Academy hold out in exciting Brock Cup finish

April 28, 2016

Danske Bank Brock Cup Final

By Kevin Kelly in Truagh

St Patrick’s Academy Dungannon 2-12 St Patrick’ Cavan 1-12

St Patrick’s Academy Dungannon held off a spirited comeback from St Patrick’s Cavan to take the Brock Cup title in a hard fought decider at Truagh yesterday evening.

The winners led 2-6 to 0-6 at the break thanks to goals from midfielders Louis Conlon and Lorcan Quinn and, when they added the first two points of the second period, they looked set for a comfortable victory.

The free-taking of Eoin Clarke and Paddy McPhillips brought Cavan back into the game and, when the latter also scored a goal, the gap had been trimmed to the minimum with five minutes left to play.

Dungannon though refused to panic and points from Michael Conroy, Ryan McCabe and Conlon gave them a deserved victory and revenge for defeat in last season’s Corn na nÓg decider.

Conroy and Conlon had the opening two points of the game and they could have had an early goal as well, but McCabe failed to connect properly when in a good position. Clarke and Jack Trainor took Cavan back on level terms before Conlon found the net in the 12th minute.

Conlon and Conroy helped stretch that advantage to five but Cavan hit back with a quick brace from Trainor. Dungannon though continued to look the better side with Quinn blasted over when he should have had a goal but he made amends three minutes later when palming to the net from close range.

Nathan Connolly got his name on the scoresheet in the first attack of the second half and when Conlon landed a free it looked all over. Cavan though had other ideas with Clarke landing three brilliant frees off the ground from distance including one from fully fifty metres out.

Conlon got a much needed Dungannon score but it was Cavan who now had all the momentum. With ten minutes to go Dungannon keeper Diarmuid Fox fumbled a high ball and McPhillips was on hand to finish to the net from close range.

The same player then converted a free to leave it 2-9 to 1-11 and Dungannon were hanging on. They defended well though and when the chances came their way at the other end they took them with those three late points giving them victory.

St Patrick’s Dungannon: D Fox; C Devlin, K Barker, O McHugh; R Duffin, P Keogh, L Kilpatrick; L Quinn (1-1), L Conlon (1-5, 2f); N Connolly (0-1), R McCabe (0-1), T Loughran; S Daly, M Conroy (0-4, 3f), T McCormack.

Subs: M McCusker for Loughran, F Donaghy for McCormack, S Donnelly for McCabe

St Patrick’s Cavan: L Doyle; D Murray, M Veale, E Finnegan; M Sexton, A McManus (0-1), L Tierney; G Brady (0-1), E Clarke (0-4, 3f); S Cosgrove, C Boylan, P McPhillips (1-2, 2f); A Halton, T Smith, J Trainor (0-4, 1f).

Subs: B Okaidja for Halton, M Minahine for Finnegan

Referee: S McKinley, Armagh