Danske Bank Gallagher Shield final:
St Louis Ballymena 3-11 Gaelcholáiste Dhoire 3-10
Pics by Bert Trowlen
IT wasn’t until added time at the end of this hard fought final in Slaughtneil that St Louis Ballymena gained parity on the score-board with Gaelcholáiste Dhoire through a Jack McQuillan goal after good work from Eoin Lorcán Bradley.
Thirty seconds later worse was to follow for the Dungiven Gaelscoil when McQuillan hit the winning point from an acute angle away out on the right side-line.
McQuillan was outstanding, keeping his side in touch from frees as they struggled for scores in the opening half and then drilling home two goals in last ten minutes to turn imminent defeat into an unlikely victory.
Eoin Lorcán Bradley’s cameos were also productive, while others to shine for the winners included Ollie McClements, Codie McGarry and PJ Molloy.
It was a tough lesson for the Derry side who had dominated large periods of this end of term Danske Bank Gallagher Shield final, but they didn’t quite put the result to bed. They had fine performances from Ailbhe Mac Con Midhe, Oisín Mag Uiginn, Fionn Ó Conaire and Cian Ó Ceallaigh.
Seán Pól Ó Ceallaigh hit the net twice in the opening 12 minutes to put them ahead as Ballymena struggled to get a foothold in the game. McQuillan hit six points, five from frees, but St Louis trailed by 3-5 to 0-7 at the break with Cian Ó Ceallaigh scoring a third goal for Gaelcholáiste in the 20th minute.
Within two minutes of the re-start Eoin Lorcán Bradley had poached a goal and a point and suddenly the lead was cut to three points. Despite Harry Ó Cearnaigh (two frees), and Cian Ó Ceallaigh opening that up to six before the end of the third quarter, St Louis Player of the Match McQuillan drilled a penalty to the net in the 54th minute.
Gaelcholáiste looked to have weathered the storm however when Cian Ó Ceallaigh made a gap of three points at the start of injury time. But it wasn’t enough and McQuillan nabbed the winning score 30 seconds before the long whistle to give his side the lead for the only time in the match.
St Louis: J McQuillan 2-9, 1-7 frees, EL Bradley 1-1, O McClements 0-1.
Gaelcholáiste: SP Ó Ceallaigh 2-0, C Ó Ceallaigh 1-4, H Ó Cearnaigh 0-5 frees, O Mag Uiginn 0-1.
St Louis: Harry McKay, Harry Blaney, Cormac Higgins, Thomas McGarry, Oisín O’Brien, Ollie McClements, Brian Agnew, Liam McKee, Daniel Butler, Codie McGarry, Jack McQuillan, Noah McCamphill, Éanna McGuckian, PJ Molloy, Eoin Lorcán Bradley.
Sub: MatthewCarey for N McCamphill (41)
Gaelcholáiste: Oisín Ó Lochlainn, Brógan Ó Dúill-Ó Cinnéide, Dónal Ó Murchú, Cillian Ó Dúill-Ó Cinnéide, Óisín Mag Uiginn, Odhrán Ó Cléirigh, Fionn Ó Conaire, Peadar Ó Ceallaigh, Dara Lochart, Seán Pól Ó Ceallaigh, Harry Ó Cearnaigh, Damhnaic Ó Ceallaigh, Cian Ó Ceallaigh, MJ Mac Oscair.
Subs: Dáithí Frainc Mac Ainmhire for D Ó Ceallaigh (35), Joe Ó Ceallaigh for D Lochart (49).
Referee: Fearghal Hurley (Lavey)