THE big two in Ulster colleges football have the ammunition to produce another memorable Bank of Ireland MacRory Cup final at Casement Park today.
St Colman’s go into the decider having played the better football during the course of the campaign, yet few would be surprised to see St Patrick’s College Maghera raising their game to heights which would ensure their fourth MacRory crown in five years.
The Newry school after looking comfortably the most accomplished side in the competition before Christmas have showed more workmanlike tendencies in recent matches.
Indeed, after their free-scoring exploits of the autumn, the management may have been somewhat concerned by only two players registering on the scoresheet in the 2-4 to 1-6 semi-final win over Omagh CBS.
Aidan Fegan hit 1-4 of that total and, in the way that Armagh dangerman Padraig McKeever found himself double and treble marked by Maghera defenders in the semi-finals, the Annaclone lad could find himself receiving close attentions this afternoon.
However, potentially at least, this could leave spaces for the other St Colman’s attackers.
Centre half-forward Declan Morgan, son of Colman’s joint-manager Ray, Conor McCoy, full-forward Aidan Cole and recent addition to the side, Noel McElvanna, are all accomplished attackers although the latter two missed a number of good chances in the semi-final. Inevitably, any kind of midfield advantage for one of the teams would leave the other side with major difficulties.
The expected contest between Maghera’s Liam Diamond and John Fegan could prove the seminal duel in the centre-field sector.
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IRELAND will have three challengers for medals at this year’s EABA European Senior Championship finals in Minsk, Belarus in May. World top-10 rated middleweight Brian Magee of Holy Trinity ABC will be joined by Bernard Dunne (CIE) and Dealgan ABC’s Eugene McEneaney.
Irish hopes of further qualifiers for the finals disappeared in Venice last week when their six-man squad failed to make the cut at the last entry event, the Tornea Italia, with Michael Roche and Stephen Reynolds the last to go out.
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THE identity of exactly who will fill Inst’s number 10 jersey at Ravenhill this afternoon has been the source of much interest ahead of the Ulster Schools Cup final (3pm).
Coach Brian McLaughlin has refused to reveal which of the two out-halfs who almost single-handedly won the quarter-final, and then semi-final, for the Belfast school will be given the responsibility of trying to beat Coleraine and lift the side’s 25th Ulster Schools Cup title.
Derek McCombe, who scored 28 of RBAI’s points in the last eight victory over Regent House, sustained a groin injury before the semi-final with Belfast rivals Methody, giving Mark Meenan the chance to come off the bench and the youngster grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
Meenan turned in a man-of-the-match performance two weeks ago, scoring all of Inst’s 17 points, leaving McLaughlin with a selection headache of massive proportions.
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TWO young Ulster golfers have been chosen in the Irish Boys’ team for the international against Scotland at Ashburnham on April 7 and 8. They are Shandon Park colleagues Robin Symes and Gary Wardlow, the reigning Ulster Boys’ Champion.
The Irish team also includes: Michael Collins (Doneraile), Alan Harty (West Waterford), Michael McDermott (Stackstown), Sean McTiernan (Co Sligo), Mark O’Sullivan (Galway) and Mervyn Owens (Mallow).
The non-travelling reserve is James Clarke (Holywood) and the non-playing captain is Jimmy Greene.
