St Ciaran’s seal silverware after exciting derby

St. Ciaran’s Ballygawley 4-8 St. Joseph’s Donaghmore 2-12

THE local derby in the Ulster Schools Dalton Shield Final at Killeeshil on Tuesday afternoon certainly didn’t disappoint the sizeable crowd with goals proving crucial as St.Ciaran’s Ballygawley took the silverware at the expense of St.Joseph’s Donaghmore.

The winners first three scores of the contest all proved to be goals but despite that St.Joseph’s were still well in the hunt at half-time with the scoreboard reading 3-1 to 1-5.

A fourth St.Ciaran’s goal at the end of the third quarter looked to be a decisive blow as it pushed them seven clear but to their credit their opponents fought back to within touching distance and came perilously close to snatching it right at the end only for Lorcan Coleman to be denied what would have been a match winning goal by a wonderful save from St.Ciaran’s keeper Darsai Quinn.

A free for St.Josephs from Daire Doran opened the scoring but in the 8th minute Daniel McGuinness reacted first to a loose ball to drill his shot to the net.

Five minutes later though Donaghmore responded when midfield Lorcan Dobbs fired an unstoppable shot to the roof of the net and that was followed up by a Joseph Quinn free.

Two goals in the space of four minutes though from James McAnenly and Cahir Magill gave St.Ciaran’s an advantage that they were never to lose. Points from Lorcan Barr and a brace from O’Neill kept Donaghmore in contention at half-time.

The opening seven minutes of the second half saw the sides share four points from McAnenly, Quinn, O’Neill and Donnachadh Daffy.

Midfielder Shea Cassidy then hit a fine point from distance for the winners with wing half back Conor McKenna getting in on goal but blasting over.

The warning signs were there for Donaghmore and at the end of the third quarter full forward McAnenly raised his second green flag of the afternoon to leave it 4-5 to 1-7.

A lesser side would have accepted their fate but not this St.Josephs side. Doran, O’Neill and Quinn all had pints before Dobbs supplied another brilliant finish to the net to leave it 4-5 to 2-10 going into the final ten minutes. McAnenly got a much needed St.Ciaran’s point only for O’Neill to respond in the 56th minute.

Crucially though Ballygawley were always able to keep their noses in front and they moved three clear thanks to efforts from McAnenly and Daffy.

With time running out keeper Quinn pulled off that fabulous save and even though Doran pointed a late free it wasn’t enough to save St.Josephs as St.Ciaran’s emerged victorious.

Scorers

St.Ciaran’s: James McAnenly 2-3 (1F), Daniel McGuinness 1-0, Cahir Magill 1-0, Donnachadh Daffy 0-2, Liam Harte 0-1, Shea Cassidy 0-1, Conor McKenna 0-1

St.Joseph’s: Lorcan Dobbs 2-0, Daniel O’Neill 0-4, Daire Doran 0-3 (2F), Joseph Quinn 0-3 (3F), Lorcan Barr 0-1, Ruan Kavanagh 0-1

Referee: Martin Conroy, Moy