St Pius X take Corn Chomchille

Danske Bank Corn Cholmchille final
St Pius X Magherafelt 5-6 Aquinas Grammar 3-7
AN explosive five-minute spell in the second half shot St Pius X into the driving seat in yesterday’s Danske Bank Corn Cholmchille Final at Allen Park Antrim and they were far enough ahead to hold off a strong fight-back from first time finalists Aquinas Belfast.
Two goals from David Monaghan and a Richard Drain goal, his third of the game, had the Derry side 5-5 to 0-5 to the good with 20 minutes to go.
It was only then that the entertainment started and St Pius needed to pull out all the stops to fend off a stern Aquinas fightback, as two Tom McCarroll goals and fine finish by Niall Duffy left the last fewer minutes at fever pitch.
The Ravenhill Road side had momentum and that was only halted in the final minute when from a breakaway Caolin McGlone grabbed a point and with it came Magherafelt’s second piece of silverware for the season.
Aquinas started with a first minute point from Jack Toner, but it wasn’t long before St Pius stormed in for the first goal of the game, a close range finish from full forward Richard Drain.
The Magherafelt side then enjoyed much of the play in the first half, and shortly before the break Conleth McGrogan and Cormac Bateson added frees before Drain finished a fine team goal to put his side 2-4 to 0-3 ahead.
On the re-start Drain and Toner exchanged early points before the first David Monaghan goal and soon after, full forward Drain completed his hat-trick. Although Toner responded with a point, a second Monaghan goal left St Pius in cruise control.
With ten minutes remaining Niall Duffy slipped home a neat finish. It looked a consolation score but Aquinas took a firm grip around midfield and pressed forward.
Two goals inside five minutes from McCarroll, left the game hanging in the balance going into stoppage time but with Luke Bell, Odhran Letters and Aaron Murray in fine form at the back, St Pius help on.
St Pius X: C Quinn; E Keenan, O Letters, L Bell; C McEldowney, A Murray, O Crozier; C Bateson (0-3 frees), J McClure; A McElroy, D Monaghan (2-0), C McGrogan (0-1); C Spiers, R Drain (3-1), C McGlone (0-1).
Sub: C Gribben for A McElroy.
Aquinas: S McGarry; O Fahy, M McCrossan, L Swail; M McDonnell, S O’Hare, R Donaldson; B Delaney (0-1), J Cunningham; B Christie, N Duffy (1-0), J Boyle; D McArdle, T McCarroll (2-1), J Toner (0-5, 3 frees).
Sub: R Hamilton for B Christie
Referee: B Coyle (Antrim)