U19 WARD CUP FINAL
St Kevin’s College2-14St Mogue’s Bawnboy2-12
By Martin McBrien
TWO added time points in a frantic finale, the second coming with the very last kick of a epic contest, saw St Kevin’s make school and county history by securing a first ever Ward Cup triumph.
St Kevin’s were marginally the better side in what was a truly splendid game of football, considering the greasy underfoot conditions at an otherwise excellent Donagh setting.
The game began with St Kevin’s, sporting unfamiliar green jerseys due to a colour clash, opening the scoring from a first minute Callum Connolly-Bannon free.
St Mogue’s were quick off the mark too, with Seamus O’Reilly shooting over the equaliser and Darragh Gilleece lofting over a lead two pointer.
Points apiece from Conor Kelly and a Daire Chapman free had it all square again before St Kevin’s surged ahead from an eighth minute Connolly-Bannon goal, followed by a Louie Lunney point.
But St Mogue’s came storming back with a points brace and an 17th minute Conor Fahy goal before a Chapman point levelled again.
A Matthew Mimnagh point and a 23rd minute Chapman penalty goal, after Connolly-Bannon had been fouled under a high delivery, then saw St. Mogue’s strike straight back.
Fiachra McManus struck for an impressive 1-01 and Gilleece (free) for a 2-07 to 2-06 interval lead.
The second half saw the scoring rate drop dramatically as the possession pendulum swung to and fro.
Chapman shot a 33rd minute free leveller and Ben Caughey drove forward to shoot a lead score 10 minutes later, with McManus quickly slotting a Bawnboy equaliser.
The ginal quarter began with Louie Lunney cutting in to fist over but another McManus free, after the ball had been moved forward, squared it again.
Straight from the kickout, sub Caidin Connolly-Bannon shot St. Kevin’s ahead, but a superb two-point free by goalkeeper Kevin Heery and a Gilleece point had Bawnboy ahead as time began to run out.
Crucially though, St Kevin’s found their scoring touch again when it mattered most, with Oisin McPhillips and Mimnagh levelling at 2-12 apiece.
As the game moved into added time, a driving run by captain Casey yielded a free for Chapman to coolly steer over.
The game then ended with Connolly-Bannon neatly lobbing over the perfect finish to a momentous sporting occasion for the Fermanagh school and their supporters in Donagh.
Team
St Kevin’s: Johnny McCaffrey, Joe McGoldrick, Ryan Casey, Shaun McCaffrey, Ben Caughey (0-01), Oisin McPhillips (0-01), Jack Crudden, Ryan Crudden, Daire Chapman (1-02, 1 pen, 2f), Matthew Mimnagh (0-02), Conor Casey, Dara Leonard, Conor Kelly (0-01), Callum Connolly-Bannon (1-04, 2f), Louie Lunney (0-02). Subs: Caidin Connolly-Bannon (0-01) (23), Charlie Rooney for C Kelly (52).
