Cumann na mBunscol Finals: Goals galore as Nobber boys prevail

Goals were on the menu at Pairc Tailteann on Sunday with Scoil Eoin Baiste Nobber bagging nine in the opening game to claim the Boys Div 4/5 Shield with victory over St Finian's Clonard.

A good start to any final is essential and Nobber certainly got off to the best of beginnings as Zach Smith Sheridan found the net after just 16 seconds.

The goals flowed like a river and with less than two minutes on the clock Tadhg Shannon Smith doubled Nobber's lead with a fine goal and by the fourth minute they had a third goal when Harry Finegan sold a fine dummy before finishing well.

Clonard were dealt a further blow in the sixth minute when Eoin Curtis played a one-two with Finegan and finished to the net and before the clock hit nine minutes Nobber had a fifth goal when Curtis's point attempt dropped short and ended up in the net.

Curtis added a point to make it 5-1 to 0-0, but Clonard never gave up and with Cooper Lynch and Samuele Patrizi in excellent form they got back into the game with Patrizi picking out the pass of the game to find Lynch for a superb goal in the 15th minute.

Nobber responded with points from Smith Sheridan and Curtis, but Clonard finished the half strong with Lynch pointing brilliantly from play before landing a '45' to close the gap to 1-2 to 6-2 at the interval.

Clonard added just one more point after the break from a Lynch free, but the outstanding Clonard player was also denied a second goal by a sensational save from the brilliant James Hanratty.

That save was all Hanratty had to do in the second-half as Nobber ran riot. Curtis added to his side's tally after 26 seconds and between the 25th and 30th minute he added three more points with Conall McEntee, Shannon Smith and Oscar Hughes Heffernan also on target to make it 7-8 to 1-2.

Lynch's free closed the gap, but there was no denying Nobber who added late goals from Curtis and Erin McCormack to claim their first title since 2014.

Scoil Eoin Baiste Nobber - James Hanratty; Ben Monaghan, Emma Condra, Eimear Mulligan, Heidi Tierney; Conall McEntee (0-1), Tadgh Shannon Smith (2-0); Zach Smith-Sheridan (2-0), Eoin Curtis (3-6), Harry Finegan (1-0), Oscar Hughes-Heffernan (0-1). Bronwyn McCormack, Cara Condra, Jason Aherne White, Jacob Moran, Erin McCormack (1-0), Ryan Casey, Dawid Biernet, Kai Coady, Grace Monaghan, Áine Murphy, Tiarnach McEntee, Pádraig Monaghan, Jack Monaghan, Darren Aherne White, Kyle Kellett, Alessio Dragos Ferrer. Mentors - Ronan McGahan, Paddy O’Reilly, Anne-Marie McKenna.

St Finian's Clonard - Luke Kelly; Saoirse Davis, David Kelly, Luke Sheridan, Aoife McHugh; Pippa O’Rafferty, Cooper Lynch (1-3 one free, one '45); Daithí Óg O’Malley-Daly, Luke Kearney, Samuele Patrizi, Sophie Small. Chloe Lynch, Lucas Patrizi, Eóghan O’Malley-Daly, Daniel Kearne, Paige Plunkett, Kyle Murray, Logan Moore, Harry Boland. Mentors - Marie Sheridan, Paul Forristal.

Referee - Alan Mulvany (Ratoath SNS).