Drumragh win first Ulster title
Danske Bank JJ Reilly Cup Final
Drumragh Integrated 1-11 St John’s Dromore 2-7
Drumragh Integrated failed to score in the final quarter of this tight exciting Danske Bank JJ Reilly Cup in Drumragh Sarsfields yesterday but managed to withstand intense pressure from neighbours St John’s Dromore to claim their first provincial GAA title.
Superb midfielder Matthew Murnaghan soloed through from 60 metres to crack home a brilliant shot to the roof of the net for their final score and a 1-11 to 2-5 lead in the 46th minute.
A short time later they lost forward Eoin Gallagher to a second yellow card and, facing the breeze, they packed their half-back line in an effort to limit St John’s efforts at scores.
The Dromore team controlled the last ten minutes but managed just two points, a free from Daley Tunney and an effort from Conor McGovern that could well have ended in the net, but Drumragh hung on to write their names into Ulster Schools’ GAA history.
Playing with the breeze in the opening half, they were the better side, but hit bad wides while in good positions and conceded two goals on the break, a combination that left the teams level on 2-3 to 0-9 at the break.
However as other around him wasted shots, Drumragh’s Matthew Murnaghan fired over seven points in the opening half, four from frees.
St John’s kept in the mix with a goal from Dara Monaghan in the 18th minute and then, two minutes from the break, Gary Hunter finished a good break for them with a goal to tie the sides.
Although Tunney edged St John’s ahead at the start of the second half, Troy Fahy and Murnaghan put Drumragh back in the lead, before the key goal from Murnaghan and the backs-to-the-wall battle in the last quarter in which Aaron Teague, Zach Sloane McCusker and Joe Neely were outstanding.
Dromore couldn’t break them down during that period, but their defence was superb in the opening half with Owen O’Brien and Daley Tunney the pick. Simon Garrity and Conor McGovern had their moments at midfield, but they were restricted by the need to curtail the excellent Murnaghan.
Drumragh : J McGarvey, J Neely, Z Sloane McCusker, A Conaty, R Laird, A Teague, R Lowry 0-1, M Murnaghan 1-8, 0-5 frees, Daniel Monaghan 0-1, T Fahy 0-1, J Corrigan, R Murnaghan, C McCanny, E Gallagher, J Corrigan.
Subs : S Devlin for McCann (ht), M McGillion for J Corrigan (ht), M Neill for R Murnaghan (51).
St John’s : P Tunney, R McGovern, O O’Brien, P Gallagher, A Lawlor, J McCaughey, C Colton, S Garrity 0-2, C McGovern 0-1, Dara Monaghan 1-0, C Mullan, P Mitoraj, G Hunter 1-0, R Burns 0-1, D Tunney 0-3 frees.
Subs: D Love for D Monaghan (41)
