Danske Bank Gallagher Cup semi-final
CPC 5-20 St Mary’s CBGS 2-07
Cross and Passion College, Ballycastle delivered a commanding performance against St Mary’s CBGS Belfast in the Danske Bank Gallagher Cup semi-final at Dunsilly. CPC opened the game strongly, establishing early dominance with well-taken points from Iarla Gillan, Killian Cassidy, and Liam Lynn. By the sixth minute, Daire Kearney had soloed through for another point to put the Ballycastle side four up. St Mary’s finally got on the scoreboard in the seventh minute through Ben Gamble, but CPC’s momentum was unrelenting and Kearney, McShane, and Cassidy added further points, and after a goal attempt struck the post, Gillan accurately converted the resulting 65-metre free. Iarlaith O’Kane kept the scoreboard ticking over with a point following a superb catch, and Cassidy landed a stoppage-time point from the 45-metre line to compound the pressure.
The dominance eventually told in front of the net in the 22nd minute when Dara McShane raised the game’s first green flag, finishing a rebound after the St Mary’s goalkeeper parried the initial shot. Six minutes later, Liam Lynn fired in a second goal for CPC, firmly establishing their control of the tie. Iarla Gillan added a great point from 50 metres out, though St Mary’s managed a brief positive finish to the half with an excellent point from Dylan Hand McCallin. Despite this, CPC carried a formidable and well-deserved 2-12 to 0-02 lead into the halftime break.
CPC resumed the second half with the same intensity, with O’Kane and Gillan slotting early points. However, St Mary’s performed much better in the second period, sparked largely by the tactical decision to move their number 14, Dylan Hand McCallin, further out the field. This adjustment paid immediate dividends as St Mary’s rallied with three consecutive points: McCallin converted a free, Dara Ward struck beautifully from outside the 45, and Daire Burke added another. McCallin then produced a moment of individual magic, scoring a brilliant left-sided point on the run. CPC weathered this resurgence with a point off the ground from McShane and a well-taken score from substitute John Og Darragh shortly after his introduction.
The Ballycastle side struck for their third goal in the 20th minute. Following a run and shot by Tom Richmond that was saved, Dara McShane was on hand to send the parried ball into the net for his second goal of the afternoon. St Mary’s continued to fight valiantly and were incredibly unlucky not to find the net themselves when two consecutive near-misses rattled the crossbar. CPC capitalised on these let-offs when Daire Kearney broke through to finish a low shot to the corner for a fourth goal. Cassidy and Kearney added further points from distance before St Mary’s produced the score of the game; a delicately finished goal by Dylan Hand McCallin following a slick pass from Ben Gamble. McCallin added another point in the 31st minute, ending the half well for the Belfast school, though they were never going to bridge the considerable gap. After O’Kane sent a late goal chance high over the bar, final points from John Og Darragh and Dara McShane capped off a comprehensive victory for Cross and Passion College to set up a final meeting next week with St Pat’s Maghera.
Cross and Passion College: 1 Liam McClelland, 2 Cillian Bellew, 3 Ben Linton, 4 Kevin Gillan, 5 Malachy McSparran, 6 Pearse McMullan, 7 Caleb McCaughan, 8 Killian Cassidy, 9 Rory McCloskey, 10 Iarlaith O’Kane, 11 Daire Kearney, 12 Iarla Gillan, 13 Liam Lynn, 14 Tom Richmond, 15 Dara McShane.
St Mary’s CBGS Belfast: 1 Aidan Holbrook, 2 Fionntan Burns, 3 Oliver Crossan, 4 Oran McCann, 5 Eoghan Herron, 6 Darragh Loughran, 7 Seanna Rice, 8 Dara Ward, 9 Ben Gamble, 10 Daire Burke, 11 Anton Corr, 12 Lorcan O’Rawe, 14 Dylan Hand McCallin, 15 Frazer McGivern.
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