Danske Bank Loch an Iuir Cup final:
St Malachy’s, Castlewellan 3-4 St Patrick’s, Downpatrick 4-4
A HIGH ball from Shane Bright into the goal area in the last minute of this derby Danske Bank Loch an Iúir Cup final was punched home to the Castlewellan net by Tom Smyth to give St Patrick’s, Downpatrick victory in a game that finished at fever pitch.
St Malachy’s had come back from seven points down at the break and gone into the lead with a goal from substitute Cathal Murphy after holding the Red High scoreless for the first 25 minutes of the second half.
Brandon Boyd then levelled and Smyth’s goal snatched the game from under St Malachy’s noses. The real hero for Downpatrick though was goalkeeper Caolan Watson who saved a penalty and also brought off at least three other key stops.
Castlewellan played well over the course of the game – Caolan Burns, Tiernan McCullough and Sean óg McCusker among their stars. But they allowed their opponents to get too far ahead by the break.
Shea Croskery’s opening goal after nine minutes put them into the lead at 1-1 to 0-1, but they only added a single point from a Justin Clarke free during the rest of the half.
Downpatrick, meanwhile, settled well into the game with a goal from Oran Bolton followed closely by one from Ronan Connor. Bolton added another to give them a 3-3 to 1-2 interval advantage but they failed to add to it as Castlewellan roared back into the game with a second goal from Croskery.
When Cathal Murphy fired to the net, it looked as if they could have pressed on and taken a maiden title, but instead Downpatrick grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and won back the cup with a late 1-1.
MATCH STATS
St Patrick’s: C Watson, B Braniff, N Maguire, M O’Rourke, E Rooney, O Gormley, T Savage, T Smyth (1-1), O Bolton (2-0), D Boyle, S Bright, B Boyd (1-1), J Fitzsimons, R Connor (0-2, 0-1 free), R McArdle; Subs: O Devlin for B Braniff
St Malachy’s: M Croskery, L Clarke, R Mooney, D McMullan, N Doyle (0-1), T McCullagh, C Burns, J Clarke (0-1 free), G Fitzpatrick capt. J McKee (0-1), T Devlin, S óg McCusker, C Stratton,
A Morgan, S Croskery (2-0); Subs: C Murphy 1-0 for A Morgan, O McEvoy for S Croskery, S Croskery for O McEvoy
Referee: K Falloon.
