St Killian’s win MacNamee Cup for 3rd time in 4 years

Danske Bank MacNamee Cup final

St Killian’s Garron Tower 2-6 St Mary’s CBGS Belfast 0-5

HOLDERS St Killian’s Garron Tower collected the Danske Bank MacNamee Cup for the third time in four seasons after a tense, exciting final in Randalstown yesterday afternoon.

They got the opening score and the final score, both goals, but in between the school on the Antrim coast had to battle for every ball against a physically strong St Mary’s CBGS side in which Caoimhin Rainey and Cormac Austin shone brightly in defence.

When James Duffy and Michael Darragh teamed up in midfield there was a battle royale with the excellent Cormac McKeown and Orrin O’Connor, but the Tower defence really closed out their attack with only Darragh Cunningham able to make any headway.

Cathan Graham and full-back Niall Hynds gave little away at the back and goalie John Mitchel dealt safely with anything that came through. Cailin Devlin and Callum McIlwaine were others to catch the eye in the Tower side.

In hindsight Oisin Woodhouse’s goal in the second minute was a key score as it immediately put pressure on the team from the Glen Road. The rest of the half saw both defences on top with Cormac Austin scoring points either side of Daragh Cunnigham’s 18th minute point and replies coming from Joseph McLaughlin and Cormac McKeown for St Killian’s.

1-2 to 0-3 ahead at the break, McLaughlin kept St Killian’s ticking over with three points, two from frees, during the third quarter.

Austin pulled one back for St Mary’s midway through the half but Callum McIlwaine made it 1-6 to 0-4 before Phelim Ward cleverly turned inside to fire to the net off his left in the 55th minute and the Cup was on its way back to Garron Tower.

St Killian’s : John Mitchell, Niall Magee, Niall Hynds, Cathan Graham, Cailin Devlin, Stephen McAuley, Austin Birt, Cormac McKeown (0-1), Callum McIlwaine (0-1), Peadar McDonnell, Orrin O’Connor, Charlie McAuley, Joseph McLaughlin (0-4, 0-3 frees), Phelim Ward (1-0), Oisin Woodhouse (1-0).
Subs : Eamon Ward for O Woodhouse (42), Odhran McCambridge, Callagh Mooney, Oisin Mort, Thomas McLaughlin, James Kearney, Cahir McNaughton, Colla Ward, Daniel Douthart, John Scullion, Joseph McKay, Aodhan Campbell, Alex McCambridge, Fintan McKillop

St Mary’s CBGS : Joshua Southern, Enda McGurk, Odhran Cosgrove, Conor Corr, Michael Marlow, Cormac Austin, Caoimhin Rainey, Michael Darragh, James Wilson, Daire Cunningham, Fionn Jemfrey, James Duffy, Niall May, Gareth McBurney-Heggarty, Lorcan McCallin
Subs : Callum Fegan-Lappin for G McBurney-Hegarty, Eoin Mullan for J Southern, Shea Cunningham for L McCallin, Cormac Barnes for N May, Fintan McKinney for C Corr
Referee : Sean McGuigan (Slaughtneil)

Thanks to Sean Paul McKillop for the photographs