St Mary’s 3-17
St Killian’s College, Garron Tower 0-6
St Marys CBGS were crowned Danske Bank Mageean Cup champions for the 30th time in the school’s history after a comfortable 3-17 to 0-06 win over St Killian’s, Garron Tower in the decider at the Dub on Wednesday evening, 26th October.
The final was a meeting between the two form sides in the tournament, both had superb semi-final wins with St Killian’s defeating local rivals Cross and Passion to make their first ever Mageean final and St Mary’s gaining revenge on champions St Louis’, Ballymena who defeated them in last year’s final.
There was to be no repeat of that heartache for the Glen Road men though and Shea Shannon set the tone, converting two early frees in the opening three minutes.
James Morgan raised St Killian’s first white flag with a converted free and although Gerard Smith produced a spectacular point from range James Morgan converted his second free of the evening to put the minimum between the sides again.
Colm McLarnon and Shea Shannon then opened up a three point gap with two scores within a matter of minutes and just before the twenty minute mark the opening goal arrived. Colm McLarnon did the ground work and picked out Paddy Doyle, whose shot whizzed past Paul McMullan in the St Killian’s goal to give St Mary’s a 1-05 to 0-02 lead.
The next score arrived through Darren Grego who produced a fine point from an acute angle and with almost 24 minutes gone the Glen Road men found their second goal of the evening.
Once again it was the industrious Colm McLarnon who played the providers role to great effect, the half-forward burst through the centre of the St Killian’s defence before unselfishly laying the ball off to talisman of the semi-final Tiarnan Murphy who made no mistake drilling low past McMullan to make it 2-06 to 0-02.
Murphy followed his goal with two well taken points in between a Paddy Doyle score and with less than sixty-seconds remaining until the interval, St Mary’s all but secured victory with a third goal, which came through Odhran O’Callaghan who confidently burst through the St Killian’s defence and fired low to the net to give his side a 3-09 to 0-02 lead at the interval.
St Killian’s started the second period strongly with James Morgan hitting the opening score of the second half within the first two minutes, but Shea Shannon replied with a converted free to even up the second-half scoring.
Morgan raised the white flag again with third converted free of the evening though Odhran O’Callaghan pointed from play and another followed from Tiarnan Murphy.
St Mary’s CBGS were finding their rhythm again and Paddy Doyle hit their third successive score of the evening which was followed by a Tiarnan Murphy point from a free to bring his tally to the evening to 1-04.
Scores from David Kilgore and Morgan ensured that Garron Tower would bring their tally to six before the final whistle but it was St Mary’s who ended the game as they started, on top; and scores from Shannon and substitute Caolan Crossan put the icing on cake for the Glen Road side whose captain CJ McKenna lifted the Danske Bank Mageean Cup at the commencement of the game to the delight of the many spectators at the Dub.
Players:
P Kennedy, M Napier, N McCann, S Wilson, D McEnhill, A O’Brien, N Gibson, S Shannon 0-5 frees, CJ McKenna capt, D Grego 0-1, C McLarnon 0-1, G Smyth 0-1, T Murphy 1-4, 0-1 free, O O’Callaghan 1-2, P Doyle 1-2.
Subs : C Crossan 0-1 for G Smyth (38), M Mallon for C McLarnon (50), M Smyth for M Napier (55), O McKenna for D Grego (57).
