By Ryan Campbell

NOTRE Dame’s on-form under-13 boys’ football team will make the short journey to Parklea Playing Fields in Port Glasgow this afternoon hoping to lift the St Mirin Cup and taste victory for their school.

The Notre Dame boys won 3-2 in a well-matched and well-contested game against Gleniffer High School from Paisley. Both teams enjoyed goal scoring but Notre Dame’s attackers were quite simply clinical on the day, resulting in this very impressive win over tough opposition.

The home team got off to a quick start when James Kinsella made a driving run down the line and hit a low cross into Kian O’Brian, who took a touch and drilled it into the bottom left hand corner to open the scoring at 1-0.

Gleniffer’s first chance came soon after but the Paisley team hit the post, before a simple piece of passing play resulted in an equaliser just before half time, bringing it to 1-1.

A quick start to the second half saw Notre Dame, once again, put pressure on Gleniffer. Rhys Morris won the ball back for Notre Dame and played it nicely into Kian McGrath, who confidently strode past the Gleniffer keeper and slotted it into an empty net to make it 2-1 to Notre Dame.

Rhys Morris then picked up the ball up once again and skinned three Gleniffer defenders before taking a shot and forcing a great save from the keeper before Notre Dame capitalised and scored on the rebound.

Gleniffer responded, however, bringing the score to 3-2 and giving the Gleniffer team momentum going into the final minutes.

In the last minute, Gleniffer were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box and hit the post, but Notre Dame’s back line did really well to clear the ball.

The final whistle finally went and Notre Dame breathed a huge sigh of relief ahead of a tasty encounter against Williamwood High School, from Clarkston, today at Parklea Playing Fields, in Port Glasgow.

After the game, under-13 team coaches, Mr Currie and Mr Skelton, both agreed that the Man of the Match was Notre Dame’s No 7, James Kinsella, who assisted the first goal and was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet himself. Mr Currie added: “It was a well fought win.”

Everyone at Notre Dame wishes the boys the best of luck in today’s final!