St Joseph’s lose out narrowly in Rafferty Cup Final

St.Joseph’s Donaghmore 0-11 St.Pius X Magherafelt 1-9

THERE was bitter disappointment for St.Joseph’s Donaghmore at Rossa Park in Magherafelt on Tuesday afternoon when they lost out by the minimum margin to St.Pius X Magherafelt in the Ulster Schools Rafferty Cup Final.

It was a close contest throughout with the Tyrone school shading things in terms of possession only for their shooting to let them down at times.

Having said that they still had their noses in front with two minutes of injury time already played at the end of the contest but they couldn’t hold on as they coughed up two bad points for St.Pius X to take the silverware.

Despite the inclement weather conditions it was a game that produced plenty of quality from both sides but from a Donaghmore point of view they didn’t play as well as they had done on their way to reaching the Final.

Callum Leacock, the leading scorer in the Final, opened the scoring for the winners but St.Joseph’s were soon on level terms via centre half back Larry Shields before Feidhlim O’Hagan put them in front.

Eoghan Musgrave and Shields exchanged points before a brace from the boot of Leacock had the Derry lads in front. That proved to be their last score of the first half as St.Joseph’s enjoyed a good spell.

Eoghan Donnelly sent over the equaliser and minutes later the same player but his side in front before centre half forward Emmet Heagney brought the first half scoring to a close to leave it 0-6 to 0-4.

St.Joseph’s picked up were they had left off on the restart with a second point from O’Hagan putting them three clear. St.Pius X though then struck for the only goal of the game via Leacock to tie things up again. Donnelly and midfielder Caodhan Kane traded points before Sean Og O’Donnell and Ben O’Neill both registered to put St.Joseph’s 0-10 to 1-5 in front going into the final quarter.

St.Pius X though were proving difficult to sake off and two points from Musgrave left it all square with time running out. Heagney then put Donaghmore back in front and it looked like being a significant score. With the game now two minutes into injury time St.Joseph’s were defending as though their lives depended on it but they gave up a close in free which Musgrave converted.

The contest now looked set for extra time but Magherafelt won a long range free which they took quickly to Emmet Spiers who sent the winner over the bar.

St.Joseph’s Donaghmore scorers: Eoghan Donnelly 0-3, Larry Shields 0-2, Feidhlim O’Hagan 0-2, Emmet Heagney 0-2, Sean Og O’Donnell 0-1, Ben O’Neill 0-1

St.Pius X scorers: Callum Leacock 1-3, Eoghan Musgrave 0-4, Caodhan Kane 0-1, Emmet Spiers 0-1

Referee: Martin Coyle, Cookstown