St Killian’s write their name in the history books

Ulster Champions power their way to All Ireland title

Masita Paddy Buggy Cup Final (All-Ireland senior schools B hurling)

Man of the match Cormac McKeown cebrates with team trainer Declan McKiernan after St Killian’s win over Munster champions Blackwater CS of Waterford in Saturday’s Paddy BUggy Cup final at Abbotstown, Dublin. Pic by John McIlwaine

St Killian’s Garron Tower (Antrim) 4-13 Blackwater CS, Lismore (Waterford) 0-13

St Killian’s wrote their name in the history books at Abbotstown on Saturday when they powered their way to the school’s first All Ireland title, sweeping aside the challenge of Blackwater Community School in the final of the Paddy Buggy Cup.

There were some concerns among the Antrim champions when they were asked to play with the strong wind in the opening half and the feeling was that they needed a substantial lead by half time. However it couldn’t have worked out better from the boys from the Tower as they sprung from the traps like an express train, scoring three goals in the opening twelve minutes, plus adding three points for good measure to got twelve points clear before the Munster boys had even troubled the umpires.

***Tower full forward Oran McCambridge who was a constant threat to the Blackwater defence***

Blackwater CS made a bit of a comeback in the last ten minutes of the first half but the Tower were still 3-08 to 0-6 clear by the interval. There were signs in the early stages of the second half that the Waterford side were going to make a game of it as they hit three very good points, but St Killian’s started to settle again and team captain Joseph McLaughlin settled his team with three points. The gap remained at nine until the 54^th minute when a brilliantly taken goal by Orrin O’Connor ended any chance of a comeback.

Joseph McLaughlin led the Garron Tower charge, but his half-forward colleague Cormac McKeown picked up the Player of the Match award to add to the one he collected in the provincial final.

Orrin O’Connor with two of those opening three goals was another to worry the Lismore defence, while at the other end the St Killian’s corner-backs John Scullion and Colla Ward closed out the threat of Stephen Murphy and Ben O’Sullivan.

Joseph McDonnell, Joseph O’Keefe and Jake Henley got on a lot of ball, but the gap the Tower opened in the first 12 minutes was just too much for the Waterford side to close.

McLaughlin hit the opening goal in the second minute, finishing a fine move involving Cormac McKeown and Oran McCambridge. Worse was to follow two minutes later when a high ball from Callagh Mooney was taken down for O’Connor to find the net. The third goal in the 12th minute was quite similar with McKeown’s high delivery dropping in on the Lismore goalie and McCambridge diverted it over the line.

***Orrin O’Connor celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal***

Man of the match Cormac McKeown jumps for joy after his long delivery into the Blackwater CS goalmouth was flicked on by St Killian’s full forward Oran McCambridge before being fired home by Orrin O’Connor in Saturday’s Paddy BUggy Cup final at Abbotstown, Dublin. Pic by John McIlwaine

Blackwater hit a decent spell with four unanswered points between the 20th and 27th minutes, but St Killian’s finished the half strongly with points from McCambridge and McKeown (two) and the Ulster champions led by 3-8 to 0-6 at half time.

Lismore started the second half with three points inside six minutes from Charlie Lineen, Joe O’Keefe and a Cummins free, before McLaughlin landed three points in reply to get St Killian’s back on course. Although Murphy, Adam Cummins and O’Keefe then found the range, the gap was still 3-12 to 0-12 with 54 minutes gone.

The north Antrim side then slammed the door shut with a lightening moved that put Orrin O’Connor through for their fourth goal.

Frustration led to two late red cards for the Munster champions. It mattered little because St Killian’s had already set off the celebrations around the pitch.

St Killian’s Niall Magee raises this hand in celebration as he watches his shot head towards the target. As it turned out the ball went inches wide, but in the end it didn’t matter as the Ulster champions had plenty to spare

St Killian’s: O McCambridge 2-1, J McLaughlin 1-8, 0-5 frees, O O’Connor 1-0, C Mckeown 0-3, C McAuley 0-1

Blackwater: B Cummins 0-5 frees, J O’Keefe 0-3, 2 frees, A Cummins 0-2, S Murphy, B O’Sullivan and C Lineen 0-1 each.

St Killian’s: T McLaughlin, C Ward, C Devlin, J Scullion, A Birt, C McAuley, N Magee, C McIlwaine, C Mooney, C McKeown, J McLaughlin, O O’Connor, M Furey, O McCambridge, N Hynds.

Subs: E Ward forC Devlin (48), P McDonnell for M Furey (59), A McCambridge for N Hynds (60 + 2), C Graham for N Magee (60 + 3)

Blackwater: B Murphy, J Twomey, T Ahern, C Lynch, T Duffin, J Henley, C McCarthy, Joseph McDonnell, J O’Keefe, C Lineen, A Cummins, J Hickey, S Murphy, B Cummins, B O’Sullivan.

Subs: S Barry for C Lineen (50), H Quinn for J Hickey(59), Jack McDonnell for C McCarthy (60 + 2)

M Redmond (Kildare)

Conor McKeown receives the man of the match award while Joe McLaughlin receives the Paddy Buggy Cup, both throphies presented bySean McGourty of All Ireland Colleges