ST EUNAN’S COLLEGE won the Danske Bank Treanor Cup (Ulster Colleges U-15½B) following an exciting final win over St Patrician HS, Carrickmacross today at Drumragh.
St Eunan’s College, Letterkenny 4-10 St Patrician High School, Carrickmacross 2-6
Ultimately a 10-point winning margin looks comfortable but it was anything but for the team managed by Colm McFadden and Chris Carr, who had Conor O’Donnell to thank for an excellent personal total of 3-3.
Also, with the Letterkenny team’s lead down to four in the second half, goalkeeper Eoghan Jordan made two of his three saves to keep the lead as St Patrician’s launched an assault.
[adrotate group=”12″]But the good start build a foundation for St Eunan’s College, which meant their opponents had to go chasing the game.
O’Donnell opened with two early points – one from a free and another from play – before setting Shane O’Donnell away and the midfielder was tugged by goalkeeper Ryan McCluskey and Conor O’Donnell slotted home the penalty.
That made the score 1-3 to 0-1 in 10 minutes with Daragh Ellison also on the mark and only Tadhg Kirk Callaghan scoring at the other end.
[adrotate group=”35″]Even that early, St Patrician were forcing pressure but when Conor O’Donnell got in behind again with his pace for St Eunan’s on 19 minutes, he appeared to be fouled by Jarlath McGahan.
But referee Stephen McNamee from Tyrone waved play on and while the St Eunan’s support were still vocally contesting the decision, the Monaghan team broke with purpose and the St Eunan’s sense of injustice was doubled when Andrew Moore slammed a goal high into the net.
St Patrician were then denied a goal when Donnach Swinburne clipped the base of the post.
The decision might’ve been a six-point swing but instead of moaning about their perceived injustice, St Eunan’s fashioned a brilliant second goal when Ellison flashed a perfect diagonal ball across and Conor O’Donnell finished for his second goal with aplomb for 2-4 to 1-1 on 25 minutes. Shane O’Donnell then added a point.
[adrotate group=”37″]Again, though, St Patrician showed their cutting edge up front with a well-worked goal when wing-back Ronan McKeown rounded Jordan to score a 27th minute goal after a cute pass from Cian Shekleston.
However, St Eunan’s finished the half strongly when Padraig McGettigan punched home a third goal from close range a minute before the break when Michael Gallagher, who had just been introduced, centred. Conor O’Donnell’s free on the stroke of half-time made it 3-6 to 2-2 at the break.
St Patrician – who swapped goalkeepers at the break with Ciaran O’Reilly taking over – needed goals to get back into the contest and St Eunan’s were set up in the second half to stop them.
It was tense on occasion as points were traded a both ends and St Eunan’s had a let-off when a 45 from Kirk Callaghan struck the crossbar.
[adrotate group=”38″]With 12 minutes left, St Eunan’s were still in a reasonably healthy position, 3-9 to 3-5 up but then Jordan came into his own, making two separate saves – one with his hands and then a minute later with his feet – to deny Shekleston.
McGettigan had the chance on the break with just three minutes left to put the game to bed but was unlucky to rasp the upright just above the crossbar when going for goal.
Then, Dylan Doogan was fouled in a crowded square by Ryan McNulty and St Eunan’s were awarded a second penalty on 58 minutes. Conor O’Donnell again did the necessary from the penalty (see below) to score his third goal of the afternoon and Cormac Finn got the celebrations in full swing with a point on the turn.
https://wwwyoutube.com/watch?v=zEVQQsCuP78
St Patrician’s, to their credit, kept going and for the third time, saw Jordan in the St Eunan’s goal make a save when he spread himself to get a decisive touch with his feet to a shot from substitute Oisin O’Hanlon.
St Eunan’s College, Letterkenny: Eoghan Jordan; Conor O’Donnell, Anthony Gallagher, Brendan Horgan; Ronan McCann, Cormac O’Kane, Oisin Cassidy; Conor Cullen, Shane O’Donnell (0-2); Daragh Ellison (0-2), Padraig McGettigan (1-1), Conor McKinney; Dylan Doogan, Cormac Finn (0-1), Conor O’Donnell (3-3, 2-0 pens, 2f). Subs: Michael Gallagher (0-1) for Cullen (28), Keenan Diver for McCann (45, black card), Oran Winston for Doogan (59).
St Patrician HS, Carrickmacross: Ryan McCluskey; Ryan Farrelly, Darragh Dunne, Jarlath McGahan; Shane Hanratty, Jack Doogan, Ronan McKeown (1-0); Oisin McEntee (0-1, 45), Tadhg Kirk Callaghan (0-2, 1f); Sean Jones, Andrew Moore (1-0), Donnach Swinburne (1-1); David Martin, Ryan McNulty, Cian Shekleston (0-1). Subs: Padraig McGahan for Kirk Callaghan (30), Ciaran O’Reilly for Farrelly (half-time), Adam Reilly for McKeown (40), Oisin O’Hanlon for Martin (53).
Referee: Stephen McNamee (Tyrone).
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