St Eunan’s College 3-13 Holy Trinity College, Cookstown 1-12
ST EUNAN’S College have qualified for their first MacLarnon Cup Final since 2018 after they proved too strong for Holy Trinity, Cookstown in O’Donnell Park today.
First half goals from Jack Duffy, Matthew McGinley, and Jack Robinson had Peter Devine’s St Eunan’s in control at the break.
Holy Trinity battled back with a goal from Darcy Mallon but it wasn’t their day.
Cookstown owned the ball early on and they opened the scoring in the third minute from the classy Karol Wawrynkiewicz.
A large cohort of the St Eunan’s student body made their way to O’Donnell Park for the match and their team soon found their flow.
Matthew Enright, Liam McGinley and Evan Hickey all landed lovely scores from play in the space of six minutes.
The Sentry Hill team then swooped for a goal in the 14th minute.
Hickey played a clever pass in behind to Jack Robinson who unselfishly laid across to Jack Duddy and the wing-forward coolly palmed to the ball to the net.
It got even better for St Eunan’s College two minutes later when a second goal arrived.
Matthew McGinley was going for a point but his effort took a deflection from a Cookstown defender and the ball flew into the net.
Holy Trinity were stunned but they did raise their game.
Wawrynkiewicz had a chance at goal but blazed over before Ciaran McKeown curled over a beauty.
Jack Robinson and Ciaran McKeown swapped points again but St Eunan’s were rampant.
Matthew McGinley landed a great point before they sliced open the Tyrone men again in the 24th minute.
Cathal Doherty and Enright combined before the play was switched inside to Robinson and he drilled low to the net from an acute angle to put his team ten points ahead.
Holy Trinity did finish the first half with a free from Ryan Forbes and a fine score from Jamie Concannon but they were 3-5 to 0-6 in arrears at the break and it was a long way back.
Forbes registered the first point of the second half from a free but St Eunan’s responded nicely with well-worked efforts from Duddy and Shea Boyle.
Holy Trinity needed a goal and they did get in behind the St Eunan’s College defence in the 36th minute but Karol Wawrynkiewicz was denied by a smart stop from Cormac Crossan.
The home team kept the scoreboard ticking with Enright and Hickey on the mark.
To their credit, Cookstown didn’t give up the fight.
Concannon slotted over before Wawrynkiewicz helped himself to an exquisite two-pointer.
They also grabbed a goal in the 46th minute with Darcy Mallon blasting to the net. The wing-forward had been fouled but certainly got away with a few extra steps before unleashing his shot.
Ciaran McKeown followed up with another point and suddenly Holy Trinity were only four behind with eleven minutes remaining.
When St Eunan’s College needed leadership, captain Pauric Devine supplied it by winning a free which Enright converted.
Ciaran McKeown got the next score for the visitors but that was as good as it got for them.
Callum McGilloway, Aaron McGinley and Shay Sweeney all landed late points as Devine’s team advance through to the final.
St Eunan’s College: Cormac Crossan; Noah Casburn, Liam McGinley (0-1), Mark Galvin; Cormac Cassidy, Evan Daly, Cathal Doherty; Callum McGilloway (0-1); Jack Duddy (1-1), Matthew McGinley (1-1), Jack Robinson (1-1); Evan Hickey (0-2), Matthew Enright (0-3, 1f), Shea Boyle (0-1). Subs: Jonah Cannon for Boyle (46 mins), Aaron McGinley (0-1) for Robinson (53 mins), Shay Sweeney (0-1) for Enright (59 mins), Paul Mullen and Michael Gallagher for Duffy and McGilloway (61 mins).
Holy Trinity College, Cookstown: Daniel McCresllis; Daire McKeown, Cahir McKeown, Ryan Forbes (0-2, 2fs), Darragh Muldoon, Shea Rafferty, Ruairi O’Neill; Yasin Baba, Jamie Concannon (0-2); Jack Muldoon, Karol Wawrynkiewicz (0-4, 1tp), Darcy Mallon (1-0); JP Dorris, Ciaran McKeown (0-4, 1f), Ciaran Murphy. Subs: Fionn Daly for Murphy (39 mins), David Goncalves De Silva for Muldoon (42 mins).
Referee: Cianan Canney (Derry).
