CPC win the JJ Murphy Cup

Danske Bank JJ Murphy Cup final

Cross & Passion Ballycastle 7-8 St Mary’s Limavady 4-8

A scoring burst between the 12th and 19th minutes of last week’s JJ Murphy Cup final in Kilrea took Cross & Passion clear of St Mary’s Limavady and on their way to retaining the trophy, their second football title of the season.

During that period on top CPC scored five goals and a point and that helped them to an interval lead of 5-3 to 4-4. During the second half the boys from north Antrim were able to close out Limavady at the back and pick off enough scores to stay comfortably in the lead.

St Mary’s had the better start with Riley Brolly’s hand-pass sending Daithí O’Connor through for the first goal after three minutes. Limavady led by 1-2 to 0-2 when Ballycastle’s goal run began with Killian Cassidy sending Daire Kearney in for the first strike.

Seamas McAleenan of Ulster Schools GAA presents the JJ Murphy Cup to CPC captain Killian Cassidy after his team’s win over St Mary’s Kimivady in the final at Kilrea
Kearney scored the second Ballycastle goal as well, tapping in when Iarla Gillan’s shot came back off a post and Iarfhlaith O’Kane quickly lobbed in a third. John óg Darragh and Ronan Smith scored the other goals to put CPC into a commanding lead.

Through that spell however Liam McClelland brought off two excellent saves at the other end before Limavady moved the dangerous Corin Burns to the edge of the Ballycastle square. Burns responded with two goals in quick succession and when O’Connor added his second after a fine solo run, Limavady were very much back in the hunt.

Burns closed the gap to a single point on the re-start, but the north Derry school didn’t score again until the 49th minute, by which point a goal from Dara McShane and five unanswered points had stretched Ballycastle’s lead to nine points.

CPC captain Killian Cassidy rounded off a good team performance by sliding home the seventh goal a couple of minutes from time.

CPC celebrate with the cup
Cross & Passion: D Kearney 2-1, R Smith 1-2, 0-1 (f), J óg Darragh, K Cassidy, I O’Kane and D McShane 1-1 each, T Richmond 0-1.

St Mary’s: C Burns 2-5, 0-2 (fs), D O’Connor 2-0, K King, E O’Dwyer and C Donaghy 0-1 each.

Cross & Passion: Liam McClelland, Gerard Gillan, Ben Linton, Malachy McSparren, Sean Johnson, Pearse McMullan, Rory McCloskey, Tom Richmond, John óg Darragh, Ronan Smith, Killian Cassidy, Iarfhlaith O’Kane, Dara McShane, Iarla Gilla, Daire Kearney.

Subs used: Killian Bellew for S Johnson (40), Finn McKeown and Jamie Maguire for D McShane and I Gillan (both 48)

St Mary’s: Killian Kealey, Conall Carraig, Jacob Cassidy, James Duffy, Ciarán McIvor, Cormac Cooke, Cillian Donaghy, Cahir Carton, Corin Burns, Caiden McWilliams, Davan Gallagher, Kian King, Riley Brolly, Daithí O’Connor, Emmett O’Dwyer.

Referee: Sean McGuigan (Slaughtneil)

 

With thanks to thesaffrongael.com