21 May 2011
A superb 20 minutes of quick-fire hurling at the start of the second half were enough to see St Killian’s lift their first ever Ulster Colleges’ Grade A Hurling title in Ballymena yesterday.
During that spell they overturned a single point deficit at the break, to hit 2-7 without reply and lead 3-12 to 1-6.
Captain Christy McNaughton shot all 7 points to bring his match total to 1-8. Five of the scores came from open play as St Mary’s defence found it hard to contain McNaughton, who on this form is set to follow his father Sambo and older brother Shane into inter-county hurling.
However despite that 12 points lead, things began to unravel a little near the end for the north Antrim side with Dylan McLaughlin picking up a second yellow card and impressive midfielder Corey Beggs carried off injured in the same 51st minute incident.
Although they conceded goals to Gerard Walsh ( 20 metre free) and Ronan Beatty in the time remaining, they however never looked like letting the BT Gallagher Cup slip from their grasp.
Against the breeze, St Killian’s were quickly off the mark with a Ciaran Leech point and a smart interchange between Sean McCann and McNaughton saw the latter shoot to the St Mary’s net.
Deaglan Murphy was key to the Belfast side’s fight-back with 3 pointed frees and then a great solo run that stretched goalie Patrick Abram and Ronan Beatty nipped in to fire home. St Mary’s led 1-6 to 1-5 at the turnover.
McNaughton’s points and goals from Sean McCann and Seamus McAuley underpinned superb work from the St Killian’s defence and midfield pairing of Beggs and Niall McNaughton as they struck for home during the third quarter.
Jack Hopkins, Gerard Walsh and Cameron Flynn fought hard – but the breeze coupled with the 12 points lead left them with too much to do against the 14 men.
St Killian’s : Paddy Abram, Paddy Doherty, Cathal McKillop, Ronan McKillop, Tom Kerr, Hugh McNeill, Dylan McLaughlin, Niall McNaughton, Corey Beggs, Ciaran Leech 0-1, Sean McCann 1-0, Ryan Delargy 0-1, Fergus McCambridge 0-1, Christy McNaughton 1-8, 0-2 frees, Seamus McAuley 1-1.
Sub : Conor Magee for P Doherty (36), Matthew Devine for C Beggs (51).
St Mary’s : John Darragh, Ryan Diamond, Jack Hopkins, Conal Doyle, Cameron Flynn 0-1, Gerard Walsh capt. 1-0 free, Jordan McAllister, Conor Walsh, Cronin Rodgers, Deaglan Murphy 0-4 frees, Patrick Mervyn, Darragh Rocks 0-1, Jordan McKernan, Brendan Corr, Ronan Beatty 1-0.
Subs : Sean Maxwell for C Rodgers, Niall Crossan for R Diamond (52).
Referee : Martin Mulholland ( Derry )
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