Tower takes first MacNamee in over 2 Decades
Danske Bank MacNamee Cup final
St Killian’s Garron Tower 2-12 St Patrick’s Maghera 0-5
A PLAYER of the Match performance from Michael O’Boyle insures that the Danske Bank MacNamee Cup will rest the winter in St Killian’s for the first time in over two decades.
The Glenarriffe wing forward shot 1-9, six of the points coming from placed balls, from all distances and angles, while his goal was exquisitely taken.
He was closely followed for top player by his captain Ciaran Magill, Aidan Scullion and Pearse McKeegan. Defending champions Maghera relied heavily on Shea Cassidy to pick off scores, but even he struggled against the intensity of the Garron Tower defensive formation.
Despite conceding 1-6 in the opening ten minutes, the Maghera defence shored up well and made life difficult enough for the Tower forwards.
O’Boyle pointed twice from play in the opening minute and, despite Cassidy pointing a free in reply, he added a third point in the fourth minute.
A good move up the left for St Killian’s saw Fintan McQuillan place Pearse McKeegan for a fifth minute goal. McKeegan quickly added a point and O’Boyle hit two frees before Maghera slowed their progress.
Indeed they turned over 1-7 to 0-3 down, but had to face the breeze in the second half.
After opening the scoring early in the second half, Michael O’Boyle then latched onto a poc out from his full-back, waltzed his way through the Maghera defence with some deft touches and buried the sliotar in the bottom corner.
The result was never in doubt thereafter and O’Boyle fittingly fired over his ninth point in injury-time to complete the scoring.
St Killian’s : James McAllister, Mark Emerson, Liam McLoughlin, Conor McCollum, Cathal Hynds, Ciaran Magill capt., Dara Mort, Fintan McQuillan, Aidan Scullion, Shea McDonnell, Gabriel Leech, Michael O’Boyle 1-9, 0-7 frees, Sean McIntosh, Pearse McKeegan 1-3, Sean O’Boyle.
Subs : Callum Kilgore for S McIntosh, Padraig McKillop for S O’Boyle, Euan McSparran for D Mort, Shea McNaughton for M Emerson, John Fyfe for G Leech
St Patrick’s : Adam Reid, Matthew Downey, Peter Convery, Mark McEldowney, Leon Duggan, Raymond Dillon, Joseph McGurk, Jody McDermott, Daire O’Kane, Shea Cassidy 0-5, 0-3 frees, Séan O’Neill, Shea McKenna, Callum O’Kane, Jamie Duggan, Niall Duggan.
Subs : Ryan Henry for D O’Kane, Lachlann Murray for N Duggan, Lorcán Mac Giolla Fhiondáin for C O’Kane.
Referee : Mark O’Neill (Armoy)
Photograph from Paddy McIlwaine
