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Bourke
Goal Kills off Keady Challenge - 28/05/03
B.T. Ulster Colleges Gaelic Football - Semi
Final
St. Louis Grammar School, Kilkeel 2-13
St. Patrick's High School, Keady 1-09
St. Louis Grammar School, Kilkeel, came
out on top in this hard fought semi-final of the Ulster
Colleges Treanor Cup. Played at Derrylackagh playing fields,
St. Patrick's High School, Keady were branded as favourites
after their impressive victory over St. Colmb's Derry in
the quarter-final, but Kilkeel, who had defeated St. Mary's
CBS, Belfast, were very much up for the challenge.
The opening few minutes of the game were tense, with no
side dominating the proceedings. A Christopher Morgan point,
was quickly followed by one from Martin Clarke, but these
were cancelled out by two well worked points from Keady.
The breakthrough, finally came from Keady, who score a fine
goal past the helpless Colm Curran in the Kilkeel goals.
Coach Steven McVeigh made some adjustments to his defence,
which seemed to tighten up this troubled sector. A further
Keady point saw the Kilkeel team losing by four points until
Kilkeel earned a penalty after Martin Clarke was brought
down in the Keady goalmouth. Luke Toner stepped up and put
the ball in the top left corner of the net with great confidence.
The Keady were struggling to keep control of Martin Clarke,
as the young An Riocht player, literally tore their defence
apart. He added another three points to the Kilkeel score-line,
whilst Keady could only muster up another point in this
opening half. The Kilkeel defence looked particularly impressive
after their shaky start, with John Fitzpatrick at full back
and Eamon Kelly and Andrew Sloan at half-back, constantly
thwarting the Keady attack. Kilkeel were certainly finishing
the first-half in a very dominating fashion as a point from
Peter Fitzpatrick and another from Martin Clarke, left three
points between the sides. The half time score-line read,
St. Louis 1-07, St. Patrick's 1-04.
The second half, saw Keady come out very strongly and left
the Mourne school very much on the defensive. St. Louis
managed to survive at this point due to some determined
defending and great covering by the midfield pairing of
Hugh Magee and Gerard McCartan. The work rate of this pair
combined, with the accuracy of Martin Clarke were crucial
elements of the St. Louis victory. For all their pressure,
Keady only managed two points, whilst the impressive Clarke
responded with three points for the Kilkeel school. A pattern
was now developing in the game where for every Keady point
scored, Kilkeel would match them. Crucially, the Kilkeel
school, guarded their goal with the full back line of Damien
Sherry, John Fitzpatrick and Luke Byrne covering their goalkeeper
well and marking their opponents very tightly.
Points from Hugh Magee and Luke Toner gave the Kilkeel team
a sense that the game was really theirs for the taking.
Keady responded with two points, but the gap between the
teams was still four points. Another Keady point gave the
Armagh school hope, but this was quickly extinguished with
yet another point from Clarke. Martin Clarke had notched
up an impressive nine points, with six from open play, and
thus was subject to some rather heavy tackling from the
Keady defence. Keady lost the plot during the final ten
minutes with St. Louis benefiting from a series of continuous
fouls to eat up valuable time. The final nail in the coffin
for Keady came when a rather speculative shot from Patrick
Bourke far out on the left wing, looked destined to be sailing
over the bar, only to find its way into the Keady net. This
goal left seven points between the sides and a sure Kilkeel
victory.
An excellent victory for St. Louis sees the Kilkeel enter
their second Ulster Colleges final this year. With players
of the calibre of Martin Clarke, Luke Toner, Eamon Kelly
coupled with the younger talents of Andrew Sloan, Gerard
McCartan, John Fitzpatrick and Peter Fitzpatrick, this St.
Louis team has the spirit and will to lift this Treanor
Cup. However, they must overcome the challenge of either,
La Salle, Belfast or St. Michael's Lurgan, to achieve this
goal.
St. Louis Team;
Colm Curran (Bryansford), Luke Byrne (Bryansford), John
Fitzpatrick (Ballymartin), Damien Sherry (An Riocht), Andrew
Sloan (Attical), Eamon Kelly (Rostrevor), Fergal Doyle (An
Riocht), Gerard McCartan (Rostrevor), Hugh Magee (Longstone)
0-1, Martin Clarke (An Riocht) 0-9, Luke Toner (Castlewellan)
1-1, Peter Fitzpatrick (Ballymartin) 0-1, Christopher Morgan
(Atticall) 0-1, Patrick Bourke (Rostervor) 1-0, James Clerkin
(Rostrevor).
Subs;
Liam Harper (An Riocht), Ryan O'Hare (Ballymartin), John
Magee (Atticall), Michael Hardy (An Riocht), Eddie McVeigh
(An Riocht), Ryan Sloan (Atticall), Allen Murney (An Riocht),
John Joe McClorey (Rostrevor).
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