While two Westmeath schools made it to the last four of this year's Leinster Colleges senior football 'A' championship, there was to be no repeat of Athlone Community College's historic 2008 success as St. Mary's, Edenderry and Good Counsel, New Ross put paid to the hopes of Moate Community School and St. Joseph's, Rochfortbridge respectively. Hopes of an all-Westmeath Leinster Colleges senior football 'A' final were dashed within the space of 24 hours in mid-February when both Moate Community School and St. Joseph's, Rochfortbridge were beaten at the semi-final stage. Moate, who had earlier taken the prized scalp of St. Pat's, Navan, were cruelly denied a place in the final after they conceded a last-minute goal to St. Mary's, Edenderry, while North Leinster League winners St. Joseph's failed to do themselves justice in a heavy defeat to Good Counsel, New Ross. Edenderry, who have been coached for the past few years by Coralstown/Kinnegad clubman Emmett McDonnell, also ended Colaiste Mhuire, Mullingar's interests in the competition when they had six points to spare in their quarter-final clash at Cusack Park. As for the two Athlone schools, holders Athlone Community College were also knocked out by Good Counsel, while Marist College succumbed to Westmeath rivals St. Joseph's after ousting the once mighty St. Mel's of Longford in the previous round. In 2008, Athlone Community College captured both the North Leinster League and Leinster Colleges senior football 'A' title, becoming the first Westmeath school since Colaiste Mhuire in 1983 to lift the prestigious crown. So when St. Joseph's succeeded them as league champions at the end of November, they had every reason to believe they could go on to claim championship honours as well. Coming just a week before the start of the championship, the Rochfortbridge school's 2-7 to 0-5 victory over the holders in the league final at Pairc Chiarain marked them out as serious championship contenders. Goals from Paul Lewis and Mark Conroy helped Cormac Davey's side to a 2-4 to 0-3 interval lead as Athlone, who had defeated St. Pat's of Navan after a replay three days previously, struggled to get up to the pace of the game. But despite having wind advantage in the second half, they failed to close the gap as the visitors ran out comfortable winners. Four out of five of the Westmeath schools made winning starts to their Leinster campaign. The Peter Tormey/Gary Flanagan/Dessie Dolan-managed Moate Community School overcame St. Mary's Academy, Carlow 1-13 to 2-3, Athlone Community College were 0-11 to 0-7 winners over Ardscoil na Trionoide, Athy, St. Joseph's overpowered Colaiste Iosagain, Portarlington 3-9 to 2-4, while Colaiste Mhuire, Mullingar pulled off the result of the round when they beat recent Hogan Cup winners Knockbeg College 1-11 to 0-8 in their own backyard of Dr. Cullen Park. Marist College lost 0-7 to 0-9 to Patrician College, Newbridge in Tubberclair, but all was not lost as they still had the qualifiers to look forward to. As it transpired, they received a bye into the second round where 0-3 each from Robert Buckley and Callum McCormack helped them to a memorable 0-9 to 1-5 victory over St. Mel's at Killoe. That win earned the Athlone side a meeting with St. Joseph's in the second round proper in Rhode. But despite being able to call on the services of last year's Leinster Colleges winning captain Ian Coffey, whose transfer from arch-rivals Athlone Community College over the Christmas period had caused quite a stir, Marist crashed to 0-6 to 1-10 defeat. There had been little to separate the sides until Paul Lewis' opportunist goal in the second half enabled the North Leinster League winners to pull clear for a flattering seven-point win. On the same day, John Heslin scored 1-10 for Colaiste Mhuire as they eased to a 2-14 to 2-3 victory over Colaiste Eoin, Dublin at Springfield. A severely depleted Athlone Community College lost their crown after succumbing to Good Counsel, New Ross 1-7 to 2-8, but Moate Community School had better luck against St. Pat's, Navan who they defeated after extra-time in Pairc