Scoileanna Thír Eoghain take Casement title

Danske Bank Casement Cup Final
from Kevin Kelly in An Lúb
Scoileanna Thír Eoghain 2-22 St Mary’s Magherafelt 2-9
History was made at the Loup last night as Scoileanna Thír Eoghain produced an outstanding display to comfortably see off the challenge of St Mary’s Magherafelt to win a first Ulster Schools’ Hurling Casement Cup for the County.
The Tyrone lads were the better side throughout and ran out deserving winners despite finishing the contest with 13 players, Magherafelt finishing with 14. They had led by four points after St Mary’s had got a late goal but in the second half they upped the tempo and their opponents couldn’t match them.
It was St Mary’s Magherafelt who opened the scoring after two minutes via Ruairi O’Hagan but then Scoileanna Thír Eoghain hit a purple patch during which they played some superb hurling in a blistering seven minute spell.
James McCann levelled matters before Cian Ferguson edged them in front. Centre half forward Ben Gormley then weighed in with a brace of points before Conall Devlin and Cormac Hughes both got their names on the score-sheet as they made it six scores on the trot.
Centre half forward Morgan Nelson stopped the rot for St Mary’s Magherafelt from a free before an effort from play from Sean Duffin reduced the deficit further.
Scoileanna Thír Eoghain though continued to look the better side with full forward Matthew McCann pointing before Ruairi Slane scored as well. Nelson converted another free for Magherafelt but that score was quickly cancelled out at the other end of the field by Rory Weir.
Magherafelt trailed by five points at this stage but with less than five minutes to go in the half they got right back into contention with a goal. A defensive error was pounced on by Nelson who finished the sliotar in style low to the right hand corner of the net past keeper Ryan Haughey.
Scoileanna Thír Eoghain though quickly re-grouped to finish the first half strongly with fine points from Haughey and midfielder Fergal Donaghy to give them a deserved 0-11 to 1-4 advantage.
Magherafelt had the opening two scores of the second half both from Nelson frees before both sides were reduced to 14 men in the 40th minute when Ben Gormley and Ronan McKenna were both straight red carded.
Hughes opened Tyrone’s second half account but moments later wing half back Ciaran O’Neill burst through on a superb run and rounded it off with a quality finish to the net.
Things got worse for Tyrone 60 seconds later when they lost midfielder Donaghy to a straight red card as well. In the last 13 minutes though the winners took control as they restricted their opponents to just a further three points.
Slane, Weir and Cahir Munroe all weighed in with points before a great pass from James McCann set Weir up for a 57th minute goal. Nelson and O’Neill had Magherafelt points but Scoileanna Thír Eoghain had the bit between their teeth and they closed the game out in style.
Hughes, Weir and McCann all had points with man of the match Slane grabbing the final 1-2 of the contest as the winners claimed the silverware in style.
Scoileanna Thír Eoghain: R Slane 1-6, R Weir 1-4, C Hughes 0-3, B Gormley 0-2, J McCann 0-2, C Ferguson 0-1, M McCann 0-1, F Donaghy 0-1, C Devlin 0-1, C Munroe 0-1
St.Mary’s Magherafelt: M Nelson 1-6, C O’Neill 1-1, R O’Hagan 0-1, S Duffin 0-1