Danske Bank Reihill Cup final

St Malachy’s Castlewellan 9-17 St Benedict’s Randalstown 5-9

ST Benedict’s Randalstown paid the price for a slow start to each half in An Spórtlann in Monday’s Danske Bank Reihill Cup final. 

St Malachy’s Castlewellan were 1-6 up before they scored in the first half and the south west-Antrim outfit did well to reel them in to 2-9 to 2-6 by half-time.

However the Down school produced a devastating start to the second half and deservingly retained the title in what really was a goal-fest.

There were 14 goals scored over the hour and half of that total came from the stick of Fiachna McAleenan – two in the first half and then the first five in the second half for the St Malachy’s joint-captain.

He had the sliotar in the St Benedict’s net in the fourth minute after early points from his cousin Pauric McAleenan, Eoghan McGurnaghan and Pádraig Owens. Castlewellan added three more points – through Pádraig Owens, Pauric McAleenan (free) and McGurnaghan, before St Benedict’s got off the mark.

Even after Ethan McLaverty pointed a long-range free for Randalstown in the 10^th minute, Castlewellan continued to dominate with further points from Owens and Fiachna McAleenan making it 1-8 to 0-1 with just 12 minutes gone.

However St Benedict’s lifted their game for the rest of the half and closed the gap significantly.  Points from Rorie Martin and Eoin Carey were followed by a goal when a first time pull from Kyron Shannon hit the Castlewellan net.

Fiachna McAleenan scored his second goal in the 17^th minute. But that was St Malachy’s last score of the half and points quickly followed from Shannon (two) and Martin. Then Rorie Martin squeezed a shot home at the near post and suddenly the game was wide open again at 2-9 to 2-6.

However things changed rapidly after the throw-in for the second half when midfielder Fiachna McAleenan was fouled and picked up a leg injury. St Malachy’s moved him to full-forward while he recovered and accidentally pulled off a master stroke. 

The Liatroim Fontenoys’ player buried goals in the 3^rd, 8^th, 10^th and 12^th minutes to complete a double hat-trick and put his side into a 6-13 to 2-8 lead. St Benedict’s were shell shocked and the Reihill Cup was as good as on its way back to mid-Down.

Another McAleenan, Pauric (three) and club-mate Matthew O’Shea added the four points while the goals were flying in. Fiachna buried his seventh goal in the 17th minute of the half before St Benedict’s captain Thomas Neeson began a late rally that delivered three goals and a point over the final ten minutes.

Pauric McAleenan answered Neeson’s goal with one at the other end and Pádraig Morgan fired home a ninth goal for the winners. However there was still time for Jack Nichol and Kyron Shannon to grab late goals for the mid-Antrim side.

St Benedict’s were physically strong and at times Neeson, Shannon and Martin troubled Castlewellan’s defence only to find diminutive goalie and joint-captain Daithí Brown in superb form. Elsewhere Eoin Carey and Ethan McLaverty put in a good shift for the Randalstown side.

However St Malachy’s, who were built around many of the Liatroim Fontenoys team that collected a first ever Down Division 1 Féile na nGael title a few days earlier, showed a lot of deft touches and were able to move the sliotar quickly into the scoring area. Fiachna McAleenan was the best player on show, but there were also fine performances from Owen Gallagher, Pádraig Owens, Daithí O’Hare and Pauric McAleenan.

St Malachy’s: Daithí Brown, Cathal Doran, Owen Gallagher, Miceal Curran, Jay O’Hare, Pádraig Owens 0-5, 2 frees, Patrick Feeney, Daithí O’Hare, Fiachna McAleenan 7-1, Pádraig Bannon, Pauric McAleenan 1-8, 0-5 frees, Eoin McGurnaghan 0-2, Pádraig Morgan 1-0, Matthew O’Shea 0-1, Harry King

Subs used: Darragh Rodgers, Dualtach O’Hare, Leo Burns, Louis Grant, Rory Quinn, Aidan McVeigh

St Benedict’s: James óg Letters, Corey Carroll, Alfie McNally, Kayden Townsend, Odhran Magill, Eoin Carey 0-1 free, Ciaran Redmond, Ryan McCann, Ethan McLaverty 0-1 free, Kyron Shannon 2-2, Thomas Neeson 1-2, Rorie Martin 1-3, Dillon Loughran, Jack Nichol 1-0, Cahir Sisk

Subs used: Joshua Tsokela, Joseph Tsokela, Conall McLarnon, Dualta Letters, Tyler Hughes

Referee: Eamon Mulvenna

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