Back row. Left to right. Frank Fitzsimmons, Pat O’connor, Chris Murphy, Gerry MCConville, Dominic Mc Enhill, Paul McErlean, Enda McAtamney, Aidan Donnelly. Front Row L to R Donal Armstrong, Locky McCurdy, Ciaran Hamill, Andy Healy, Joe Kennedy, Sean McKenna, Lenny Harbinson
St Patrick’s Rasharkin completed an impressive double when they claimed the Allianz Ireland Cumann na mbunscoil indoor hurling title in Antrim Forum. The Rasharkin lads lifted the football title earlier in the year and were impressive throughout the day to claim another trophy.
10 schools were present at the indoor competition, giving an initial two groups of five.
Group 1 consisted of Mount St Michaels Randalstown, St Mary’s Portglenone, St Colmcille’s Ballymena, St Oliver Plunkett’s Toome and St Joseph’s Crumlin.
Group 2 comprised St Patrick’s Rasharkin, St Brigid’s Ballymena, Mary Queen of Peace Glenravel, Moneynick PS and Millquarter PS.
The top three in each group qualified for the cup and bottom two for the shield, the eventual finalists of the cup, Mount St Michael’s and St Patrick’s came through their groups with 100% records. They were given titanic battles in the semi-finals with both coming through extremely tight games to overcome Mary Queen of Peace and St Brigid’s respectively.
The final saw St Patrick’s race into a 3 goal lead only to be pegged back by 2 Mount St Michael’s efforts leading to a tense few minutes. The Rasharkin boys held firm however to continue what has been an extremely successful year for them.
The shield also saw a very tight final between St Oliver Plunkett’s and Moneynick with extra time and penalties required before the Toome School emerged victorious.
A big congratulations to both schools and indeed all the boys who took part in a great days hurling.
St Pius X Magherafelt 1-15 Rathmore Grammar 2-11 AET
Rathmore’s were denied a place in the semi-final of the McLarnon Cup when St Pius scored a last minute point from a free at the end of extra time in Tuesday’s quarter final at Owenbeg. The Belfast boys had led by a point at half time and when they went three clear with just five minutes left of normal time they looked to be on course for a place in the last four. However St Pius picked off the scores in the run-in and a fantastic point from out on the wing by Cathal Donnelly took the game to extra time.
Rathmore were under pressure at the start of the game but they soaked it up and went two points clear to lead by 0-03 to 0-01 after twenty minutes, the scores coming from Christopher Robb, Aodhan O’Hanlon and Joe Logan. However St Pius full forward Cathal Scullion was proving a real handful for the Rathmore defence and he kept his team in touch with a couple of excellent scores, though they trailed by a point at the break.
Joseph Logan stretched the Rathmore lead to two early in the second half but St Pius fought back and went a point ahead on 45 minutes. The sides were level soon afterwards and it looked to be anyone’s game, but when Rathmore’s Eoin Sherry got in for a brilliant goal they Belfast side appeared to be on course for the win. However St Pius never panicked and they reeled off three points to take the game to extra time, the final score excellently taken by Scullion.
The excitement grew even more in extra time and after falling behind in the second minute Padraic O’Connell and Ronan Taylor pointed to put Rathmore back in front.
Thing again looked good when Pádraig Donaghy landed a beauty from distance a couple of minutes into the second half but St Pius hit back when substitute Dualta Donnelly came on as a sub to fire home a goal.
Rathmore got themselves back on level terms when Eoin Sherry got his second goal with time almost up, but Scullion’s brilliant late score proved a heart-breaking blow for the Belfast side as the Derry school booked a semi-final spot.
St Pius X: D Donnelly 1-0, C Scullion 0-5, 4 frees, J Connery 0-4, 1 free, E Spiers and P Donaghy 0-2 each, C Rocks and O Doherty (f) 0-1 each
Rathmore: E Sherry 2-0, J Logan 0-5, 4 frees, R Taylor 0-2, P O’Connell, I Robinson, A O’Hanlon and C Robb 0-1 each.
St Pius X: E Martin, R Coway, C martin, F McIvor, Z Gavigan, C Rocks, E Spiers, P Donaghy, J Connery, R Lennox, D Devlin, C Kane, J O’Neill, C Scullion, E Musgrave.
Subs: O Doherty for J O’Neill (58), F Grimes for E Spiers (69), C O’Neill for R Conway (73), D Donnelly (73).
Rathmore: C Smith, J Ward, S Doyle, C Taggart, P O’Connell, D McGurk, J Hetherington, E Sherry, I Robinson, R Taylor, A O’Hanlon, M Lloyd, C Robb, J Logan, C O’Connell.