Tailteann. The 1-15 to 1-10 victory was arguably Moate's finest since the days of Carmelite College with Tubber clubman Bernard Allen helping himself to 1-6 in a man of the match display. When substitute Marty Mulhall gave Navan the lead late on, it looked as though yet another Westmeath team would come away from Pairc Tailteann empty-handed, but Darren Scanlon saved the day in injury-time and Moate never looked back after that as points in extra-time from Scanlon, Kieran Martin, Andrew Cushen and Allen sealed the win. A delighted Moate mentor Dessie Dolan said: "It was a tremendous performance and I think everyone who played performed excellently, including those who were introduced. "It was a good day for the school. I was only thinking afterwards that Colm O'Rourke (the St. Pat's manager) wouldn't have been used to many of these days. It's such a super competition and that is the beauty of it. It was played the way games should be played," the Westmeath senior star added. Moate continued their winning run against St. Peter's of Wexford in the Leinster quarter-final on a very heavy Portarlington pitch. The Westmeath school could afford the luxury of missing two penalties and still had two points to spare, 0-6 to 0-4. St. Joseph's joined them in the last four when they got the better of Dublin side St. Benildus by 1-8 to 1-6 under the Kinnegad floodlights. The home side looked to be in a strong position at half-time when Donal Hickey's goal helped them to a 1-4 to 0-2 lead, but the Stillorgan outfit had reduced the deficit to the minimum within three minutes of the resumption, and Rochfortbridge had to dig deep to claim the victory. Meanwhile, Colaiste Mhuire were soundly beaten by St. Mary's, Edenderry in their quarter-final tie at Cusack Park. Despite a valiant second half effort, Frank Dillon's charges could never get any closer than three points as the Offaly side ran out 1-12 to 0-9 winners. Edenderry also ended Moate's dreams of provincial glory when they pounced for a last-minute goal to win a hard-fought semi-final under lights in Tubber. Played before a large crowd, the game looked to be going St. Mary's way when they led 0-4 to 0-3 with only seven minutes remaining. But three quick points from Bernard Allen (two) and Shane Forde gave Moate a 0-6 to 0-4 lead with time almost up. Edenderry looked dead on their feet, but they mounted one last attack which yielded a dramatic winning goal from substitute Philip Foy. There was also despair for St. Joseph's in their semi-final against Good Counsel in Timahoe, Co. Laois. Played just four days after their win over St. Benildus, it was always going to be a tall order for the Rochfortbridge boys and so it proved as they crashed to a 0-5 to 3-7 loss. The Wexford side led by just four points at half-time, 1-4 to 0-3, but they took complete control in the second half and the St. Joseph's defence had no answer to the scoring prowess of Kilkenny man Ger Aylward, who helped himself to 3-1. In hurling, Colaiste Mhuire suffered an agonising 2-11 to 1-15 defeat to Colaiste Eoin in the Leinster Colleges senior 'B' final at Dunganny, near Trim. The Dublin school snatched victory thanks to a brace of late points from Sean MacCraith and Naomhan O'Riordain. There was further heartbreak for the Mullingar school when they lost the North Leinster Colleges junior 'A' football final to St. Mel's, Longford by 1-3 to 1-6 in deplorable weather conditions at Springfield. Meanwhile, in the North Leinster Colleges juvenile 'A' football final, a goal five minutes from time by Paddy Kennelly handed St. Pat's of Navan a 1-8 to 1-6 victory over a heartbroken St. Joseph's, Rochfortbridge. The St. Joseph's, Rochforbridge team which defeated Athlone Community College in the North Leinster Colleges senior league 'A' football final was: Paul Coates; Stephen Hannon, Mark Gorman, Eoin Rigney; Shane Brogan, Paul Carey, Sean Deegan; Cian Flynn, Paul Lewis; Clive Kiernan, Jason Cully, Eoin Gorman; Cormac Boyle, Wayne Fox, Mark Conroy. Subs used: Cathal Reilly, Stephen Cooney and Donal Hickey. Tweet

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