By 
ULSTER SCHOOLS CORN NA NOG CUP FINAL
St.Pats Academy D’gannon 1-7 St.Pats Maghera 3-14
A PHYSICALLY stronger and more direct St.Pats Maghera side claimed this season’s Corn na Og title thanks to a convincing victory over St.Patrick’s Academy Dungannon in Stewartstown on Wednesday night.
After landing the opening three points of the game the Academy struggled to stay in touch with their opponents and the Derry lads were well on their way to the silverware by halftime after establishing a 3-7 to 0-5 advantage.
The second half was closer in terms of scoring but at no stage did St.Pats Maghera look like relinquishing their vice like grip on proceedings.
The standout player for Dungannon was Jake Mulligan who won any ball that came his way and also scored a stunning goal but he lacked support up front. For the winners the central trio of Rory Sheehan, Adam Mulholland and Liam McAteer were outstanding throughout and played a huge part in their success.
It was Dungannon who made a lively start to the contest and after Charlie Conroy had opened the scoring from a free Charlie Hughes darted in from the left wing to score from ply before team Captain Pearse Barrett knocked over a placed ball.
That all came inside the opening five minutes but two minutes later the Tyrone School got a shape of things to come. McAteer won possession from the kickout and fed Mulholland who stormed through from midfield before finishing in style to the bottom left hand corner of the net past keeper Aiden McKeever.
Almost immediately another strong run from Mulholland saw him tee up a point for full forward Patrick O’Loughlin before Conroy levelled matters from a free.
At the end of the opening quarter Maghera took a lead that they were never to lose through a McAteer free and moments later the same player had a great goal chance but he fired just the wrong side of the left hand post.
McAteer then split the posts from distance before the same player made it a three point game after swapping passes with centre half back Sheehan.
That was in the 24th minute and while Dungannon were already beginning to struggle from there until the halftime whistle Maghera effectively won the game.
First of all they got a fortuitist goal when a shot from the right wing from McAteer looked over Academy keeper Aiden McKeever and into the net. Moments later McAteer knocked over a brilliant two pointer and while Conroy responded from another free Dungannon were in trouble.
Paudi Bradley then got his name on the scoresheet and when Mulholland won possession from the next kickout he played the ball long to McAteer who squared it for the inrushing Senan O’Kane to palm to the net from close range.
Bradley opened the second half scoring from a free for Maghera but in the 37th minute they had their keeper Oran Regan to thank for a save with his outstretched leg after Mulligan had burst through on goal.
Conroy converted a free before Dungannon got their goal in the 39th minute when a flowing move saw Caellum Hendron offload to Mulligan who went past a couple of challenges before firing home.
Maghera’s response was immediate with a quality point from distance from Mulholland in the 45th minute but sixty seconds later they were dealt a blow when they had wing half back Michael Duffin sent off for a second yellow card offence.
Despite being down to fourteen men it was a measure of Maghera’s dominance that they managed to outscore their opponents 0-5 to 0-1 in the final quarter.
Mulholland, O’Kane and McAteer all tagged on points before the latter sent a penalty over the bar after Harry McCloskey had been fouled.
Barrett knocked over a free for the Academy but it was Mulholland who had the final say for the winners to wrap up a hugely impressive display on the night.
Scorers
Dungannon: Charlie Conroy 0-4 (4f), Jake Mulligan 1-0, Pearse Barrett 0-2 (2f), Charlie Hughes 0-1
Maghera: Liam McAteer 1-7 (1 x 2pt, 2f, 0-1pen), Adam Mulholland 1-3, Senan O’Kane 1-1, Paudi Bradley 0-2 (1f), Patrick O’Loughlin 0-1
Teams
Dungannon: Aiden McKeever, Ben McElvaney, Danny Daly, Dylan Jordan, Ryan McWilliams, Connor Rafferty, Donal Devlin, Henry McKenna, Senan Kelly, Caellum Hendron, Charlie Hughes, Charlie Conroy, Jake Mulligan, Pearse Barrett, Conor Coney. Subs: Tim McVeigh for McWilliams, Seimi Muldoon for Coney
Maghera: Oran Regan, Eoghan Wilson, Tom McErlean, Quentin Farren, Michael Duffin, Rory Sheehan, Ryan Murray, Adam Mulholland, Connlan Higgins, Paudi Bradley, Liam McAteer, Caolan Roche, Harry McCloskey, Patrick O’Loughlin, Senan O’Kane. Sub: Charlie Downey for Roche
Referee: Enda Mallon, Madden
