Down Derby in Loch an Iúir Decider
Danske Bank Loch an Iúir Cup final
The Dub, Tuesday 5pm
St Malachy’s Castlewellan v St Patrick’s Downpatrick
THERE has been a couple of derby finals in Ulster Colleges’ competitions already this term, Patrician High taking the Rannafast from St Macartan’s and Ballygawley collecting the Rafferty Cup at the expense of Holy Trinity Cookstown.
Today’s (TUESDAY) Danske Bank Loch an Iúir Cup final is an east Down derby and sure to be hotly contested.
St Malachy’s Castlewellan are in their first year of Colleges’ competition and have made quite an impression, being edged out of the MacLarnon Cup quarter-finals by holders Castleblaney, losing the Rafferty Cup semi-final to eventual champions Ballygawley and now contesting a first final.
They have caught the eye at this level with comfortable wins in their league group against St Mary’s Belfast, Viriginia Cavan, St Ciaran’s Ballygawley and St Louis Ballymena.
Loreto Coleraine led them going into the last quarter of the last eight game, but Castlewellan finished strongly to win 6-13 to 4-13, and they followed that with a 6-9 to 2-11 win over Holy Trinity Cookstown despite losing key players to injury and a black card at the start of the second half.
Justin Clarke hit 2-2 in the semi-final before picking up an injury but is reported to be back to full fitness and ready to partner captain Gareth Fitzpatrick at midfield.
Shea Croskery scored a hat-trick of goals in the semi-final, but on other days the scores have come from other areas of a pretty impressive attacking sextet.
The Red High’s passage to the final has not raised quite as many eyebrows, although that has changed after a 7-11 to 1-7 demolition of St Malachy’s Belfast in the semi-final a fortnight ago.
Like their opponents, scores have been coming from all areas of the attack, with midfielder Tom Smyth from the local RGU club hitting an impressive 2-3 in the semi-final.
Neither defence so far has been under a serious amount of pressure in any game, such has been the dominance of their attackers.
Today something has to give and in a derby fixture, that could be anything. Both sets of players know each other very well, sharing dressing rooms in the Castlewellan, Bryansford and Dundrum clubs.
The Red High however seems to have the tighter defence and, with a high-scoring game in prospect, that could be the defining factor.
St Patrick’s : Caolan Watson, Shane O’Hare, Niall Maguire, Matthew O’Rourke, Eoin Rooney, Oran Gormley, Tom Savage, Tom Smyth, Oran Bolton, Dylan Boyle, Shane Bright, Brandon Boyd, Oistin Devlin, Ronan Connor, Ryan McArdle.
Subs : Daniel McNeill, Ben Braniff, Stefan Ginesi, Ronan Tempany, Lorcan Burns, Caolan Murray, Jack Fitzsimons, Philip Doran, Oran Cunningham, Aodhan Harney, Reece McCormick, Ethan Artt, Damien McDowell.
St Malachy’s : Morgan Croskery, Luke Clarke, Ronan Mooney, Damien McMullan, Niall Doyle, Tiernan McCullagh, Caolan Burns, Justin Clarke, Gareth Fitzpatrick capt. Jamie McKee, Tiernan Devlin, Sean óg McCusker, Ciarnan Stratton, Anthony Morgan, Shea Croskery.
Subs: Miceal McVeigh, Lorcan Cairns, Conor Matthews, Ciaran Lundy, Shea Moorehead, Joe O’Boyle, Connor Doyle, Cailum Madine, Callum Laird, Reece Doyle, Eoin McEvoy, Peter O’Hare, Ruari King, Cathal Murphy, Ross McCullagh, Antoni Ozka, Shea O’Toole, Christopher Sloan, Diarmuid Lavery.
