirit among them and a great ambition.
"A lot of them played other sports and were very athletic and talented and they knew each other's style of play which was a big help too."
On Tuesday, September 21st, OLASP Knock (Belfast) represented Patrician's second round group opponents in a match played near Newry.
In a barnstorming display of finding the net, Patrician thrashed their Belfast opponents by 6-8 to 0-10 to leave them sitting pretty in the group.
And with the granting of a bye to them in the wake of a no-show from De La Salle, Belfast, the Carrick school's momentum was duly added to.
Patrician's final group game saw them up against St. Joseph's Crossmaglen. It proved to be a cliff-hanger with Carrick winning out by 2-15 to 2-14.
"It was a very tough game," Elaine recalls. They had a couple of very good players and we had to really push the boat out to get on top of them.
"Our defence was particularly good that day, keeping their dangermen as quiet as possible. It was probably our best display of the year."
And Eoghan's take on the game?
"It was a very good game. The win meant we topped the group but we had to work very hard to get there 'cause St. Joseph's were very good.
"It was a draw up until about ten minutes before the end of the game but I think our fitness and determination got us over the finishing line."
In Carrick's subsequent quarter-final clash with Lurgan (Armagh), a handsome 1-14 to 1-7 ensued with the High School winning pulling up.
Ahead by 1-9 to 1-2 at the interval, Carrick were always in control and there was never any doubt as to the school's progress through to the semis.
The last four draw pitted Carrick against Ballyshannon Community College in a game which went ahead at Derrylin, county Fermanagh.
In a low-scoring affair, the Cunningham/Coughlan-managed side led by 0-4 to 0-0 at half-time before going onto win by 1-10 to 1-4.
"They got a goal from a penalty near the end which brought them to within a couple of points of us," team-manager Cunningham recalls.
"The lads didn't panic though and a goal by Paudie Kirk in the last five minutes finished them off and booked us our place in the final."
And so to the final. Hosted by Carrickcruppin (Armagh) GFC, the decider was a real belter and another good advertisement for schools football.
So what did the Patrician management team know about their opponents, St. Louis, Kilkeel (county Down)?
"We that they had been conceding a lot of goals during their campaign and were slow starters in most of their games," Eoghan remarks.
"It seemed that St. Louis trailed in a few of their games at half-time but put in a lot of work to turn things around in the second half.
"So we were determined to get on top of them early on in the game and not to let them get up any momentum that would help them get a foothold."
The final was an archetypal see-saw affair with the destination of the spoils not quite clear 'till the dregs of what was a cracking U16 colleges final.
Patrician High School started the game like a train but the sides were level after 15 minutes and again (1-2 to 0-5) after a Kilkeel goal after 24 mins.
Carrick picked up the tempo in the run-up to the interval though and a powerful fisted goal by Pauric Keenan edged the champions-elect ahead.
"In the first 15 minutes we put a lot of pressure on Kilkeel but didn't get all the scores that we would have liked from the possession we won.
"On the brink of half-time, we conceded a goal which put us on the backfoot and I wondered had we it in us to come back at them quickly.
"Fortunately, we got a vital score when Pauric (Keenan) fisted the ball to the net which give us a three points lead at half-time.
"Everything was up in the air until Jonathan Coleman got through for a goal in the final few minutes which sealed it for us."
Reflecting on her school's ground-breaking victory, the aforementioned Coughlan is full-sure the best team in the competition got the spoils.
"I sensed early on in the year the lads were fully determined to make up for last year when we came up short," enthuses the (PE and French) Patrician High School teacher.
"The players always fought to the bitter end in all their matches and we had good strength on the bench too which helped a lot to compensate for some injuries that were picked up.
"It was obvious as one win followed another in the competition that the lads had the potential to go the distance.
"I was slightly worried when Kilkeel drew level during the second half but, again, our players rose to the challenge and held out for a great win."
And according to Elaine's partner along the sideline, all belonging to the Patrician High School are looking forward to action on the field of play in 2011.
"We're hoping to move up to Colleges 'A' football which will mean we will be playing MacRory Cup football.
"The lads are very anxious to test themselves out at that level and with some younger lads due to come onto the panel next year and our seniors linking up with this year's under 16s, I'd be confident that they will give a good account of themselves against the best of college teams around."
The Patrician High School squad who carved out their own bit of history in beating St. Louis of Kilkeel in the 2010 Herald Cup final was:
Declan McGlew; Paul McArdle, Colin Clerkin, Fergal Keenan, Aaron McMahon, Darren Byrne, Aaron Birdy, Killian Rudden, Niall Clerkin, Paudie Kirk, Adam Waller, Donal Meegan, Pauric Keenan, Kevin O'Hanlon, Jonathan Coleman. Subs; P Linden, D Jones, N Loughman, M Murnaghan, C Meegan, A Lynch, F Lonergan, P Matthews, C Rice, N Hand, C Finnegan, F Daly, P McMahon. Tweet

Most Read Stories