MAY 2017 WINNERS ST. FRANCIS COLLEGE ROCHESTOWN Winners of the Simcox Cup 2017

The May 2017 winners of the Rebel Óg Monthly Awards sponsored by the Clayton Hotel Silver Springs, Cummins Sports (Award Sponsors) with RedFM and The Evening Echo (Media Partners) are the ST. FRANCIS COLLGE ROCHESTOWN. They follow January 2017 winners Kiltha Óg, February Winners St. Colman’s College Fermoy, March winners Stephen O’Rourke and Niall Delany from Mallow, winners of the All-Ireland U17 Handball Championship and April Winners, Carbery Scór. 2016 winners were Na Piarsaigh Minor Hurlers, Cork Ladies Minor Football Team, Sarsfield U14 Camogie Team, Glen Rovers U14 Hurlers, Mizen Rovers, Mitchelstown CBS, Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál Blarney, Kilmurry Footballers, Buttevant Underage GAA Club and Mitchelstown Footballers and Ballygiblin Hurlers, Kilshannig Hurling Teams and Mallow Juvenile GAA Club. 2015 winners were Ahán Gaels, Midleton U15 Footballers, Cork’s Eimear Scally, Aghabullogue U16 Hurlers, Cork U15 Development Squad, Douglas U14 Footballers, St. Finbarrs U14 Hurlers, Christian Brothers Cork, Coláiste Chríost Rí, Coláiste an Phiarsaigh (Camogie) Sacred Heart Clonakilty (Camogie) and Ilen Rovers.

It was a case of third time lucky as ST. FRANCIS COLLEGE, ROCHESTOWN won their first Simcox Cup since the 1949-50 season with a brilliant performance over a gallant Cholaiste Choilm team on a score line on 1.11 to 0.12. Recent seasons brought much heartache as the school lost out narrowly to Macroom DLS in 2012 and Colaiste Chriost Ri in 2015 after a replay. Recent successes in the Dr. O’Callaghan Cup over the last few years buoyed the school as Roco won the famed competition for the first time against the Mon AG in 2014 and retained the trophy the following year with a comprehensive victory over Blarney.

The Simcox Cup campaign began with a victory over MSM Rosscarbery on a score line of 6.12 to 2.9. Kanturk were defeated on a score line of 2.15 to 1.9 in the quarter-final. Hamilton High were accounted for in the semi-final 5.11 to 0.10 and St. Francis qualified to play Colaiste Choilm in the final. Ironically, St. Francis’ first game of the year was also against the same opposition played in the Corn Uí Mhuirí, which was a tight encounter with Roco winning by two points in the end. The final promised to be a tight encounter with either school capable of winning if they played to their potential.

St. Francis had a number of injury worries to contend with for the final, including top scorer James Holland and Cork minor defender Dylan Ward. Perhaps that helped Ballincollig to control the early stages of the game as they raced into an early lead with a 0.9 to 0.3 advantage after 25 minutes in the first half. The Roco boys rallied however, with a couple of late points leaving them trailing by four at the short whistle.

St. Francis had to dig deep in the second period and stayed within striking distance of Colaiste Choilm. The only major of the game and a key score was registered by David Andrews who followed in an Adam Hennessy shot to finish to the net and bring the game level by the 47th minute. Roco drove on from there and were the better team in the closing stages as strikes from Adam Hennessy and fittingly captain Liam Grainger, ensured the trophy came back to Rochestown for the ninth occasion. It was a fantastic, committed team performance with every man on the team and in the panel making telling contributions throughout the year, which was the main factor in returning the Simcox Cup to Rochestown after a long hiatus.

St. Francis College would also like to acknowledge the steadfast support that Terry Murphy and Centra Rochestown have offered to school GAA teams over the last five years helping them to perform at the highest level in Hurling and football in both Cork and Munster competitions.

The Simcox Cup winning Panel

Panel for the Simcox Cup Final v Colaiste Choilm

1. David O’Keeffe Douglas

2. Eoghan Riordan, Carrigaline

3. Dylan Corkery, St. Michaels

4. Adam Murphy, Passage

5. Diarmuid Cormack, St Michaels

6. Nathan Walsh, Douglas

7. Jack Lyons Nemo Rangers

8. Liam Grainger St. Michaels (Captain)

9. Joe Golden St. Michaels

10. Adam Hennessy St. Michaels

11. Rossa O Colmain St. Michaels

12. David Andrews Shamrocks

13. Brendan Powter Douglas

14. Matthew McAuliffe Douglas

15. Cian Denn St. Michaels

16.

17. Sean Hillard Cobh

18. Cian O’Mahony Passage

19. Cameron Whyte Douglas

20. Brian O’Neill Douglas

21. Cian Kelliher Carrigaline

22. David Malone Douglas

23. Cian Cashman St. Michaels

James Holland (Douglas), Conor Russell (Douglas), Colin O’Mahony (Douglas), Dylan Ward (Douglas), Shane Downey (Douglas) (all injured)

Scorers:

David Andrews 1.1, Jack Lyons 0.4 (0.3f), Matthew McAuliffe 0.2, Nathan Walsh 0.1, Cian Denn 0.1, Adam Hennessy 0.1, Liam Grainger 0.1

Left to Right: Liam Grainger (Captain), Rossa O Colmain, Team Sponsor Terry Murphy (Murphys’ Centra, Rochetown Auto Centre) John O’Sullivan and Jack Lyons