Liatroim Fontenoys Cup final
St Patrick’s, Keady v St Pius X, Magherafelt (Thursday, Clonoe, 12.15pm)
THE last time these sides crossed swords in the Liatroim Fontenoys Cup final was two years ago in Dungannon, the south Armagh school emerging with a narrow victory to claim their seventh title.
Sitting second in the roll of honour for this competition, which was introduced in 1999, is St Pius X with four titles, but that meeting in 2022 was the only time they met up in a final before today.
Back in early September, they clashed in the first round of this season’s competition, with Keady scoring a 5-12 to 2-18 victory.
St Pius X, however, got their revenge in the Ulster Sevens blitz, winning the title outright to represent Ulster at All-Ireland level last month.
Not surprisingly, both teams progressed through the rest of the competition unbeaten, with both developing a real goal scent, Keady coming into the final with 27 and St Pius X with 18.
Six of the Keady majors came in the semi-final against another south Derry school, St Conor’s.
They were 4-5 to 1-2 up at half-time and could afford to concede 4-4 in the second half and still reach the final.
Caoimhe Gallogly scored a hat-trick in that game and the Derrynoose forward has been very dangerous for them all season.
Others prominent have been defenders Aoibheann Devlin and Clodagh Lappin, Sorcha Kinney at midfield and regular scorer Ella Toal.
St Pius X had to come from behind in their semi-final to defeat Our Lady & St Patrick’s College, Knock, whom they also beat in the Sevens final.
Knock led by 1-5 to 0-5 at the break but sub Kelly Scullion found the net with her first touch to level the game and joint-captains Hannah Downey and Áine Young also scored goals in a 3-14 to 3-9 victory.
Their starting team is likely to feature five from Ballinderry and four each from An Lúb and Bellaghy, clubs that are all doing well at underage level in the county.
Keady will be favourites as they won the earlier encounter and carry a significant goal threat. But if St Pius X are tight at the back, they can take a fifth title.
