It was another busy week of sporting action in DCC, with our teams competing across Gaelic football and soccer. While Monday and Tuesday brought some challenging results, Wednesday provided a thrilling finish to the week as our senior boys football team produced a remarkable comeback to progress to Round 3 of the Leinster Senior Cup.
Monday saw a senior girls’ sporting double-header, with action taking place both at home in Ballymastone and across the estuary in Portmarnock. Our Senior LGFA team travelled to face Portmarnock CS in their second group game of the Dublin Championship, while our senior football team hosted St Vincent’s of Dundalk in Round 2 of the Leinster Senior Cup.
Unfortunately, it was a difficult afternoon for both sides. The LGFA team came up against a very impressive Portmarnock outfit and, despite their best efforts, suffered defeat. There was, however, a standout performance from goalkeeper Caoimhe Armstrong, who was named Player of the Match following an excellent display between the posts.
Meanwhile, our senior footballers battled hard against St Vincent’s. Despite goals from Arona and Carlie, DCC were beaten 5–2, bringing their Leinster Senior Cup campaign to an end. The girls will now turn their attention to the Leinster Shield, where they will look to bounce back and continue their season.
On Tuesday, it was the turn of our Second-year boys’ Gaelic footballers to take centre stage, as they welcomed Skerries Community College to Ballymastone for a fixture on Pitch 4 in St Pats. This is a young DCC team, featuring a number of first-year students who were representing the school for the first time. The lads made a positive start and went into half-time with the lead, showing plenty of promise and determination against their opponents. However, Skerries proved a very strong side and eventually came out on top. Despite the defeat, it was a valuable experience for our young players, many of whom are only beginning their journey in school Gaelic football. There is plenty of potential within this group, and we look forward to seeing them develop over the coming months.
Saving the best until last, Wednesday brought an unforgettable encounter as our senior men’s football team faced Le Chéile, Tyrrelstown, in Round 2 of the Leinster Senior Cup. DCC found themselves 3–0 down after just 20 minutes, facing a significant challenge against a strong Le Chéile side. However, the team showed tremendous character and determination to fight their way back into the contest. Goals from Molloy, McCormack, O’Donoghue and J. Hall turned the game on its head, putting DCC 4–3 ahead only ten minutes into the second half.
Le Chéile responded to level the score at 4–4, setting up a dramatic finish. With just ten minutes remaining, DCC struck twice in quick succession, as Molloy grabbed his second goal before Shalapay added another to give the home side a seemingly decisive 6–4 advantage.
There was still plenty of drama to come. Le Chéile pulled a goal back almost immediately to make it 6–5, before finding a dramatic equaliser in the dying seconds to send the tie into extra time. Neither side could find a winner during the additional period, meaning the contest would be decided by a penalty shootout. Showing nerves of steel, DCC held their composure from the spot to emerge victorious (5-3) and book their place in Round 3 of the Leinster Senior Cup.
It was a remarkable comeback and a fantastic display of resilience from the lads, who refused to give up despite trailing by three goals early in the game. The team will now face the winners of Skerries and Portlaoise in the next round. Be sure to check out our Instagram and Facebook pages for footage of the penalty shootout, including a cheeky ‘Panenka’ from Sean McCormack!
A memorable victory and a brilliant way to bring Term 1 to a close. Well done to all our students who represented DCC throughout the week, and to the staff and coaches who continue to support our teams.
Photos of the Week –> Our 2nd Year Gaelic Footballers, and one of our match day score updates, that went on our instagram story during Wednesday’s dramatic LSC win.
