De La Salle to beat St Killian’s in Faul Final?
Danske Bank Faul Cup final
Thursday 12.30pm in the Dub
St Killian’s Garron Tower v De La Salle Downpatrick
IT IS not too often that St Killian’s Garron Tower can be associated with Ulster Colleges’ football finals, but today they go in search of their second Danske Bank Faul Cup title in four years when they take on De La Salle Downpatrick in the final at the Dub (12.30pm).
The Antrim coast school is more associated with hurling, and indeed quite a number of their players do not play the big ball game at club level. The ones who do though represent the Con Magee’s club in Glenravel.
That club took the Antrim under 14B title last year and reached the A decider in 2015 and they have been bringing through useful players in the likes of Declan McAuley, Peter McLoughlin, Conleth O’Loan, Sean Paul McKenna, Eoin Hynds and Sean McKay.
Hynds accounted for six of their points in the surprise semi-final win over Edmund Rice College after the Glengormley school had defeated St Killian’s in the league section of the competition.
In many ways however the powerhouse of the team is found in Glens hurlers such as James Morgan and Caolan O’Connor, who have limited experience of football.
De La Salle is another school that hasn’t been lifting a lot of silverware in football, but they have established themselves as a team that finish the job when they reach finals.
Their progress this year has been impressive as they lost their full-back and most experienced player, Callum Fitzsimons to a broken collar bone early in the group stages.
However Brendan McKenna has taken over on the edge of the square and helped his team negotiate their way through to the decider.
Captain Jamie Boyd has impressed at centre-half back while the midfield pairing of Nathan McShane and Corey Mahon are well supported by Jack Hazard and Declan Burns picking up breaking ball.
The East Down outfit carries more experience in terms of football played, but they will be up against an improving Garron Tower side that played some lovely combination football in the third quarter of their semi-final three weeks ago.
St Killian’s surprised all four seasons ago to win their only football title, but they will really be up against it in their effort to add a second.
De La Salle: Odhran O’Connor, Conor Kearney, Matthew Shearer, Conrad McMullan, Christopher Curran, Callum Fitzsimons, Curtis Ward, Nathan McShane, Corey Mahon, Ben Curran, Jack Hazard, Declan Burns, Odhran Deegan, Conor Curran, Daniel McMenamin, Andrew McCoubrey, Matthew McCarthy, Ciaran Fitzpatrick, Conan George, Jack Maguire, Corey McCoubrey, Kian Tierney
St Killian’s : Caolan Morgan, Declan McAuley, Peter McLoughlin, Francis McCurry, Michael McDonnell, Aidan McKenna, Caolan O’Connor, Conleth O’Loan, James Morgan, Sean Paul McKenna, Finlay Walker, Eoin Hynds, Kieran Mulvenna, Ronan Donnelly, Sean McKay
Subs : Conor Martin, Ruairi McAuley, Thomas Scally, Paul McMullan, Conor Higgins, Murray Emerson, James Black, Senan Black, Ed McQuillan, Callum O’Loan, Adam McAllister, Ronan McAuley, Gerard Scullion, Christopher Mulvenna
picture of St Killian’s from Paddy McIlwaine
