Ulster Colleges Hurling – Foresters Cup

Downpatrick High School 3-18 Cross & Passion College 4-10

Two goals in the 58^th minute by gamekeeper turned poacher James Bakewell brought CPC back to within a goal of Downpatrick High School in Thursday’s final round-robin game in the Foresters Cup at Allen Park Antrim. The big full-back had been brought up to the edge of the square in an attempt to salvage the game and when he hit the net twice in quick succession, in a style which his famous grandfather Eddie Donnelly would have been proud of, there was suddenly a glimmer of hope for the Ballycastle school. However Red High were not to be outdone and keeping their cool they closed out the game through two of their star men, Oisin Coulter and Fearghal McManus to seal the win they richly deserved.

The Down boys had dominated the opening half and boosted by a goal from the excellent Coulter, they led by 1-8 to 0-6 at half time. When CPC started the second half with a goal and three points from centre forward ‘Bicky’ McGarry the game was suddenly in the melting pot again. A Jack Colgan point in the 37^th minute brought the north Antrim side level but Red High responded in style and with Coulter, McManus, Dorrian and McGratten calling the shots they hit 2-3 without reply Coulter and McGratten finding the net with clinical strikes.

McGarry pulled a goal back for CPC on 50 minutes to cut the gap back to five but four unanswered points, three from McGrattan and one from Dorian, stretched the Red High lead to nine with just two minutes of normal time left to play. Bakewell’s double raised CPC hopes of salvaging something out of the game as he closed the gap to just three, but Coulter and the excellent Fearghal McManus closed the door on their opponents and sealed the victory by five.

DOWNPATRICK HIGH

1 – Rossa McGrath

2 – Oisin McGrattan

3- Adam Rogan

4 – Sean Mageean

5 – Conor Lenaghan

6 – Ryan O’Neill

7 – Jude Ruddy

8 – Finn Turpin

9 – Michal Dorrian

10 – Tiernan Connolly

11- Tom McGrattan  

12 – Luke McCabe

13 – Ferghal Casey

14 – Oisin Coulter

15– Fearghal McManus

CROSS & PASSION

1 – Jimmy Joe Burns

2 – Cahir Donnelly

3 – James Bakewell

4 – Paddy McAlister

5 – Conan Sheridan

6 – Oisin Elliott

7 – Eoin Boylan

8 – Ruairi McCormick

9 – Jaack Colgan

10 – Darragh Watterson

11 – Bicky McGarry

12 – Odhran Donnelly

13 – Darragh Kelly

14 – Tiernan Heggarty

15 – Ben O’Kane

Referee – Brendan Toland (Lamh Dhearg)

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