Danske Bank Pat King Cup final (football)
Coláiste Feirste 0-12 St Joseph’s, Crossmaglen 1-7
COLÁISTE Feirste’s speed out of the starting blocks was instrumental in them claiming the Danske Bank Pat King Cup at sunny, but cold Mayobridge yesterday morning against St Joseph’s, Crossmaglen.
The Falls’ Road school hit the first five points through Tomás Mac Adaim and Shae Mac Aoidh and it was all of 18 minutes before St Joseph’s got their first score, a penalty goal from Josh King.
It wasn’t that the south Armagh side was struggling as a team, more that Coláiste Feirste net-minder Fionn Ó Brannuibh was in great form, stopping shots and with his kick-outs, while corner-back Luke O’Dea and midfielder Ruairí Ó Scolláin were also prominent.
King and Oran Leneghan added points for Crossmaglen before the break but they still trailed by 0-8 to 1-2 at the turnover, with Nathan Mac Cionnaith and Séadhna Mac Conluain adding to the Belfast side’s total.
Crossmaglen came more into the game in the second half, but they simply couldn’t reel in the interval lead, with Coláiste Feirste able to respond to every score from the Cross players.
There was just a point from each side during the third quarter, but over the next 10 minutes the Belfast side stretched their lead to four points.
Cross scored three times over the final five minutes, but Coláiste Feirste held on for an historic victory, all the more tasty as they weren’t able to call on the services of their talented centre half-back Daniel Mervyn, a point recognised when they raised the six jersey for the team photograph at the close of play.
Danske Bank Irish News Cup final (football)
Moville CC v Scoil Mhuire, Buncrana (today, Moville, 11am)
THE Danske Bank Irish News Cup competition will finish as it began over two months ago with a head-to-head between two schools around half-an-hour’s drive apart on the Inishowen peninsula.
Scoill Mhuire won that high-scoring opening group game by 7-14 to 7-10 and then drew with Pobalscoil na Rosann.
That meant that the school that draws its players from just two clubs – Bun an Phobail and Naomh Pádraig – had a quarter-final against Breifne College, Cavan that they won fairly handily.
They were also impressive against another south Ulster side, Coláiste Oiriall from Monaghan, in the semi-final, bringing their goal tally to 20 over the four games.
They have a couple of lads who have featured in Donegal development panels, Cillian Lynch and Bobby Lee, while defenders Jamie Cavanagh, Kian Doherty and Martin McColgan in defence and the impressive Oisín O’Hare, along with Mark Falkner and Senan Doyle, are others who have stood out in a campaign that has been gathering pace in every game.
Scoil Mhuire had that poor start and even lost their next game to Pobalscoil na Rosann; at one stage they were 16 points down, but clawed it back to a five-point defeat.
However, they put all that behind them when they reached the knock-out stages with a comfortable win against St Mogue’s, Bawnboy followed by a seven-point semi-final win over Pobalscoil na Rosann.
Key players through the competition have been Oisin O’Callaghan, Peter Bradley, Andrew McLaughlin and Danny Friel – but the last couple of results have been achieved more by the collective, than by individual heroics.
Both teams play a strong running game and this final could well be a shoot-out on a par with that first-round meeting.
Moville will be slight favourites, but Scoil Mhuire have already overturned a defeat at the group stages.
