Naomh Eánna get the better of St Pauls

Nipper Quinn Plate

St Pauls B 3-04-4-12 Naomh Eánna B

Kevin Herron reports from Pairc Rossa

A brace from Naomh Eánna captain Colm Kane helped his side to claim the Nipper Quinn Plate on Sunday morning with a 4-12-3-04 win over St Pauls B at Pairc Rossa.

St Pauls opened the scoring in the game through a Matthew O’Neill point, but they soon fell behind as Nathan Burns turned over possession and switched the play to Colm Kane- who shot low to the net for the opening goal.

Kane doubled his and Naomh Eánna’s tally with a second goal moments later, before adding a point.

The Hightown Road outfit were in the ascendancy with Laochra Geraghty slamming home his sides third and points following from Ruairi O’Connell-Scullion and Sean Cunningham.

Already with 2-01 to his name so far- Kane chalked up four scores in succession, three of which came from play and the other from a free.

Just before the break Jonathan McCrory slipped a pass to Aidan Johnston and he found net for St Pauls, though at the interval the Shaws Road men were 3-07-1-01 behind.

Naomh Eánna extended their lead upon the resumption, Kane dropped a free into the path of Darragh McIlroy to fire a fierce drive into the net.

Sean Cunningham and Kane (free) added further points before the talisman would depart through a knee injury.

St Paul’s briefly rallied and found their second goal through Darragh Loughran, points followed through Jude Burns and Daire Devlin- the latter of which would see a further free drop and spin into the net.

Under the cosh since the injury to Kane, Naomh Eánna got back on the front foot with three scores in succession.

Nathan Burns converted a free and further points were added courtesy of Odhran McAllister and Sean Cunningham.

A late Daire Devlin free was scant consolation as Naomh Eánna ran out convincing winners to claim the Nipper Quinn Plate.

With Kane unable to join his team-mates on the field, instead they decided to join their injured captain on the side-line as South-Antrim chairman Frank Caldwell presented him with his sides silverware.