The sight of a young man in a sweat-stained blue jersey bearing the St Colman's of Newry crest clamouring up some steps or other to collect the Hogan Cup has become a pretty familiar one over the years, and there appears to be no end to their hunger to capture schools' football's highest honour.
So, there was almost a touch of familiarity - and, from midway through the second half, inevitability - about the outcome of yesterday's All-Ireland Colleges senior A football final at Croke Park when St Colman's, recording their sixth success in the championship, ended the odyssey of first-timers Colaiste Eoin, Stillorgan.
On a day of splendid sunshine, St Colman's, the traditionalists, and Colaiste Eoin, the pioneers on a voyage of discovery, produced an invigorating match to complement the conditions. However, it was St Colman's brand of fast, open football, against Colaiste Eoin's more physical efforts that eventually proved superior, even if the 10point margin was a wee bit flattering.
Indeed, Colaiste Eoin - attempting to become the first Dublin school in almost two decades to scale the heights - exhibited no signs of stage-fright and literally owned the ball for the opening quarter, a spell which produced four points. Ominously, they'd also kicked seven wides (to St Colman's zero) in that time, after which they held an 0-4 to 0-2 lead.
It may have taken St Colman's some time to adapt to the physical size of their opponents, but, when they did, the Northerners never looked back. And the attacking left flank of the Newry side proved quite irresistible: corner forward Niall McElvanna bounded about like a spring lamb and scored 1-2 from play, while left half forward Aidan Fegan was equally effective, contributing a personal tally of seven points, five of them from frees.
Early on, Colaiste Eoin's Sean Mac Giobuin and Conchur O Beagain won an enormous amount of ball and were providers as well as converters. However, John Fegan gradually came into the game, winning kick-outs and also scoring. In fact, it was his goal in the 21st minute that really changed the course of the game.
McElvanna, a real will-o'-the-wisp, eluded his marker for the umpteenth time to start the move, swiftly transferring the ball to Aidan Cole who picked out Liam Doyle who, in turn, passed to Fegan. He gave goalkeeper Cormaic Mac Cormaic no chance with a fierce shot that put St Colman's ahead for the first time, 1-3 to 0-4. They were never to trail again.
Just a few minutes later, one of the differences between the sides was demonstrated with deadly effect. Colaiste Eoin's full forward Diarmuid O hUllaigh had earlier attempted an overhead kick which only forced the umpire to wave his hands, but when Aidan Fegan pulled off a similar act, the result was to have the umpire reaching for the white flag. By half-time, St Colman's had moved into a 1-5 to 0-5 lead.
The opening salvos in the second half were even enough, with still just that goal separating the sides after 40 minutes. But, for the next nine minutes, St Colman's stepped up a gear and fired over four unanswered points to stretch the lead to seven points. Then, almost out of the blue, came Colaiste Eoin's answer: a superbly-taken goal from O hUllaigh, in the 49th minute, when Niall Mac an tSionnaigh lived up to his name by outfoxing his marker and putting the towering full forward through. He made no mistake.
Almost immediately, Colaiste Eoin upped the ante and launched a number of attacks. Frustratingly for them, though, nothing came off them as the St Colman's defence, with Michael Feeney particularly effective, held firm. And, as if sensing that the Dubliners had used up all their cards, the Newry college renewed the offensive over the closing minutes, gaining three successive points from the boot of Aidan Fegan.
Finally, to rub further salt into the wound, St Colman's snatched their second goal in the closing minute when Cole's close-range shot was superbly saved by MacCormaic but the ubiquitous McElvanna popped up to fire home the rebound and ensure his captain, Declan Morgan, would be the latest in a line of St Colman's players to march up the steps to take the famous cup in his hands.
St Colman's, Newry: R McGivern; B Kearney, M Feeney, E O'Hare; K O'Hare, T Grant, D Mackin (0-1); J Fegan (1-1), L Doyle; B McKeown (0-1), D Morgan, A Fegan (0-7, five frees); C McCoy (0-1), A Cole (0-1), N McElvanna (1-2).
Colaiste Eoin, Stillorgan: C Mac Cormaic; M O Buachalla, M Breathnach, F O Cinneide; F Mac Treanlamhaigh, C O Ceileachair (0-1), D O hAnnaidh; S Mac Giobuin (0-1), C O Beagain (02, one free); N Mac an tSionnaigh (0-1), O O hAnnaidh, L O Eineachain; E O Conchubhair (0-1), D O hUllaigh (1-1), R O Ceileachair.
Referee: P Russell (Tipperary).
