St.Ciaran’s Into Markey Cup Final

Tuesday 04.02.2020

Club

St.Ciaran’s Ballygawley 2-10 St.Louis Kilkeel 3-6

St.Ciaran’s Ballygawley held off a spirited fight back from St.Louis Kilkeel to edge a cracking Danske Bank Markey Cup semi final at St. Colman’s College in Newry on Monday afternoon.

The Tyrone school looked to be in complete control when they held a nine point lead with twenty minutes to go but Kilkeel produced a stunning comeback that almost resulted in extra time. Odhran Robinson and Jack Rodgers traded early points before a superb Michael Quinn pass put Ruairi Canavan in for a clinically taken 8th minute goal. Finnbar McElroy added a point before the same player set up Cormac Quinn for a flicked goal. St.Ciarans were well on top but just before the break Niall Sloan flicked in a Kilkeel goal to leave it 2-6 to 1-2 at the interval.

Robinson and Canavan added a point apiece on the restart as St.Ciarans kept a good grip on proceedings. St.Louis substitute Cormac McCombe converted three frees in a row before Tom O’Neill fired low to the net in the 52nd minute. Only two points now separated the sides but St.Ciarans regrouped with a Robinson free and a point from play from substitute Ciaran Bogue. It looked as though they had weathered the storm but in the final minute of normal time Kilkeel full forward Ryan Mackey thumped the ball to the roof of the net. It led to a nervous finish for St.Ciarans but they managed to hold on.

St.Ciaran’s Ballygawley: Stephen McMenamin, John Hetherington, Brendan Quinn, Oisin McCaughey, Finnbar McElroy, Pauric Traynor, Matthew McCarney, Cormac Quinn, Ronan McElroy, Ethan Neill, Peadar Kane, Michael Quinn, Ruairi Canavan, Odhran Robinson, Robert Harper. Subs: Eoin Millar for Harper, Barry Carberry for Canavan, Ciaran Bogue for R McElroy

St.Louis Kilkeel:Thomas Burns, Michael Greenan, Dara Murnion, Eoin Killen, Ben Branniff, Cormac Greene, Caolan Murnin, Matthew Cunningham, Sean Donnegan, Niall Sloan, Darragh McKay, Tom O’Neill, Jack Rodgers, Ryan Mackey, Shane McDowell. Sub: Cormac McCombe for Murnin

St.Ciarans scorers: R Canavan 1-3 (2F), O Robinson 0-5 (3F), C Quinn 1-0, F McElroy 0-1, Ciaran Bogue 0-1
St.Louis scorers: N Sloan 1-1, C McCombe 0-3 (3F), T O Neill 1-0, R Mackey 1-0, J Rodgers 0-1, S Donegan 0-1

Referee: Kevin Fallon, Armagh