Reports from Ulster Colleges Finals

St Patrick’s Maghera    5-7       Cross & Passion Ballycastle      0-4      

All-Ireland champions Cross & Passion Ballycastle lost their Ulster Corn Eimhear title to a hungry and St Patrick’s Maghera side in a cold Casement Park on Saturday 29th.

Two excellent second half goals from Aine McElwee underlined the potential in this Maghera side, but Ballycastle held them well during the first half with Laura Connolly a tower of strength at the back.

Maghera were 1-3 up by the 12th minute, but Nicole Dobbin’s penetrating runs pulled Ballycastle into the game during the second quarter and they trailed by 1-3 to 0-2 at the break.

However Maghera were much more direct during the second half and they controlled the game, with Noeleen McKenna, Grainne McNicholl, Karen Kielt, Danielle Quinn and Aine McElwee standing out.

Aine’s first goal opened the gap and the game was over by the time she hit a brilliant second in the 51st minute to make it 5-5 to 0-3.

Maghera look as capable a squad as the Ballycastle side that won last year and there is no reason why they cannot repeat the All-Ireland feat in the New Year.

St Patrick’s Maghera : Jolene Bradley, Niamh McQuillian, Rebecca Ferguson, Emma Agnew, Shauna Quinn, Noeleen McKenna, Caoimhe Glass, Karen Kielt 1-3, 0-2 frees, Grßinne McNicholl 0-2 frees, Shannon Kearney, Danielle Quinn, -ine McElwee 2-2, Nuala Convery 1-0, Lisa McKenna, Caoimhe Quinn 1-0.

Subs : Rachelle O’Neill for L McKenna (26), Shaunine O’Kane for N McQuillan (45).

Cross & Passion : Megan Coyle, Julie McKillen, Maria Donnelly, Shannon McCarry, Michaela Beattie, Laura Connolly, Niamh Donnelly 0-2 frees, Maeve McCouaig, Melissa Smyth, Caoimhe McShane, Orla Donnelly 0-1, Caitriona Maybin, Nicole Dobbin, Orlagh O’Hara 0-1 free, Clare McGuckian.

Subs : Eimear McGuckian for C McGuckian (40), Jennifer Devlin for M Donnelly (59), Niambh Butler for J McKillen (45).

Referee : Julie O’Neill

Liatroim Fontenoys Cup final

St Patrick’s Keady       9-11     Loreto Coleraine 1-1

St Patrick’s Keady are back in top flight Colleges’ camogie after this comfortable victory in the Liatroim Fontenoys Cup final in Casement Park on Saturday 29th.

They dominated from the start and in Jane Lavery, Michelle Morgan and Kirsty Sheridan had penetrative and accurate forwards.
Kirsty finished with an impressive 4-5, only one point coming from a free.  Her first half hat-trick left Loreto facing into a lost cause at the break as they trailed by 6-5 to Carla Brogan’s 26th minute goal.

Jane Lavery nabbed two other first half goals and was a real headache for the Coleraine defence.

Coleraine gave it a real go at the start of the second half, but had only a Niamh Boylan point to show for the effort and after Eadaoin Murphy pinched a Keady goal in the 43rd minute against the run of play, the floodgates opened once more.

St Patrick’s Keady : Catherine Connolly, Rosie McClelland, Laura McGeown, Michaela Doyle, Carly Grimley, Hannah McGeown, Catherine McCooey, Eadaoin Murphy 1-1, Caoimhe Smith capt, Kirsty Sheridan 4-5, 0-1 free, Michelle Morgan 1-1, 1-0 free, Una Doyle 1-1, Ciara McGuigan, Karen McCann, Jane Lavery 2-2.

Subs : Cait McGivern 1-0, Nicola Woods 1-0.

Loreto : Br¾nagh McKinney, Orlagh McNicholl, Nadine Kearns, Claire McAtamney, Ursula Dallat, Maria Mooney, Therese Rafferty, Megan Kerr, Niamh Boylan 0-1 free, R¾isÝn Rafferty, Carla Brogan 1-0, Christen O’Kane, Danielle Ferris, Laura Christie, Nicole O’Neill.

Subs : Clodagh Connolly for O McNicholl.

Referee : Nell O’Neill

Junior Medallion Shield final

St Paul’s Kilrea            1-2       St Columban’s Kilkeel 0-2

The Junior Medallion Shield final in Rossa Park Belfast was a low scoring affair decided by a Danielle McAllister strike midway through the second half.

Defences were very much in the ascendancy and Kilrea goalie Una Bradley kept her side in the hunt during the first half, when St Columban’s failed to convert their supremacy into scores.

They only had points from Moira Rodgers and Maria Higgins to show at half-time and when Christina Darragh and Amy Quigg raised their games for the second half, the Kilkeel side came under more pressure.

Two points from midfielder Darragh tied the game and the goal decided it.

St Paul’s  : Una Bradley, Cassie McNicholl, Megan McMahon, Cathy McAtamney, Siobhan Mullan, Caoimhe Quigg, Una Hampson, Christina Darragh 0-2, Gemma Weir, Aisling McAleese, Roisin O’Kane, Emma Lagan, Amy Quigg, Danielle McAllister 1-0, Carla McKeefry.

Subs : Bronagh McKeefry for C McAtamney (ht), Claire McGuigan for D McAllister (58).

St Columban’s : C McLaughlin, A Rooney, S Reilly, L Gaffney, L Cunningham, N Kelly, S Brannigan, M Rodgers 0-1, M Higgins 0-1, K Cunningham, R Cunningham, C Whyte, S Harper, T Rooney, S Rooney.

Subs : A Cunningham, A Rogers, B Curran, S Cunningham, T Bowater.

Referee : Roisin O’Neill.

By SÚamas McAleenan

“