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Danske Bank Ennis Cup final: Friday Jan 12: 11am in Mid Ulster Sports’ Arena Cookstown
St Patrick’s College, Dungannon v St Patrick’s, Dungiven
It is interesting to note how similar are the totals run up by the St Patrick’s schools of Dungiven and Dungannon on their way to today’s (11am) Danske Bank Ennis Cup final in the Mid Ulster Sports’ Arena Cookstown.
Both sets of forwards certainly know where the posts are and also how to kill off teams with goals, although at the same time a few opponents have punched holes in their own rear guards for goals too.
Dungannon, managed by former Tyrone ace Brian McGuckin, won their group fairly handily with victories over Lumen Christi, Edmund Rice Belfast and Dungannon Integrated and that allowed them to avoid a play-off to make the quarter finals.
St Joseph’s, Newry fell there and in the semi-final at the start of December they eased past St Kevin’s, Lisnaskea to make the decider.
Key players for them have been the local Clarke’s pair of Conor Hughes and Kenny Ximenes while Clonoe’s Patrick Purvis has led the attack well both in terms of spreading play out and also taking his own scores.
Dungiven’s unbeaten route to the final involved wins over St Mary’s, Limavady, Lumen Christi and De La Salle, Downpatrick and then knock-out victories against St Patrick’s Banbridge (who gave them their closest match, at 3-11 to 5-3) and Castleblayney College in the semi-final before the Christmas break.
Their goalkeeper, Brandon Deeney has been excellent all season while the engine room of the team has been the trio of Shea Harkin, Dara McGonigle and Cal Mullan, all from the local St Canice’s club, with Drum’s Caolan Hazlett the main scorer.
This is expected to be an open game of attacking football as both teams have been set up to attack through the competition.
With both also open at the back at times to quick counter-attacks, this could well be a very high-scoring game and, if that transpires, it will come down to the percentage of chances that are executed.
St Patrick’s College, Dungiven: B Deeney, F McIntyre, C Devlin, E Kealey, C Deeney, S Harkin, O McAteer, C Mullan capt, D McGonigle, C O'Neill, E McCloskey, S Millar, D Newland, C Hazlett, C O'Hara
Subs: C O'Neill, D Newland, J McCormick, K McLaughlin, L Gribben, O Murphy, O Duddy, R O'Hara, S McLaughlin
St Patrick’s College, Dungannon: K Kuizinas, A Lobato, P McGuinness, C McGahan, J O’Callaghan, C Hughes, R McAshea, K Ximenes, R McIntosh, S Boyle, P Purvis, D McCann, J Field, J Dillion, B Nammy
Subs: P Gomes, F Gross, D Hanna, R McIntyre, S Gates, D Hamill
