AIB Ulster Club JFC semi-final
Collegeland 1-4 Naomh Pádraig Uisce Chaoin 1-11
Naomh Pádraig, Uisce Chaoin were worthy winners over Collegeland on Saturday evening at O’Neills Healy Park, Omagh as they cruised through to next week’s Ulster Club JFC final, where they will face Derry’s Craigbane.
The Donegal champions started without Kevin Lynch and Caolan McColgan (who came on in the second half), led from the first whistle and didn’t look in danger of getting caught.
Cookstown joint-manager Jason Quinn doesn’t underestimate the challenge of Four Masters in the Ulster semi-final
“It was tough on my mum and dad. I knew I was self-destructing. And I also knew the next phase of that, if I had carried on, it was not being here. I was in a very dark place...” - the life and times of Caolan Mooney
They built up a head of steam early on, racing into a six-point lead, and never looked backed.
Collegeland did offer a challenge at the end of the first half but couldn’t make it count in front of the posts and only registered one point, coming in the 26th minute, during the entire first half.
Jonathan Toye was outstanding at centre half-back and he opened the scoring inside the opening 25 seconds when he powered over a point which kick-started Naomh Pádraig’s early scoring spree.
Cormac McColgan, who finished with three points on the day, also split the posts before Toye added a second. Rory Hirrell, Michael McCarron and Kevin Doherty (free) raised white flags to give Daniel McCauley’s men a 6-0 advantage after 18 minutes.
They could have extended the lead with the game’s first goal opportunity, but Eunan Mullan’s attempt was turned away by Collegeland keeper Niall Brady, who made a similar outstanding stop after the turnaround from Caolan McColgan.
Collegeland started to come into the game a wee bit more and finally got their end of the scoreboard ticking through Jason Kelly. That was the final exchange of the opening period, however, with Naomh Pádraig leading 0-6 to 0-1 after 30 minutes of play.
That margin grew after the turnaround as Ronan Hoy and Cormac McColgan fired over scores, before Caolan McQuaid pulled one back for Armagh’s representatives. Then came the first goal of the day and it cemented Naomh Pádraig’s control.
Man-of-the-match Toye slipped when kicking a 45 but Drew McKinney punched the ball home when it dangerously dropped in and around the square, providing his team with a nine-point cushion.
Kelly and McColgan swapped scores before McQuaid offered Collegeland a fighting chance with an expertly-taken goal, but Naomh Pádraig responded with two points on the trot from Hirrell.
McQuaid fired over a late free which made little difference in terms of the result and it’s Naomh Pádraig who march on to the provincial showpiece for the first time in their history.
Scorers
Naomh Pádraig R Hirrell (f) & Cormac McColgan 0-3 each; D McKinney 1-0; J Toye 0-2; M McCarron, K Doherty (1f) & R Hoy 0-1 each
Collegeland C McQuaid 1-2 (0-1f); J Kelly 0-2 (0-1f)
