Game time for Mayo man in Ireland's Centenary Shield opener
John McShane's Irish Under 18 scholars got their 2022 inspiresport Centenary Shield campaign off to the perfect start with a hard fought victory over an impressive Scottish outfit in Home Farm FC last night (Thursday, March 17).
Mayo native Darragh Reilly, a student at St. Gerald's College in Castlebar, came on to help the Ireland team see out the win and get the campaign off to a great start.
Reilly is a former Castlebar Celtic player currently on the books of Sligo Rovers.
Lennon Gill of St. Benildus College, Stillorgan, and Leinster colleague Michael Raggett of St. Kieran’s College, Kilkenny, scored the precious goals as Scotland stunned the large Irish contingency midway through the first period by taking the lead.
Dunfermline pupil Che Reilly had the visitors in front against the run of play with the only real chance on goal, a deflected effort which deceived Reece Byrne (Oatlands College) in the Irish goal to register the opener with 22 minutes on the clock.
The Irish equaliser came just past the half hour mark as Michael McCullagh (Coláiste Bhaile Cháir) turned supplier for Gill, who slotted past the Scottish netminder Liam Russell.
The Irish missed a gilt-edged opportunity to go ahead six minutes from the break but Russell palmed away a Michael Raggett penalty, and it remained tied at 1-1 by half-time.
Having scored in the first half, Gill assisted in the second. He dispossessed a Scottish defender to play a beautiful ball into Raggett, who gave Russell little opportunity between the posts for Ireland’s second of the night 10 minutes after the restart.
The Scots came close to an equaliser with an effort that hit the crossbar, and there was some last ditch defending by Charlie O’Brien (Pobalscoil na Trionóide, Youghal) to ensure the Irish kept their lead when he cleared a dangerous ball from a Scottish set piece right at the death.
The next test for the Irish scholars is a meeting with rivals Northern Ireland as they travel to Maginn Park, Buncrana, for another epic outing. That game will be played on Thursday, March 31.
Northern Ireland have one win and one defeat from their two games so far. They face England in a tantalizing crunch encounter next Friday (March 25) before they play the Republic a week later.
The Republic of Ireland will be lifted by last night’s performance as they plan for their remaining fixtures in the series. With the two home games concluding in the next fortnight, the Irish have away trips to Eastleigh on April 8 and a conclusion to the tournament on April 21 in Caernarfon.
McShane will be hoping his team is still in with a fighting chance of taking the crown this season when those games are played.
In addition to Reilly, his Sligo Rovers team-mate Eanna Clancy (St. Clare’s Comprehensive School, Manorhamilton), Steven Healy (Calasanctius College, Oranmore), Michael McCullagh and David Tarmey (both Coláiste Bhaile Chláir) were in the Irish squad for last night's game.