MULHOLLAND CUP FINAL

St Joseph’s Newry emerged victorious in today’s Danske Bank u16.5 Mulholland Cup Final, overcoming Saint Kevin’s College Lisnaskea in an impressive display of football.

Midfielder’s Darragh Saul and James O’Hanlon along with Matthew McLaughlin and impact substitute Callum Bradley were key players helping St Joseph’s Newry edge ahead in Castleblayney this afternoon.

Bradley had come off the bench when they were in bother in the quarter-final against St Patrick’s Dungiven and delivered 1-2. This afternoon he again came off the bench after 40 minutes and grabbed the Newry goal a few minutes later.

The Newry Bosco clubman later missed a penalty, but immediately made up for it. The ball was worked back to him 35 metres out and he scored a point to put three between the sides.

But there was plenty of drama in the last five scoreless minutes with St Kevin’s having a great chance of grabbing a late goal to snatch a draw.

It just wasn’t to be for the Fermanagh side who had to share the title with Coláiste Chú Uladh Glenfin two years ago when they reached the final but were prevented from playing by the outbreak of Covid. They contributed to a highly entertaining game with Tom Lunny who was excellent in goals, Ben Warnock, Shane McBride and Dylan McCabe the pick of a strong challenge.

St Kevin’s played against the breeze in the opening half and would have been happy to be just three points in arrears at half time, 2-0 to 0-9. Ben Warnock and Lucas McCahery scored the goals, while James O’Hanlon and Down county minor player Darragh Saul, who finished with six points from play, picked off most of St Joseph’s scores.

St Kevin’s narrowed the gap to a single point in the third quarter as both defences tightened, but Bradley’s goal gave Newry a bit of breathing space. Although Caoimhinn Cosgrove narrowed the gap to a single point again in the 52nd minute with Lisnaskea’s third goal, St Joseph’s hit four points over the next four minutes to pick up the title for the first time.

St Joseph’s Newry 1-13 St Kevin’s Lisnaskea 3-4

St Joseph’s: A O’Hanlon, L Burns, OD R Murphy, A McGuinness 0-1, L Lynch, J Savage, A Bell, D Saul 0-6, J O’Hanlon 0-4, G McHugh, M McLaughlin, R O’Connor, O McCoy, T Burns 0-1, K Turley, D Flynn, C Bradley 1-1

St Kevin’s: T Lunney, TJ McManus, S McBride, C Peddie, J Flannagan, C Donaghy 0-1, B Warnock 1-1, B Murray, T Bradshaw 0-1, E McCormick, R Hannigan, D Kerr, N Beattie 0-1, O Toye, L McCahery, N Tierney, D McCabe, C Cosgrove

– Brendan Fearon

Fermanagh GAA | Official Down GAA | Ulster GAA