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West Belfast
school, La Salle lift the McLarnon Cup after beating
favourites StPatrick's Downpatrick in extra time at
Casement Park
Bank of Ireland
McLarnon Cup Final
St Patrick's,
D'patrick 1-15
La Salle, 2-14
CASEMENT PARK
La Salle lifted
the McLarnon Cup at Casement Park on Saturday after
defeatingfavourites St Patrick's Downpatrick in a
superb contest that required extra timeto determine
the winner.
The Down lads
looked as though they were going to run out
comfortable winners asthey dominated the first half
and should in fact have been further ahead as
theyshot a number of wides.
But La Salle
came good in the second half with man-of-the-match
Conor McGourtykeeping them in touch before
substitute Anthony Byrne joined the fray to bag a
goal to take the contest into extra time.
All Ireland
minor winning duo Jamie O'Reilly and Paul McCumiskey
along with team Captain Cathal Crilly hit all eight
of Downpatrick's first half points as they
established a 1-8 to 0-5 advantage at the short
whistle, right half forward Conor Killen punching
home their goal three minutes before the interval.
McGourty replied with some good points for La Salle
but they looked as though they had a mountain to
climb in the second half.
It was point
for point in the third quarter with McGourty, Daniel
Hanna and Aaron Thompson exchanging scores with
McCumiskey and Killen as Downpatrick led 1-10 to 0-9
going into the last ten minutes.
With his first
touch substitute Byrne took his side back into
contention with a well-taken goal before McGourty
levelled matters from a 45.
It was now
anybody's game and with only two minutes left of
normal time Downpatrick edged ahead thanks to a
successful Crilley free.
That looked as
though it was going to be the winner until Hanna
popped up to send the game into extra time much to
the delight of the large La Salle support.
In the first
period of extra time Downpatrick regained their
advantage thanks to scores from Conor McGinn and
Cahal Crilly but that man Byrne resurfaced again to
change the course of the game.
He firstly
landed a point and then fired home his second goal
after he reacted first to McGourty's effort coming
back off the woodwork.
La Salle had
turned the game on its head and they weren't going
to give it up now as they held out in the second
period to take the honours and go forward to the All
Ireland semi final.
La Salle:
Pearse Cussack, Pádraig Lowe, Mark Kelly, Conor
Finnegan, Noel McGarry, Daniel Hanna [0-2], Terence
McGuinness, Conor Murray, Aaron Thompson [0-1],
Darren Hawkins, Philip Maguire, James Magee, Kevin
McKernan, Conor McGourty [0-8], Marc Meleady[ 0-1]
Subs - Antoin McCaffrey for Meleady, Stephen Toner
[0-1] for McKernan, Anthony Byrne [2-1] for T
McGuinness
St Patrick's
Downpatrick: Kieran Gordon, Michael Rooney, David
Turley, Paddy McAuley, David McAuley, Timmy Hanna,
Michael Breen, Jamie O'Reilly [0-2], Caolan Boyd,
Conor Killen [1-1], Cahal Crilley [0-7], Ben
O'Reilly, Conor Heath, Conor McGinn [0-1], Paul
McCumiskey 0-4. Subs - Damien Turley for Boyd,
Stevie Galbraith for Heath
Referee: Aidan
McAlynn
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