St Malachy’s hurlers win Reihill Cup

22 May 2024

ST Malachy’s High School, Castlewellan, hurlers won the Danske Bank Reihill Cup for the first time on Thursday with a strong opening five minutes to the second half at the Mid Ulster Sports

Arena in Cookstown turning the game on its head.

St Malachy’s looked in trouble for most of the first half, giving away strength and presence in the tackle to a physically strong Carndonagh Community School.

But, the Inishowen side didn’t really take advantage; they fired nine shots wide of the Castlewellan goals and also ped another couple into the safe hands of St Malachy’s goalkeeper Eoin O’Hagan.

Nevertheless, they still managed to build a four point lead coming into the break.

But Oisin McCann and Ruairí Óg Gallagher halved that in the couple of minutes before the break and McCann then set the tone for the second half by winning the throw in and bursting forward to clip over a point.

In the next attack, Ciarán Owens found the net and Castlewellan had taken a two points lead.

That became four by the 34th minute with points from Pádraig Owens and another from Ruairí Óg Gallagher.

Over the next ten minutes there was sustained pressure from Carndonagh but it yielded just one point from a Hugh McGinn free in the 45th minute.

Castlewellan’s defence, led by goalkeeper O’Hagan and Darragh Stratton, was immense during this period and Pádraic McAleenan broke to score his fourth point and keep them four ahead.

A move down the right wing then delivered a goal for Ronan Hill.

Ethan Gallagher fired over a great point and, despite McGinn scoring a superb goal directly from a 35m free, Castlewellan sensed victory.

A long delivery from Hill found Odhrán Toner who kicked it to the net and when McAleenan was fouled Logan Muldoon fired over his third point and suddenly the Down school was ten points ahead.

It didn’t quite kill off Carndonagh, which claimed the last four points including three for the impressive McGinn. But they held their shape, didn’t concede a goal and comfortably saw out the game.

Perhaps the St Malachy’s team performance and skill are best illustrated by the fact that ten different scorers got on the board.

There were impressive individual performances among those and among the defenders as well, including Eoin O’Hagan in goals.

It was all needed against a physically imposing Donegal side, which simply couldn’t match the all round skill of the Castlewellan team.

St Malachy’s: E O’Hagan, L King, D Stratton, D Brown, M O’Shea, R Hill (1-0), E Gallagher (0-1), O McCann (0-2), N McGrady (0-1), l Muldoon (0-3, 2f), P McAleenan (0-4), C Owens (1-0), P Owens (0-1), O Toner (1-0), R Óg Gallagher (0-2).

Sub used: P Bannon for R Óg Gallagher (56).

Carndonagh: S Miller, D McLaughlin, F Duffy, K Callaghan, E Donaghy, H McGinn (1-7, 1-6f), E Browne, R Butler (0-1), D O’Brien, C Lafferty (0-1), J Walsh O McElhinney, L Butler, C McNally (1-0), O Curran (0-2).

Sub used: D O’Carroll for L Butler (45).

Referee: P Lagan (Derry).

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