Danske Bank Foresters’ Cup final
St Killian’s Garron Tower 2-12 Cross & Passion Ballycastle 0-5
ST Killian’s Garron Tower picked up a first Danske Bank Foresters’ Cup title in nine seasons with a dominant display in the north Antrim derby in Quinn Park, Ballymena today.
They were the dominant team throughout with half-backs and midfield on top particularly during the opening half allowing them to hit the first nine points of the game. The only period during which Cross & Passion raised any real resistance was over the first seven minutes of the second half when they pressed forward to win three frees that Roan McGarry pointed.
With more than half the players on the pitch in the current Antrim minor panel, the skill level was always going to be high. The blocking, hooking, first touch, quick hands and striking were all top class particularly from St Killian’s who re-cycled the sliotar quickly in defence and got their attack into action.
It wasn’t all perfect of course and each team hit eight wides with three of those on each side from frees. Ballycastle really needed all theirs to count as they struggled to penetrate a compact Tower defence in which Niall Magee, Cathan Graham and Callagh Mooney excellent.
Callum McIlwaine picked up the QUB Player of the Match for his work around the middle of the field while Joe McLaughlin must have pushed him close after some excellent free-taking and a goal and a point from open play.
Cross and Passion worked hard in defence with Liam Glackin and Ben McGarry most prominent. However their forwards got little room and all their scores came from Roan McGarry frees.
Phelim Ward’s opening point inside ten seconds was a statement of intent from St Killian’s. That early point started a flow of scores for them and Cross & Passion struggled to get a foothold in the game.
Joe McLaughlin hit the first of his six first half points in the fourth minute and the Tower went six ahead at the end of the first quarter, before CPC slowed them up for ten minutes until Cailin Devlin took a fine point in the 27th minute. Orrin O’Connor made it nine in a row for the Tower before Roan McGarry finally got Cross & Passion going just before half time with a point from a 20 m free.
McGarry pointed three on the re-start and, at 0-9 to 0-4, it looked as if St Killian’s might stutter. They didn’t. Peadar McDonnell broke free a minute later to hit the Tower’s first score of the half and from then until the end they were back in control.
Two frees from McLaughlin created a gap of seven points entering the last ten minutes when Niall Hynds was introduced as a sub.
The Glenravel man charged in on goal in the 53rd minute. Stopped on the 13 metre line, he hand-passed across for McLaughlin to hit the roof of an empty net. Then four minutes later Hynds got on the end of a break from defence to put Orrin O’Connor in the clear to bag the second goal.
St Killian’s : T McLaughlin, E Ward, C Graham, J Scullion, S McAuley, N Magee, C Mooney, C McIlwaine, C Devlin 0-1, J McLaughlin 1-8 (7fs), C McKeown, P Ward 0-1, P McDonnell 0-1, O O’Connor 1-1, O Woodhouse.
Subs: C Ward for O Woodhouse (38), N Hynds for P McDonnell (49), Charlie McAuley for Calum McIlwaine.
CPC: M Christie, R McLaughlin, Cathair Donnelly, C O’Hagan, L Glackin, B McGarry, D Donnelly, G McToal, D Kelly, A Richmond, B O’Kane, R Fitzgerald, R McGarry 0-5 (fs), Conor Donnelly, T McGarry
Subs: C Cane for T McGarry (HT), D McAuley for A Richmond (51).
Referee: B Toladn (Lámh Dhearg)
