Holy Cross Strabane reach the Markey Cup Final

ST COLUMBA’S 1-8 HOLY CROSS 1-11

HOLY Cross finished strong to come from behind and book a place in the Ulster Schools Markey Cup Final at the expense of St Columba’s, Stranorlar in MacCumhaill Park on Tuesday.

The Strabane side were wasteful in the first half with three of their four points coming from frees as St Columba’s went into the break 0-5 to 0-4 ahead.

Five minutes after the restart St Columba’s had a two point lead but it was a level game once again by the 47th minute before Holy Cross hit 1-4 to 0-1 over the following eight minutes, with the games top scorer, Conor Langan getting the goal.

But the Donegal boys were guilty of being just as wasteful in the second half and despite their best efforts including a Josh Reid goal in added time, St Columba’s couldn’t find a second goal to tie the game as they ended with 14 men.

Holy Cross began on the front foot and Conor Langan’s free after four minutes got the scoring underway, while the Strabane captain also hit the post with an effort as well as a further wide from the side.

A great run and point from Red Hugh’s clubman Cathair Browne levelled the scoring after ten minutes and when Liam Carlin’s point attempt dropped short, Noah Reid did well to pick up the ball and kick over to give the Stranorlar side the lead.

Oisin Kelly had another effort for the Strabane side fail to make the distance but he made up for it minutes later as he cut inside from the left to level the game once again.

Daithi McMahon won a free and duly converted to quickly restore St Columba’s lead but Corin McConnell kicked over a dead ball of his own at the other end after it was brought forward.

Holy Cross had a trio of efforts with Aidan Hegarty kicking wide before Dan Donnelly blocked down an effort from Ronan McLaughlin, but
quickly after a free was given that Langan made no mistake with the kick.

But St Columba’s responded as Liam Carlin played in a pass to McMahon who called the mark and kicked a great score before the home side won the kick-out and Daire Quigley squeezed over a point from the right to give his side a 0-5 to 0-4 lead at the break.

The Holy Cross side came out after the restart and Aidan Hegarty kicked a great point in the first minute, with the help of the post to level the game once again. St Columba’s quickly replied with a great catch, turn and shot from Browne and a super free from McMahon from 45 metres out.

Carlin could have extended the lead out to three points but his effort crashed off the post and after this, Holy Cross had a purple patch that gave them a comfortable lead.

It began in the final quarter of the game with a point from McConnell who caught a high ball in by Hegarty before Hegarty turned from provider to scorer with a super point from distance.

Langan kicked a point off the ground after two brilliant goal saving blocks from Adam McCullagh denied Holy Cross sub Josh Gallagher and as the Tyrone men won the kick out, McConnell got his third score of the contest.

McMahon took a free and played a quick 1-2 with Kyle Ruttledge to close the distance before converting to ease the pressure for a minute but it didn’t last long.

The Holy Cross men went up the other end and after kicking a wide, they won the kick out with Hegarty playing in Langan who raced forward and smashed the ball past Sam McGlinchey and into the net.

Two Langan frees in the following two minutes pushed the lead out to six points and it was looking like a mountain to climb for the St Columba’s side.

But they fought back and had a great goal chance as a free was played into the path of substitute Callum Long who played a fist pass across to his brother Jack Long and from a few yards out, he palmed towards goal but Ronan Ward made a good save to deny the Glenfin man.

St Columba’s did get one goal that they massively needed in added time as a long ball by Jack Long was pushed out to Cathair Browne and while his effort was blocked, it fell kindly to Josh Reid who poked home from close range.

That gave the Donegal men a big lift and as they broke for a five on four attack, Jon Pol McMenamin sacrificed a yellow card in order to stop the attack, and shortly after the whistle went, Ruairi Callaghan was shown a straight red card for an alleged stamp.That saw the Columba’s free overturned to a hop ball that the Strabane men won and swiftly after, the full time whistle went.

THE SCORERS

St Columba’s College, Stranorlar

Daithi McMahon (0-4, 2f, 1m), Josh Reid (1-0), Cathair Browne (0-2), Daire Quigley, Noah Reid (0-1 each)

Holy Cross Strabane

Conor Langan (1-5, 4f), Corin McConnell (0-3, 1f), Aidan Hegarty (0-2), Oisin Kelly (0-1)

THE TEAMS

St Columba’s College, Stranorlar

Sam McGlinchey, Kyle Ruttledge, Conor Murphy, Daire Quigley, Cathair Browne, Dan Donnelly, Fionn McGinty; Jack Long, Ruairi Callaghan, Josh Reid, Adam McCullagh, Daithi McMahon, Liam Carlin, Noah Reid, Diarmaid O’Donnell. Subs: Callum Long for Murphy (half-time), Cormac Roarty for Quigley (50 mins), Jamie Gavigan for Ruttledge (59 mins), Cathal Cannon for O’Donnell (61 mins).

Holy Cross, Strabane

Ronan Ward; Aidan Hegarty, Conor Gallagher, Deane Bradley; Conall Flanagan, Corin McConnell, Conor Langan,  Dara Dooher, Cealef McMenamin, Ross Tourish, Ben Arnold, Oran White; Oisin Kelly, Ronan McLaughlin, Jon Pol McMenamin. Subs: Josh Gallagher for White (26 mins), Dylan Devlin for Kelly (51 mins), Adhamh Patton for Bradley (59 mins), Adam Vaughan for Arnold (61 mins).

Referee: Paul Gallagher (Castlederg).