04 April 2009
All Ireland College B Hurling Championship (O'Keefe Cup)
Cross & Passion clinch All Ireland title with powerful team display
Cross & Passion College 3-12 Colaiste Eoin (Dublin) 1-10
Cross & Passion College Ballycastle won the O’Keefe Cup (All Ireland College B Hurling) at Pairc Esler Newry on Saturday when they beat Colaiste Eoin from Dublin by 3-12 to 1-11 after a terrific team display.
The North Antrim boys were slow to settle and fell two points behind before Ciaran Clarke and Shane Jennings points brought them level.
The sending off of right-half back Daniel McPeake looked like being a major set-back for the ‘Convent’ but towering full-back Matthew Donnelly lifted spirits greatly with two superb long range points, and when Ciaran Clarke got in for his team’s opening goal in the twenty-third minute the Ballycastle boys began to look like winners.
Three minutes later another long range free by big Matty Donnelly went all the way to the Colaiste Eoin net, a massive boost for the North Antrim side, and a score which saw them go in the break leading by 2-6 to 0-3.
Playing into a stiff breeze in the second-half it was far from plain sailing for Cross & Passion, but they stuck to their task manfully and after MacCraith had reduced the deficit for the Dublin side with two points from frees, Ciaran Clarke and John McBride hit back with points to restore the nine point cushion.
Top scorer Clarke struck the killer blow twelve minutes from time when he picked up a great pass from Shane Jennings and fired home his team’s third goal, and though Mark Schutte scrambled a late goal for Colaiste Eoin it was mere consolation as the destiny of the O’Keefe cup had already been decided.
Scorers – Ciaran Clarke 2-6; Matthew Donnelly 1-2; Shane Jenning 0-3; Stephen McAfee 0-1.
CROSS & PASSION - Steven McGinn, Ronan McCloskey, Matthew Donnelly, Mark Scally, Niall Murray, James Coaig, Daniel McPeake, Conor Laverty (capt), Stephen Smyth, Sean Birt, John McBride, Shane McKee, Stephen McAfee, Shane Jennings, Ciaran Clarke.
