Super St Ronan’s

St Patrick’s Cavan 0-14 AET

St Ronan’s College Lurgan set down a marker in Ulster Colleges’ football by reaching the semi-finals of the Grade A Danske Bank Edmund Rice Rannafast Cup after an extra-time shoot-out with St Patrick’s Cavan at the weekend. A MacRory cup victory over Abbey Grammar Newry was followed by this fantastic result for the local school.

Indeed the Lurgan boys looked like seeing the game out in normal time when they led by 0-13 to 0-11, but two late points from Cavan brought the teams to an extra ten minutes each way.

However the St Ronan’s dug deep and took control over the last 20 minutes and four points from the excellent Rioghan Meehan and another from Jack Haddock took them into a semi-final meeting with the holders St Macartan’s Monaghan who had beaten the Dungannon Academy last Thursday. The game is due to take place in the week beginning 2nd November.

Meehan was a huge influence on the game, as were Jack Lenehan at midfield and Ruairi McConville particularly in extra time, while Aidan Mulholland did a fine man-marking job on Michael Brady, restricting the Cavan forward to just one point from open play. Adam Loughran excelled in a free role given to him by the Cavan sweeper.

Lurgan played well during the opening half and deserved their interval lead of 0-7 to 0-4, with three of the points coming from Meehan. Other scores from Shea Geraghty, Jack Haddock, Ruairi McConville and Adam Loughran gave them the lead but they were playing with what slight breeze there was at the Monaghan venue.

They still kept marginally ahead during the second half with Shea Geraghty scoring four of their six points including one clipped over from a tight angle after a great team move, while Cavan edged closer from frees. Jamie Haughey, returning from injury, was introduced just after half-time. He was driving at the Cavan defence at every opportunity and if he stays fit will be a serious addition to the team’s chances. Ruairi McConville and Meehan again chipped in with scores and they seemed set for victory until two late Cavan scores sent the game into extra-time.

Sometimes it’s the team who scores the equaliser that takes momentum into extra-time however the St Ronan’s boys refused to be denied and showed great heart and fitness to go on and dominate extra-time outscoring their opponents 5-1 in this 20 minutes.

The boys will take great confidence from this victory and now will look forward to taking on the defending champions. This squad won the last ever Ulster title for St Michael’s in April when winning the Grade B Treanor Cup and they are setting the standard for St Ronan’s teams coming behind with this sort of performance.

St Ronan’s College: Oisin Campbell, Jamie Lamont, Aidan Mulholland, Adam Loughran, Callum Magee, Jack Haddock, Eugene Doran, Jack Lenehan, Eoin McConville, Marc McAfee, Ruairi McConville, Tiernan Kelly, Rioghan Meehan, Lee Haughian, Shea Geraghty. Subs Jamie Haughey for J Lamont, Patrick McGibbon for T Kelly, Niall Loney for R Meehan, Oran Brady, Aaron McCreanor, Oisin Farquhar, Ethan Lavery, Malachi Ward, Sean Magee, Shea Murphy