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RESULTS of contrasting fortunes awaited two Dungannon school teams on Thursday in their respective Ulster ladies championship finals.
St Patrick’s Academy were denied by Bailieborough Community College from Cavan in a rescheduled Ulster U-20 B championship final but St Patrick’s College of Dungannon fared better in their Ulster U-20 Development Plate decider with St Colman’s College (Newry).
Persistent rain in the earlier part of the week meant that dates and venues had to be reshuffled by the Ulster College PP fixture co-ordinators for Thursday. St Patrick’s Academy and Bailieborough were originally due to meet at Donagh in Fermanagh but the match was switched to Abbey Grammar Playing Fields in Newry, whereas St Patrick’s College had home advantage at the St Patrick’s campus as they faced Newry visitors St Colman’s.
The Ulster U-20 Development Plate final between St Patrick’s and St Colman’s turned out to be a very keenly contested tussle. The Tyrone team needed plenty of resolve to ward off a strong St Colman’s challenge and the host girls answered the call through a very determined display over an entertaining hour of football.
St Patrick’s College accumulated a tidy tally of 3-8 on the home scoreboard to 3-5 in reply by St Colman’s. Player-of-the-match Laura McVeigh led by example from her central position and was well assisted by captain Meagan Hughes plus many others as the Dungannon school put up a solid all round team display.
St Patrick’s Academy U-20 squad, meantime, didn’t get the result they were looking for in Newry as Baileborough claimed the Ulster B title. The Academy players showed good spirit as they kept battling away but Baileborough had enough aces up their sleeves to seal the success.
Bailieborough’s Ella McPhillips was the Player-of-the-Match in the U-20 B final as the Cavan team celebrated landing the trophy. St Patrick’s Academy enjoyed some good results en route to Thursday’s decider and they can reflect on a brave effort despite the final not going their way.
