Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup final
St Joseph's, Donaghmore 4-10 Rathmore, Belfast 1-3
St Joseph's Donaghmore created history at the Dub on Friday night when they won their first-ever Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup title by overcoming Rathmore Grammar School in the final.
There was nothing between the sides in the first half but after the break Donaghmore assumed complete control to emerge emphatic winners in the end. Rathmore more than matched their opponents in the first half but their challenge then faded.
It was a tense affair in the first half with scores proving very difficult to come by. Rathmore got off to a dream start with a fourth minute goal. A free from Rory McErlean was punched clear by keeper Leo Quinn but Garrett Cowan hit the rebound first time into the net.
Donaghmore were having the better of things in terms of possession but they could find no way past a well organised Rathmore defence that had stars in Deaghlan Mooney, Conor Logue and Se Ferris.
The Belfast lads almost struck for a second goal in the 13th minute with Cowan the player who had the chance again, but this time Leo Hughes got back to clear the ball off the line.
It took St Joseph's until the 17th minute to open their account when a flowing move was finished off by Cormac Drayne before the same player converted a free. Donaghmore continued to push forward but time and time again they were turned over by the Rathmore defence.
Good work from James Rafferty then set up Darragh Donaghy for the equaliser before the Tyrone lads got their noses in front thanks to a point from midfielder John McKenna. It was Rathmore, though, who had the final say of the half from a McErlean free.
Donaghy had an early second-half point for the winners and they never looked back. Drayne then hit a superb point with the outside of his boot before a goal from Noah Grimes put daylight between the sides.
Conn Sweeney then pointed with his first touch after coming on before McKenna weighed in with a quality point as well. McErlean responded with a couple of frees for Rathmore but they were fighting a losing battle.
Wing half-back Conor O Neill hit a brilliant score before Drayne sent the ball to the net after he reacted first to it coming back off the post.
It was all St Joseph's now and a Donaghy free sailed all the way to the net late on.
A superb second-half display finished with an outstanding O'Neill goal as St Joseph's won with plenty to spare.
St Joseph's scorers: C Drayne 1-3; D Donaghy 1-2, C O Neill 1-1, N Grimes 1-1, J McKenna 0-2, C Sweeney 0-1
Rathmore scorers: G Cowan 1-0, R McErlean 0-3