Subs: C Friel for C Robb (50), F McCann for J Hetherington.
Referee: M McGeehan (Ballinderry)
TO SEE MORE OF BERTS PICS FROM THE GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup, Round One – Davitt Park
St Mary’s UC 1-16 Queen’s University, Belfast 1-9
At the fourth time of asking St Mary’s UC made a great start to their Sigerson Cup campaign when they beat their Belfast rivals Queen’s University at Davitt Park on Sunday.
The game had been fixed three times last week, but the severe cold spell took its toll each time, but the weather conditions on Sunday turned out to be excellent and it was all systems go.
QUB had the better of things in the opening half and appeared to be in a strong position when they led at the break by two points. However St Mary’s grew into the game the further the game went on and after drawing level in the 48th minute they pushed on to dominate the final ten minutes to win by four in the end.
Antrim county player Ryan McQuillan pointed Queens ahead in the early stages, though Sean Quigley soon had St Mary’s back on terms with a fine long range point. However Queens held the upper hand as the opening quarter progressed and they went 0-03 to 0-01 ahead with points from corner forward Luke Donnelly and goalkeeper Oran McGrath, who foraged upfield to help his forwards out. Daniel Haigney cut the gap back to a single point but Ryan McQuillan and Padraig Purcell hit back for Queens to give them a three point cushion.
St Mary’s responded well and two well taken points from Sean Rock and Fergal O’Brien to cut the deficit to a single point, but a goal from full forward Ryan McQuillan swung the momentum back in Queens’ favour and put them four clear with just seven minutes of the opening half to play. St Mary’s appeared to be in danger of being cut adrift but they had the better of things in the run into half time and points from Niall McKenna and Sean Rock cut the gap back to just two by half time. (1-6 to 0-07)
A Fergal O’Brien points early in the new half cut the deficit to the minimum for the Falls Road men, and even though Fergal O’Brien put Queens two ahead once again, it was clear the momentum was swinging it St Mary’s favour and point from McKenna and Reavey brought them level. After soaking up a lot of pressure Queens went back ahead with a Patrick McGurk point and you began to wonder if St Mary would rue their missed chances, but two Niall McKenna points got them back in front and the confidence began to grow.
Corner back Brian Conway brought Queens level again and you wondered if they could hold on, despite St Mary’s dominance from play. However the Falls Road college were not to be denied and they produced a storming finish with McKenna leading the line, the full forward ending with seven in a man of the match display. Goalkeeper Shea Magill got on the scoreboard with a pointed free while centre forward Sean Rock put the icing on the cake with a well taken goal.
Both teams are on the road this week with St Mary’s travelling to TU Dublin, while Queens make the journey to Galway.
ST MARY’S: S Magill (0-1, 45); J Donnelly, F Murdock, M Hynes; D Haigney (0-1), M McCallan, S O’Donnell; D Treanor, F O’Brien (0-2); D Mooney, S Rock (1-3, 0-2f), S Quigley (0-1); C Logan, N McKenna (0-7, 4f, 1m), D Logue. Subs: C Reavey (0-1) for C Logan (40), C Walsh for D Mooney (60+4)
QUB: O McGrath (0-1); B Conway (0-1), J McErlaine, R Boyle; L Downey, L McBride, P McGurk (0-1); M Laverty, J Lenaghan; A Crimmins, P Purcell (0-1), D Higgins; R Cassidy, R McQuillan (1-2), L Donnelly (0-3, 2f, 1 m). Subs: C Love for L Donnelly (40), L McManus for P Purcell (46), J O’Hara for R Boyle (52).
REFEREE: Enda Mallon (Armagh)
TO SEE MORE OF BERT’S PICS FROM THE GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
FonaCAB Ulster Minor Football Tournament at St Pauls
O’Donovan Rossa, Magherafelt 0-09-1-08 Four Masters
Kevin Herron reports from Pairc Naomh Pol
DARRAGH Griffin’s palmed goal at the beginning of the second half ensured that Four Masters retained the Jimmy McConville Cup after a fantastic spectacle saw the holders run out 1-08-0-09 winners over Magherafelt at the Shaws Road venue on New Year’s Day.
The sides cancelled each other out in the opening half with Griffin’s goal giving his side the advantage for the first time and it was one they didn’t relinquish as they became the first team since Glen to successfully defend their crown and followed in the footsteps of fellow Donegal side Killybegs- who won back-to-back honours in the 1980s.
