Gaelfast Year 10 Cup Football final

St Malachy’s 4-8 St Louis Ballymena 1-9

Two quick goals at the start of the second half were the key scores as St Malachy’s Belfast beat St Louis Ballymena in the final of the Gaelfast Year 10 Football Cup at Dunsilly on Wednesday evening. The boys from the Antrim Road looked to be in a strong position when they led by 1-5 to 0-4 at half time, the goal coming from Ronan Niblock. When the Belfast side started the second half with two quick goals, one from full forward Niblock and the other from corner forward Conor McCormick to stretch the lead to ten there was no way back for the Ballymena boys.

Midfielder Tiernan Conway led the line for St Malachy’s in the first half hitting two early points from frees and one from play, but two from play for the Ballymena boys from Conor Burns kept his side in touch. Thirteen minutes in full forward Ronan Niblock got St Malachy’s first goal and with Conway added two more points from frees the gap was out to four by half time. 1-5 to 0-4.

Despite St Louis goalkeeper Eoghan Smith making a good save in the opening minute of the second half Niblock was on hand to sweep the rebound home and when corner forward Conor McCormick followed up with his team’s third a minute later St Louis had a mountain to climb. Conor Burns, who was brilliant for St Louis, pulled a couple of points back for the Ballymena school, but St Malachy’s always held the upper hand. Patrick O’Boyle and Burns both came back with points for St Louis, and full forward Tom Convery got a late goal, but it was a case of too little, too late as St Malachy’s had already the seal win.