Sacred Heart College savour Ulster McDevitt Cup success

Sacred Heart Omagh 3-5  St. Louis Kilkeel 1-7

THREE second half goals proved to be key as Sacred Heart College Omagh came from behind at the break to beat St. Louis Kilkeel in the Ulster Schools McDevitt Final in Keady on Wednesday afternoon.

The Down School had led 0-5 to 0-3 at the break and when they opened the second half scoring with a goal they looked to be in control of things.

Sacred Heart though didn’t panic as they began to play the football that they are capable of with those three goals giving them the platform to go on and claim victory as they held their opponents to just two further points.

Joel Rooney opened the scoring for St. Louis from a free before Oran McMenamin levelled matters. Kilkeel then moved two points in front thanks to efforts from Adam Killen and Corey Rooney before Garbhan O’Donnell and Fiachra Lynch swapped scores.

A brilliant block from Sacred Heart full back Eoghan O’Neill denied Kilkeel a goal before Lynch put them three in front. It was the Omagh lads though who had the final say of the half through midfielder Caiden Harold.

Sacred Heart changed things around for the second half as they abandoned playing with a sweeper and pushed Conor Murray into attack and that move was to have a huge bearing on the outcome of the contest.

It was St. Louis though who struck first in the second half as full forward Conor Haughian powered through to rifle a shot to the net pat keeper Ryan Mitniyk. Questions were now being asked of Sacred Heart but they came up with the right answers.

Sean Gormley converted a free before a high ball in from the same player sailed all the way to the back of the net to give them the boost that they needed. Luke Patterson then levelled matters before he supplied a great ball for Murray to soccer style it to the net for an advantage that they were never to lose.

Lynch responded with a Kilkeel point from a free but the winners then struck for their third major with Murray the player on target again after Ronan Colton had unselfishly squared it for him to palm into an empty net.

Haughian then went for goal at the other end of the field but his shot went over via the bar. As the contest slipped into injury time St. Louis pushed hard for a goal that they badly needed but they were foiled twice by superb saves from keeper Mitniyk as Sacred Heart deservedly took the Ulster title.

Scorers

Sacred Heart Omagh:  Conor Murray 2-0, Sean Gormley 1-1 (1F), Oran McMenamin 0-1, Garbhan O’Donnell 0-1, Caiden Harold 0-1, Luke Patterson 0-1

St. Louis Kilkeel: Conor Haughian 1-1, Fiachra Lynch 0-3 (1F), Joel Rooney 0-1 (F), Adam Killen 0-1, Corey Rooney 0-1

Team

Sacred Heart Omagh: Ryan Mitniyk, Oisin Connelly, Eoghan O’Neill, Darragh O’Kane, Brogan Devlin, Peter McCusker, Oran Gallagher, Sean Gormley, Caiden Harold, Oran McMenamin, Luke Patterson, Gabhan O’Donnell, Charlie Byrne, Ronan Conlon, Conor Murray. Sub: Carson McGrath for Gallagher (blood sub)