SCHOOLS' SOCCER/Leinster Senior Cup final - Blackrock College ... 2 Chanel College ... 2, (After extra-time, Blackrock win 4-3 on penalties): Mark Vaughan, very much their talisman all season, proved Blackrock's match winner in dramatic fashion as they lifted the Leinster Schools' Senior Cup for the first time in 29 years in a thrilling final at Golden Ball, Kiltiernan, yesterday.
The Blackrock number 10 won and scored a last-gasp penalty in stoppage time at the end of extra-time to force the penalty shoot-out. Remarkably, Vaughan then went in goal, saved two Chanel penalties and, fittingly, scored his side's crucial fifth spot-kick to win the cup.
The result was harsh on a gallant Chanel side that made up for their technical shortcomings with a doggedness that came up heartbreakingly short right at the death.
Having scarcely been in game early on, it was nonetheless Chanel, in the guise of Paul Dean, who created the two clearest openings of the first half, the first a header that forced a clumsy save from Stephen Grier, before Dean volleyed inches over the Blackrock goalkeeper's crossbar.
Vaughan blazed over early in the second half when through one-on-one with Shane Flanagan before Chanel took the lead on 55 minutes. Right-back Mark Fennell connected with Jonathan Byrne's corner to hook the ball across his body and into the net.
Blackrock raised their game and levelled on 72 minutes when Mark Kelly got a crucial touch to substitute Jack Doyle's drive to deflect the ball past Flanagan and force extra-time.
Within three minutes of the first period of additional time, Chanel regained the lead. Blackrock failed to clear another Byrne corner and Dean drilled the ball low and hard into the net from the edge of the area.
Chanel appeared the more spirited side throughout, but it was Blackrock who refused to lie down and they duly provided the sting in the tail two minutes into time added on at the end of the second period of extra-time. Vaughan chased a hopeful ball into the Chanel penalty area and was tripped by substitute Dane Kenny.
Having confidently crashed home the penalty to force the shoot-out, Vaughan took the yellow jersey and gloves from Grier and saved Chanel's first two kicks from Ciarán McLoughlin and Jonathan Byrne. Willie Ryan, Brian Reid and Phil Byrne all subsequently scored for the Coolock college, with Steve Dillon, John Power and John Bourke scoring for Blackrock (Mark Kelly's penalty was saved by Flanagan) to level the shoot-out at 3-3. Cue Vaughan's removal of his cloves to strike home the winning kick of the day.
BLACKROCK COLLEGE: Grier; Gallagher (Doyle 66 mins), Power, Dillon, Fox; Kelly, Bourke, Daly, Ward; Vaughan, McDermott.
CHANEL COLLEGE: Flanagan; Fennell (Kelly 106 mins), P Byrne, Ryan, McGregor; J Byrne, Naughton, McLoughlin, Kelly; Reid, Dean.
Referee: B Lawless (Swords).
