Danske Bank Thompson Cup – Ulster Colleges Hurling – Year 8
Cross & Passion 3-5 St Killian’s College 2-8 (after two periods of extra time)
By John ‘Curly’ McIlwaine
History was made today at Slemish Park Ballymena when Cross & Passion College beat St Killian’s College Garron Tower in a shoot-out at the end of a brilliant day’s hurling in the Year 8 Thompson Cup blitz. Two great sides could not be separated at the end of ten minutes each way normal time, and again at the end of five minutes each way extra time, and so for the first time in the Thompson Cup competition (and to the best of my knowledge in any colleges hurling competition) it was decided on frees – with three free takers on each side taking shots from the 45 metre line).
A lot of pressure on young shoulders, especially after a hard tournament that had started four hours earlier, but that was the rules of the competition and so it had to be decided. CPC emerged winners after two of their free takers Tiago McGarry and Dara Kelly hit the target, in reply to one by St Killian’s Phelim Ward to spark scenes of great celebration on the CPC ranks, and total devastation for St Killian’s.
Oisin Woodhouse celebrates after scoring St Killian’s opening goal.
The final itself was a classic game (played ten minutes each way) with seldom more than a puc of the ball separating the teams. St Killian’t took the lead inside thirty second when a great solo run by Joseph McLaughlin created the opening for Oisin Woodhouse to fire home a goal from close range. CPC came back with a point from a Tiago McGarry free, following a foul on Dara Kelly, and Kelly himself closed the gap to the minimum with a fine solo score, struck left sided on the run. A minute before the half time whistle St Killian’s opened the gap to two with a pointed free from McLaughlin, but Kelly left the minimum between them yet again with the last action of the opening period.
When St Killian’s Peadar McDonnell deflected a long delivery to the CPC net early in the second half, and followed it with an excellent point from play soon afterwards, the Tower were five clear and seemingly in command. However a great goal by Gavin McToal, following a clever pass from Ben O’Kane revived the CPC fortunes, and when Tiago McGarry converted another free the gap was back to one. St Killian’s hit back with two fine points from Peadar McDonnell and Cormac Keown to move three ahead with just two minutes left for play, but they were pegged back in the final minute when Ben O’Kane fired in the equalising goal for CPC to bring the game to extra time.
Two five minute periods of extra-time were called and once again St Killian’s started better with two points from Oran O’Connor and Joseph McLaughlin, before Tiago McGarry pulled one back for CPC just before the break. Joseph McLaughlin increased the St Killian’s lead to two again with a pointed free soon after the restart before centre forward Ben O’Kane grabbed his second goal of the game to give CPC the lead for the first time in the match. It looked like the Ballycastle school had done enough, but in the final minute of extra Joseph McLaughlin sent a 65 high and true between the CPC posts to set up the historic shoot-out.
Overall six teams took part in the competition with two groups of three playing in a round-robin format. In the quarter finals St Pat’s Maghera beat St Mary’s Belfast, while Our Lady & St Patrick’s Knock got the better of St Louis Ballymena in the other game.
In the semi-finals CPC, whose results in the round-robin had put them into the semis, beat St Pat’s Pat’s while St Killian’s staged a great second half comeback to beat Knock.
Cross & Passion
- Mark Christie
- Eoghan McGarry
- Kevin McLaughlin
- 4 Ryan Watson
- Conor Mort
- Ben McGarry
- Charlie O’Hagan
- Tiago McGarry
- Owen Healy
- Dara Kelly
- Ben O’Kane
- Cathair Donnelly
- Eoghan Richmond
- Kieran McGarry
- Gavin McToal Subs – Paddy Boyd, James Hanna, Ronan Casey, Charley Douthart, Eoin McKinley, Danny McAuley, Aaron McFerran, Eddie McCaughan
St Killian’s
- John Mitchell
- Cathan Graham
- Stephen McAuley
- Eammon Ward
- Niall Hynds
- Cailin Devlin
- Austin Birt
- Niall Magee
- Cormac McKeown
- Phelim Ward
- Orrin O’Connor
- Joseph McLaughlin
- Niall Dickson
- Peadar McDonnell
- Oisin Woodhouse
- Joe Leech
- Oisin Mort
- Tommy Glanville
- John McAllister
- Duncan McMullan
- Cormac Laverty
- Thomas McKeowan
- Aran McCloskey
- Lucas Bruxelles
- James McKeegan