Danske Bank Corn Cúchulainn final
St Patrick’s, Lisburn 5-8 Dominican, Portstewart 4-6
TWO goals from Christopher McGarry, the first a penalty, during the final quarter turned a game that could have gone any way firmly in favour of St Patrick’s, Lisburn in sunny Portglenone yesterday and they pushed on to collect the Danske Bank Corn Cúchulainn.
Dominican were the better team over the first quarter and should have been further in front than 1-2 to 0-2 by the middle of the half.
Shooting let them down, however, and the goal, scored by Charles Molyneux, was quickly cancelled when Dara Campbell broke the cover and Rónán Arthurs slotted home from close range.
A minute later, Eoin Morris’ free came off a post and Arthurs again was on hand to find the net. Those two scores were the main reason that St Patrick’s led by 2-3 to 1-2 at the break.
Dominican, however, turned the four-point deficit into a three-point lead within six minutes of the re-start with two excellent strikes from Duffy Crocker and Dara Hughes.
Their lead was short-lived with Campbell again breaking through the cover to fire across goalie Dylan Corbett into the far corner.
Christoper McGarry then opened his account to edge Lisburn ahead in the next attack, but two points from Conor Lowe put the Portstewart side back in the lead.
McGarry and Campbell, from frees, had Lisburn back in the lead before the penalty award when Corbett brought down Arthurs on his way to goal. McGarry confidently sent the goalie the wrong way.
Five minutes later, Tiernan Andrews-Fryer burst through the centre for a fine individual goal that closed the game down to 4-6 to 4-5 to set up a grandstand finish.
However, eight minutes from time, Lisburn won a turnover 50 metres out and the quick through pass put McGarry in the clear and the centre-forward cleverly slid his shot under the advancing Corbett.
Morris and McGarry quickly made the game safe with points that secured the school’s second trophy of the season.
St Patrick’s C McGarry 2-3 (1-0 pen, 0-1 free); R Arthurs 2-0; D Campbell 1-2 (0-1f); E Morris 0-2 (0-1f, C McKillion 0-1
Dominican D Crocker & D Hughes (0-1f) 1-1 each; T Andrews-Fryer & C Molyneaux 1-0 each; C Love 0-3 (0-1f), P McGinley 0-1f