Rannafast Cup Section A
St Pat’s Armagh 1.06
Colaisti Inis Eoghain 0.12
This Rannafast Cup Section A game played at the Mid Ulster Sports Arena in Cookstown on Thursday afternoon lived up to all pre match expectations, as both teams played out a ding dong battle to stay in the competition. In the end the Inis Eoghain boys deservedly came out on top to clinch a quarter-final place for the first time, a great boost for schools football in Donegal.
St Pats began the game brightly, opening their account with a point from play from center half forward Thomas Reynolds after just two minutes on the clock. The Inishowen boys took time to settle, missing two early frees including one from Harry “Cluxton” Doherty, before Ruari Bradley converted with their third dead ball attempt on nine minutes to bring the sides level. Two minutes later the impressive Ciaran Diver put them in front following good play and strong run on the right side of the field by Aaron Friel.
Young Niall Diver increased their lead on thirteen minutes, when he was the first to react to a breaking ball after John Campbell had dispossessed a St Pats defender. Inis Eoghain upped their game towards the end of the first quarter and a brace of points from Ciaran Diver and one from Kevin McLaughlin stretched their lead to five points on seventeen minutes. St Pats worked hard to get back into the game, with Rory McGrath in particular causing problems with his strong running but they were finding it hard to break down the Inis Eoghain defence in which Danny Monagle and Darren Gallagher were in fine form yet again. Ruairi Bradley added his second point of the game on nineteen minutes, but this was to be their final score of the half. St Pats were awarded a disputed penalty four minutes before the break, which Conor McKenna duly converted and the same player added a point one minute later to reduce the deficit to just two points at half time.
Three minutes into the second half Conor Harkin slotted over another free for the Inishowen side but Chris Curley replied with a point at the other end almost immediately. Ruairi Bradley scored yet again from a dead ball and Inis Eoghain’s man of the match Ciaran Diver added a further point following good work by team captain Conor Harkin, to steady the ship again for Inis Eoghain. The lead was reduced to two yet again following two points from Conor McKenna as the game entered the final ten minutes. Inis Eoghain stepped up a gear and seemed to have put the game beyond reach when John Campbell found the net following a quick sideline, but despite the goal being awarded, was then ruled out. This helped to spurr the Armagh side on yet again and McKenna reduced the deficit to just a single point, and it really was game on at that stage.
However the Inis Eoghain boys failed to wilt on this occasion and John Campbell made up for his disappointment of the disallowed goal when he fired over another point and the strong running Kevin McLaughlin added the insurance point in the final minute as the game slipped away from St Pats. This was a great result for the Inis Eoghain lads in only their second season of Ulster Colleges and is just reward for the amount of work being done and they can now look forward to a quarter-final game in two weeks time, probably against Abbey CBS, St Colmans from Nrwry or St Michaels from Enniskillen in Group C.
St Pat’s Armagh: Aidan Lavery, Eddie Mallon, Shane McKeever, Conall Baxter, John Magee, Gareth McKeown, Conor Lee, Luke O Kane, Conor McKenna (1.04), Shane Conlon, Thomas Reynolds (0.01), Pauric Breaknell, Chris Curley (0.01), Rory McGrath, Shane McPartland. Subs Conor McNicholl, Jamie Brady, Paddy McGready, Patrick Comiskey, Sean McCay, Tiernan Power, Niall Creaney, Jack Rafferty.
Colaisti Inis Eoghain: Harry Doherty, Shane McLaughlin, Danny Monagle, Darren Gallagher, Ryan Doherty, Aaron Friel, Tony McCleneghan, Conor Harkin (0.02), Fergal Doherty, Kevin McLaughlin (0.02), Ciaran Diver (0.03), Niall Diver (0.01), Cian Hirrell, John Campbell (0.01), Ruairi Bradley (0.03). Subs Conor Byrne, Jamie McLaughlin, Adam Byrne, Caolan McGonagle, Georgie Kelly, Mark Doherty, Killian Dougal.
Referee: Barry Cassidy (Bellaghy)
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