Virginia College confirmed their status as the best Vocational Schools team in the land by successfully defending their county, provincial and All-Ireland titles in 2006/07. A series of top-class displays culminated in the annexation of back-to-back All-Ireland titles at Clones in April 2007, just after 'Breffni Blue 2007' went to press. Reigning All-Ireland champions Virginia College defeated Bailieborough Community School in a thrilling Cavan county final played under lights at Kingspan/Breffni Park, on Monday December 11 2006. With the aid of a strong wind, the Virginia side dominated the opening half and looked to be in a very comfortable position at the interval when leading by eight points, 1-6 to 0-1. However, Bailieboro battled back into contention after the resumption. With the match entering its final minutes and tensions high, the gap was reduced to a single point. But Virginia have no shortage of determination and they held out for a narrow win. Virginia College, 2006 Cavan VS champions: Matthew McWeeney; Damien Barkey, Brian Coleman, James Smith; Micheal Smith, Diarmuid Foxe, Paul Cusack (0-1); James McEnroe, Shane O'Reilly; Fergal Flanagan, Gary Daly (0-1), Ciaran Sexton (1-1); Paul Queally, Conor Smith (0-2), Adrian Cole. Subs: Eugene Keating (0-2), Terry Keating. A seventh successive county crown represented an unspectacular (performance-wise) but effective beginning to another glorious voyage. Virginia set out on the Ulster and All-Ireland trail when they took on Monaghan champions, Castleblayney College, at a Corduff, Co. Monaghan venue on Tuesday January 16, with local All-Ireland referee Pat McEneaney in charge. Virginia manager Niall Lynch had a team backboned by many of the players who reached the pinnacle of success the previous year, with vastly experienced players like Brian Coleman, Diarmuid Fox, James McEnroe, Eugene and Terry Keating, Conor Smith, Ciaran Sexton, Adrian Cole and Fergal Flanagan all available, as well as gifted newer players like Paul Cusack, Micheal Smith and Paul Queally. The thumping 6-11 to 2-1 victory sent out an early warning to their rivals that Virginia College were not about to surrender their provincial and national titles easily. Virginia progressed to the semi-final stage of the Markey Cup with a 2-10 to 1-4 win over Omagh CFE at Swanlinbar on Wednesday January 31 2007. With ten of the previous season's All-Ireland winning team in action, Virginia College were always in control, as Eugene Keating and James McEnroe dominated the midfield sector and Conor Smith helped himself to 1-6. In the Ulster final, Virginia College defeated Holy Trinity of Cookstown on a scoreline of 4-12 to 1-5 on March 13. Most of the damage was done in the first half and the winners led by 3-7 to 1-3 at the interval, despite having trailed by 1-3 to 0-3 at the midway stage in the opening moiety. The winners dominated throughout and a personal haul of 3-1 from Paul Queally was one of the highlights of a stunning all-round team performance. Having waited 31 years for their second Ulster title, Virginia had added a third immediately. Two weeks later, Virginia College moved within 60 minutes of retaining their All-Ireland Vocational Schools SFC 'A' title with a dramatic 1-16 to 3-8 extra-time victory over St. Brogan's, Bandon at Nenagh. This was a repeat of the 2006 All-Ireland final, played at the same Tipperary venue. A Conor Smith goal had Virginia 1-6 to 1-4 ahead at half time, but second-half goals from Brian Murphy and Daniel Twomey left St. Brogan's three points clear entering the closing stages. However, Virginia scored three unanswered points - the last from a Gary Daly penalty - to bring about extra time (1-13 to 3-7). The Ulster champions gained the upper hand thereafter, with a pair of magnificent points from midfielder Eugene Keating sealing their place in the final. The defending All-Ireland champions met St Oliver's College, Drogheda (the first Louth side to win a Leinster title at this level) in the national VS U18 decider at Clones on Sunday April 22. It was a tough assignment but Virginia put their vast experience to magnificent use as they powered to an emphatic double-scores victory, 4-10 to 2-5. Conor Smith's hat-trick of goals was decisive and the winners-elect never looked back after the full forward's first-half brace. Even though they lost Eugene Keating and Michael Smith to nasty injuries in the first half, Virginia never loosened their grip on the match. They led by 2-6 to 1-3 at the interval and the second period was almost an exact replica of the first one, scoring-wise. The winners hit 2-3 without reply on the resumption, with goals from Smith and Adrian Cole, to assume a 15-point advantage with quarter of the match remaining. Clearly, there was no way back for the Droghedeans. Incredibly, another perfect campaign from Virginia College. Virginia College - 2006/07 All-Ireland senior 'A' Vocational Schools football champions: M McWeeney; D Barkey, B Colemen, M Smith; F Flanagan, D Foxe, P Cusack; E Keating, J McEnroe; T Keating, A Cole (1-2), P Queally; C Sexton (0-3), C Smith (3-1), G Daly (0-2). Subs: K Connell, S O'Reilly (0-1), J Smith (0-1), B Boylan, O Smith Tweet

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