Holly Donnelly and her dad Aidan present the Anne Marie Donnelly Player of the Match awards to Four Masters Kevin Muldoon after his team’s win over Magherafelt
Both sides made a late change as Darragh Griffin replaced Thomas Lenehan for Four Masters and Michael McKenna came in for Caolan Higgins for Magherafelt.
Magherafelt were ahead inside of a minute when Conall Higgins guided a pass low into the path of Cahair Spiers and he laid off to Jude Beattie to pop over.
Spiers swung over a free to extend his sides lead and their third score came from an advanced mark after Lorcan Higgins chipped a ball into Kian Maynes- who claimed the mark- and converted.
It took until the 13th minute for the holders to get off and running on the scoreboard. Oisin Doherty slipped a ball into the path of Tiarnan McBride, under pressure McBride popped the ball out to Conor Gallagher McCahill to drop over an angled score.
A converted 45’ from Magherafelt keeper Karl Campbell restored his sides three-point advantage, but Four Masters got to grips with things as the half progressed.
Conor Gallagher McCahill swung over a close-range free and a Tómas Carr kicked a magnificent 45’ against the wind on the 23rd minute.
They had the chance to claim the opening goal when Kevin Muldoon burst forward and laid off to Tómas Carr, he in turn found McCahill to send a low attempt across the face of goal and wide.
Just before the break Four Masters restored parity, Carr popped the ball into the path of Callum McCrea and his quick lay-off allowed Oisin Doherty to blast over and make it 0-04 apiece at the interval.
The opening score arrived four minutes into the second period, and it would prove decisive at the conclusion.
Tómas Carr kicked a ball into the forward line that Tiarnan McBride got a flick to and the outstretched palm of Darragh Griffin guided the ball beyond the reach of Karl Campbell and into the net to make it 1-04-0-04.
Magherafelt’s Kian Maynes sends over an early free
A super point followed from Conor Gallagher McCahill but Lorcan Higgins weaved his way forward and landed a fantastic reply to lift Magherafelt.
Two scores inside a minute before the midway point in the half strengthened Four Masters grip, Turlough Carr fed brother Tómas to clip over and after McCahill was hauled down- Oisin Doherty converted the free.
Points were exchanged between Rory Small and Turlough Carr as the gap remained at five with less than 10-minutes remaining.
Magherafelt rallied with Conall Higgins swinging a shot over following a move involving Rory Small and Cahair Spiers and he then kicked a magnificent angled free to leave a goal in things with four minutes left.
The Derry side sensed a chance of an equaliser after Lorcan Higgins intercepted a wayward pass by Theo Colhoun and played a one-two with Ronan Ferris before a heavy hit from Eoghan O’Neill brought the chance to a conclusion, with Conall Higgins converting the free and reducing arrears in the process.
The much-needed goal that Magherafelt sought wouldn’t arrive in the closing stages and both sides lost men in added time.
Theo Colhoun rose highest to claim goalkeeper Lewis McCaughan’s kick-out and he slipped a pass to Kevin Muldoon- who was taken out by substitute Michael Lavery, and he received a black card for his troubles.
The subsequent free clipped the large post from McCahill’s effort and Turlough Carr was then black-carded for a pull-down as Magherafelt attempted to break-out of defence.
There was still enough time for Magherafelt to clutch victory from the jaws of defeat, but Kian Maynes late shot was deflected over and referee Colm McDonald’s final whistle brought proceedings to an end as Four Masters celebrated back-to-back triumphs in the competition
St Paul’s chairperson Caroline McLaughlin and Sean Walsh of tournament sponsors fonaCAB presents the cup to joint captains of Four Masters Terence McGovern (19) and Callum McCrea after the game
O’Donovan Rossa, Magherafelt: K Campbell (0-1 45’), T Cartin, Z Gavigan, R Conway, M McKenna, R Small (0-1), C Kerr, J Beattie (0-1), C Spiers (0-1), C Leacock, E Spiers, L Higgins (0-1), K Maynes (0-1m), C Higgins (0-3, 0-2f), M Higgins. Subs: M Lavery for M Higgins (28), R Ferris for E Spiers (51).
Four Masters: L McCaughan, K Muldoon, D McGinty, E O’Neill. C Gavigan, C McCrea, A Quinn, Tómas Carr (0-2,0-1 45’), T Colhoun, P McGonagle, Turlough Carr (0-1), D Griffin (1-0), C Gallagher McCahill (0-3, 0-1f), T McBride, O Doherty (0-2, 0-1f). Subs: A McHugh for D Griffin (52).
Referee: Colm McDonald (Naomh Gall)
TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THE FINAL CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
