Markey Cup final: Holy Trinity, Cookstown 3-9 Dungannon CFE 0-12
HOLY TRINITY College, Cookstown wrote themselves into the Vocational Schools history books yesterday by becoming the first school to win both the U16 and the Ulster Markey Cup (U18) titlesin the same year.
A merited victory over their great local rivals Dungannon CFE in a brilliant final in St Tiernach’s Park, Clones ensured that historic honour.
The star of the Cookstown side was 6 ft plus goalkeeper Niall Conlon from the Moortown club.
He brought off four majestic saves in the final seven minutes when Dungannon turned on the pressure in an effort to pull the game out of the fire.
The main difference between the teams was the respective defences.
Holy Trinity covered brilliantly and tackled hard, with Fran Loughran, Gavin Devlin and Seamus McQuillan being particularly brilliant. Brian O’Neill and Owen Mulligan had an even break at midfield against Kevin Hughes and Aidan O’Connor.
The lively Cookstown attack brilliantly led by Aidan Quinn assisted by Sean Maguire and Gareth Coney gave the Dungannon defence quite an examination.
It was the Dungannon half-back line of Karl Doran, Sean Rafferty and Declan Coney that saved their side from a bigger defeat. In attack full-forward Sean Hampsey kept his side in the game with his accuracy from frees.
Holy Trinity: N Conlon, P Ryan, F Loughran, S McQuillan, B McElhatton, G Devlin, S Teague, B O’Neill, O Mulligan, J Cummings, A Devlin capt (0- 1), A Quinn (1-6), S McNally (0-1), G Coney (1-0), S Maguire (1-1),
Sub: Ryan Quinn for S McNally.
Dungannon CFE: M Doris, B McElholme, D O’Neill, J Burns, K Doran, S Rafferty, D Coney (0-1), K Hughes capt, A O’Connor (0-1), D Coyle (0-1), S McCaffery (0-1), J P Kane (0-2), B Whitehouse, S Hampsey (0-6), R O’Neill.
Ref: S McKenna (Monaghan)
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BRIAN McGuckin is almost certain to miss Tyrone’s U21 Ulster championship first round tie against Armagh on Saturday.
The Tyrone forward sustained a muscle tear during Jordanstown’s Sigerson Cup final defeat to Tralee on Sunday, and is expected to undergo intensive physio for the remainder of the week in the vain hope of regaining his fitness.
Cormac McAnallen, who also played in the Sigerson at the weekend, has the ‘flu but should play. O’Kane is also waiting to see whether Paul McGurk and Jarleth Quinn suffer any after effects after their semi-final for the Poly’s Freshers against Waterford IT in the All-Ireland semi-final yesterday.
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JOE Cassidy is Derry’s main concern as they open the defence of their Ulster and All-Ireland U21 football championship title against Monaghan in Ballinascreen.
The 19-year-old Bellaghy forward is struggling badly with a rib injury sustained in a hefty tackle during Jordanstown’s Sigerson Cup quarter-final against Maynooth almost a fortnight ago.
The Allstar nominee played for the Poly in Sunday’s Sigerson Cup final against Tralee but did not look comfortable.
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REPUBLIC of Ireland boss Mick McCarthy has included eight uncapped players in his 22-man squad for the friendly against the Czech Republic in Olomouc on March 25.
The new faces are defenders Stephen Carr (Tottenham), Alan Maybury (Leeds), and Phil Hardy (Wrexham), midfielders Graham Kavanagh (Stoke), Mark Kinsella (Charlton), and Rory Delap (Derby) as well as teenage forwards Robbie Keane (Wolves) and Damien Duff (Blackburn).
Both Keane and Duff are certain to play at some stage of the game.
McCarthy gave this promise as both players could have been in action against Greece in a European Championship Youth qualifier on the same night.
Wolves striker Keane, at 17 years and eight months, will become the second youngest player ever to play for the Republic.
Coventry’s Jimmy Holmes made his debut at 17 years and six months in a European championship game against Austria in Dublin on May 30, 1971. Republic of Ireland squad: Given (Newcastle), A Kelly (Sheff Utd), Carr (Tottenham), Kenna (Blackburn), Cunningham (Wimbledon), Breen (Coventry), Harte (Leeds), Maybury (Leeds), Hardy (Wrexham), Carsley (Derby), Kavanagh (Stoke), Kinsella (Charlton), McLoughlin (Portsmouth), Farrelly (Everton), G Kelly (Leeds), Delap (Derby), Quinn (Sunderland), Connolly (Feyenoord), Keane (Wolves), Kennedy (Liverpool), Duff (Blackburn), Kilbane (West Brom).
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FORTY-SOMETHING goalkeeper Joe McBrearty may be wheeled out of retirement to play for Omagh Town against Ballymena in the Irish News Cup final tonight.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and as Omagh are without a goalkeeper, manager Roy McCreadie last night insisted the 46-year-old club veteran would be thrust between the sticks for the first leg at St Julian’s Road this evening.
“There is nothing else we can do,” he said.
“I received a list from the PFA in England of around 40 goalkeepers who were available until the end of the season and I hope to sign one over the weekend, but in the meantime, Joe will have to play.”
