All Ireland Colleges B semi-final – Paddy Buggy Cup
Colaiste Naimh Cormac 1-19 St Louis 1-12
A spirited second half fight back by St. Louis, which saw them close the gap to two points with 4 minutes still on the clock, came up just short in Sunday’s Paddy Buggy Senior Colleges Senior Hurling semi-final at Darvar, Co Louth on Saturday
However it was not enough to get them over the line as Colaiste Naomh Cormac of Offaly hit back to score the last five points of the game and seal their place in the All-Ireland senior colleges B final in two weeks time.
The Ballymena school simply took too long to get going and were 8 points adrift at halftime. They battled bravely in the second half despite losing a man to a second yellow card and when Ronan McCollum scored their only goal of the game it looked like they might just do it. But the Offaly boys had that little bit in reserve and closed out the game to seal their place in the decider.
Centre forward Donal MacLaithimh gave Colaiste Naimh Cormac and early lead but St Louis came back and points from Ronan McCollum from a free and Jack McCloskey from play got St Louis ahead. The Ulster champions had opportunities to add more to their total but on a couple of occasions were slow in their striking and the Offaly side managed to get in a ‘hook’ to deny them
Right half forward Laoi Caomhanach brought Colaiste Naimh Cormac level with a fine point from play and full forward Alec O Caomhananch put them back in front before Jack McCloskey intercepted a ball and broke through but failed to connect properly with his shot for goal and a great opportunity was gone.
Colaiste Naimh Cormac then began to ease away and points from Adan Screeney, Leigh Kavanagh and full forward Alec Kavanagh to open up a six point gap.
With time almost up in the first half Ronan McCollum cut it back to five when he sent over a free, but in first half injury time Screeney drove a shot from a narrow angle high into the St Louis net to give his team a 1-8 to 0-3 lead at the break.
Ronan McCollum pulled a point back early in the second half but the Ulster champions were dealt a bad blow seconds later when they had a man sent off for a second yellow card. Points from Paudie Martin and Jack McCloskey, in reply to one from Screeney kept hopes alive but the Offaly side pulled away again to restore their eight point cushion by the midway stage in the second half.
To their credit St Louis kept battling away and in the next ten minutes they outscored their opponents by six points to one, four of them from Aodhan McGarry, who was now in brilliant form around the middle of the field. With five minutes, plus injury time left to play the gap was back to two, but Colaiste Naimh Cormac regained control and driven on by their brilliant corner forward Screeney they hit the last five points of the game to seal the win.
ST LOUIS BALLYMENA: Caolan McFerran; Senan O’Boyle, Pearce Patterson, Michael Traynor; Kevin O’Boyle, Darragh Patterson, Francis McMullan; Sean Og Blaney, Aodhan McGarry; Tom McFerran, Jack McCloskey, Paudie Martin; Barry McCloskey, Ronan McCollum, Dara Martin. Subs. Joe McCormick (for Tom McFerran, 41 mins), Fintan Bradley (for Dara Martin, 47 mins).
Subs – Fintan Bradley
COLAISTE NAOMH CORMAC: Cillian Spain (Drumcullen); Luke Bracken (Kilcormac/Killoughey), James Mahon (K/K), Mark Mulrooney (K/K); Richard Bracken (K/K), Brecon Kavanagh (K/K), Oisin Guinan (K/K); Colin Spain (K/K), Harry Sweeney (K/K); Leigh Kavanagh (K/K), Daniel Hand (K/K), Ciaran Scully (K/K); James Hennessy (Drumcullen), Alex Kavanagh (K/K), Adam Screeney (K/K). Sub. Dylan Hollywood (Drumcullen) (for Ciaran Scully, 39 mins).
