Gaelcholáiste Dhoire beat Aquinas in Casememt Cup final

Danske Bank Casement Cup final

Gaelcholáiste Dhoire 2-11 Aquinas, Belfast 0-11

For most of the first half of this Casement Cup final at the Dub, the boys from Ravenhill appeared to be on line to collect their first Casement Cup title, but they were hit with two goals inside a minute by a very good Gaelcholáiste Dhoire team who turned the game around with major scores from Finbar Ó Muirí and Peadar Pio Ó Duibhn to turn a 0-4 to 0-7 deficit into a 2-4 to 0-7 lead.

Those two goals were to prove the difference between the sides in the end, for though Aquinas were always in contention, those scores gave the Dungiven school the upper hand.

The Belfast school made a good start and were well deserving of their 0-7 to 0-4 lead, but Gaelcholáiste Dhoire always looked dangerous and when they opportunities presented themselves they took them with aplomb. Finbar Ó Muirí broke through on the left to fire home the first one while Peadar Pio Ó Duibhne showed great skill as he weaved his way through to fire home the second.

Aquinas looked strong in the opening minutes and playing down toward the Road end they went three ahead in the early stages. Gaelcholáiste captain Mike Ó Dubhghail-Ó Cinníde kept his team in touch before Tadhg Mac Ainmhire put them in front on 11 minutes.

However Aquinas pushed on with the next four points, two from John Dougan and one each for Ben Christie and James Kelly. They they were knocked back on their heels but they steadied the ship, but still trailed by three at the break. (2-5 to 0-8)

Dougan’s free on the re-start closed the gap to two, but Gaelcholáiste grew stronger as the game progressed and when Cathal Ó Mianáin sent over a suburb point they were in control. Aquinas kept battling against the odds and came close in the dying minutes when a 20 metre free was deflected onto the crossbar, but Derry boys were not to be outdone as the pushed on to take the Casement Cup in their first year in the competition.