U16B Championship Final
St Paul’s 1-6 Naomh Éanna 2-9
Sunday July 14
Brendan McTaggart reports from the Feis na nGleann, Glenariffe
Naomh Éanna produced a strong second half to see off the challenge of St Paul’s on Sunday afternoon to take the U16B championship final. The Hightown Road men had six points to spare over their counterparts with captain Oscar Smyth leading the way for his side. Finishing the hour with 1-2, the Naomh Éanna captain put in a monumental shift to ensure it would be his side who would be celebrating at the final whistle.
St Paul’s started the contest brightly and but for some wayward shooting, they could have built a substantial lead before Naomh Éanna scored their opening point of the match in the 16th minute. Indeed were it not for the reflexes of Pearse Rodgers between the sticks, the Shaw’s Road side would have scored a major in the opening seconds. Rogers denying Caoimhin Killyleagh.
They did score the opening point with Callum Murray splitting the posts in the eighth minute but a series of opportunities came and gone for the St Paul’s men and Naomh Éanna grew into the game. The St Paul’s cause was disrupted with the sending off of Rossa Morgan, the St Paul’s defender seeing red for an altercation with a member of the Naomh Éanna management team, giving the momentum to the Hightown Road side.
A brace of frees from Oisin Ó Cuinn and Luke O’Connor gave Naomh Éanna the lead and one they would hold onto for the remainder of the game. O’Connor and Paul Og Donnelly swapped points before Naomh Éanna landed the first telling blow of the final. Smyth’s effort somehow managing to evade Fionn Ireland between the sticks for St Paul’s and give Naomh Éanna a four point half time lead.
St Paul’s started the second half brightly and in Donnelly and Lorcan Phillips they had two players who could create something out of nothing but the Naomh Éanna defence were on top of their game.
An early Donnelly score was answered by a brilliant point from Smyth and Eoin Logue before Donnelly scored his third of the final to leave four between the sides once again.
The second goal came in the 38th minute and effectively put Naomh Éanna in control. Logue with the first effort that Fionn Ireland saved before Matthew Curry swept home the rebound to give his side a seven point lead.
St Paul’s answered with Donnelly (free) before Caoimhin Duffy scored their major in the 42nd minute. Duffy on the end of a brilliant team move to fire the sliotar beyond Rogers but it was as close as St Paul’s got to Naomh Éanna. The Hightown Road side landed a brace of points from Ó Cuinn and Smyth to open a five point lead going into the last ten minutes.
St Paul’s began to go for goals in the time that remained but were denied by Rogers in the Naomh Éanna goals along with some astute defending. Aaron Carey landed a ’65 in the last minute of normal time but Naomh Éanna had the final say with O’Connor’s third free of the match along with Ó Cuinn’s third white flag to give the Hightown Road side a winning margin of 2-9 to 1-6.
TEAMS
Naomh Éanna: Pearse Rogers; Ciaran McAllister, Eoghan O’Hare, Dylan Graham; Colm Curran, Luke O’Connor, Malachi McGibbon; Oisin Ó Cuinn, Ronan Eager; Oscar Smyth, Richard Gossrau, Cian O’Connor; Jacob Mackin, Eoin Logue, Matthew Curry.
Scorers: Oscar Smyth 1-2; Luke O’Connor 0-3 (3 f’s); Oisin Ó Cuinn 0-3 (1 f); Matthew Curry 1-00; Eoin Logue 0-1.
St Paul’s: Fionn Ireland; Conor Connolly, Tiarnan Auld, Rossa Morgan; Thomas Duff, Aaron Carey, Cónall Duffy; Paul Og Donnelly, Caoimhin Duffy; Declan Quinn, Caoimhin Killyleagh, Sean Fay; Callum Murray, Michael Howell, Daire Maginn.
Scorers: Paul Og Donnelly 0-4 (2 f’s); Caoimhin Duffy 1-00; Aaron Carey 0-1 (1 ’65); Callum Murray 0-1.
Referee: Malachy Leech (Glenariffe)
