St Patrick’s make it 4 in a Row

Corn Uan Uladh final :

St Patrick’s Maghera 3-13 Cross and Passion Ballycastle 1-3

St Patrick’s Maghera collected their fourth successive Colleges’ Senior title in emphatic style in Ballymena on Saturday extending their record title count to 15 in 26 seasons at the top table.

The writing was on the wall early on for their north Antrim challengers with Mairead McNicholl showing them a clean pair of heels in the first attack, but shooting narrowly wide.

The Swatragh forward made up for the early error though by shooting 5 frees in the first half and then 1-3 from play in the second.

But all over the field there were dominant displays – Aoife Ní Chaiside and Aoife Shaw in the half-back line, Shauna Quinn at midfield and even substitute Adrienne Gorman who fired in 2 goals within 3 minutes of arriving on the pitch.

(Picture Courtesy of Paddy McIlwaine)

Cross & Passion battled hard, but it was always uphill.  Maria and Kathryn Donnelly and Niamh O’Neill possibly performed best, but even they were struggling at times with Maghera’s power.

Things were going well though for the first quarter with just a point scored by each team.  Then three points (2 from McNicholl frees and the other from a run through the centre by Shauna Quinn) inside 5 minutes and the game was slipping away from Ballycastle.

It was 0-7 to 0-1 at the break and the midfielders Orlaith Ní Mhaoláin and Shauna Quinn flashed over points on the re-start.  Then came the score of the game, a fine solo goal from Mairead McNicholl in the 38th minute.

That was the signal for Maghera to start using the bench.  But, if anything, it seemed to intensify their push for victory.  Adrienne Gorman went to full-forward and forced home two goals almost immediately and proving a handful for the rest of the game.

Although Maeve Lofthouse responded with a fine solo goal from Ballycastle, the pressure on her defence remained intense and Máiréad McNicholl fired over 3 points in the last quarter to complete a Player of the Match performance.

Their challenge in the New Year is a visit to Kilkenny for the All-Ireland semi-final.  On the evidence of this performance they are well equipped to progress further.

St Patrick’s : Erin Burns, Anecia Duffy, Maeve Quinn, Caitlin Ní Cheallaigh, Aoife Shaw, Aoife Ní Chaiside capt., Charlotte Burke, Shauna Quinn 0-2, Orlaith Ní Mhaoláin 0-1, Claire Graham, Brona Ní Chaiside, Dervla O’Kane 0-1, Mairead McNicholl 1-8, 0-5 frees, Saoirse McPeake, Eimhear McNicholl.

Subs : Adrienne Gorman 2-1 for S McPeake (38), Claire Burns for C Graham (51), Aoife Quinn for O Ní Mhaoláin (53), Cara Dillon for A Duffy (58).

Cross & Passion : Danielle McMichael, Bronagh McCaughan, Maria Donnelly, Katie McKinley, Ciara Boyle, Erin Elliott, Orlaith McAlinden, Kathryn Donnelly, Niamh O’Neill, Tara O’Neill, Julie Dixon, Emma Laverty, Maeve Lofthouse, Aine Boyle, Orlagh O Hara capt.

Subs : Annie Laverty for K McKinley (17), Caitrin Dobbin for A Boyle (ht), Cliodhna McFadden for J Dixon (43).

Referee : Julie O’Neill (Armagh).

Report from Seamas McAleenan- taken from Irish News