Red High hurlers red hot at Newry

Red High hurlers red hot at Newry

14 November 2012 - by BY CHARLIE McSTAY

ST Patrick’s Grammar School, Downpatrick, hurled themselves into the Ulster Colleges’ record books when they lifted the coveted Casement Cup at Pairc Esler, Newry, on Thursday night.

Victory was more then deserved by the Red High side, who became only the sixth school in the history of the competition to secure the title.

Both sides started rather tentatively as the players adjusted to playing under floodlights and Rathmore’s Jack Cassidy was wide with two early frees.

It was left to Eoghan Sands to open the scoring and he did so in style in the fourth minute from play. The Portaferry ace followed this up with a converted free a minute later before Rathmore registered their first score of the game through the diminutive Donal Carson.

Conor O’Neill and Ryan McNulty exchanged frees before Carson brought the scores level in the 16th minute with a 21m free. Rathmore stole a march on the Red High at this stage of a disjointed game and points from Ciaran Hyland and Carson edged them into a 0-5 to 0-3 lead after 17 minutes.

The Red High responded positively and points from Dainieal Doran and Conor O’Neill levelled matters. The Downpatrick side were now starting to edge midfield and with 26 minutes gone Anthony Doherty pulled on a long free from Sands and blasted the ball past a stranded Gerard Henvey to give the Red High a 1-5 to 0-5 lead, a lead that they refused to relinquish.

Sands and Peden swapped points before Brook Byers and Sands lofted over super points to give the locals a 1-8 to 0-6 lead at the end of the first half.

The telling score of the game came just 90 seconds into the second half when the talismanic Sands emerged from a ruck of players to dispatch the ball to the net.

Rathmore, who refused to throw in the towel, were then hit by scores from Sands, and Conor O’Neill as the Red High moved into a 2-10 to 0-6 lead after 38 minutes.

McNulty stopped the Red High charge with a converted free, but his side were dealt a fatal blow when Aodhan Burke was sent off after picking up a second yellow card.

Carson reduced the leeway with a pointed free, but this was cancelled out by a score from Doran in the 43rd minute. Carson and Sands swapped points before Sands (2) and Conor O’Neill put the game out of Rathmore’s reach with three brilliant points.

Byers and Conor O’Neill completed the scoring in the dying stages with two more well taken points to give the Red High a convincing and deserved win.

St. Patrick’s: J. Crowe, P. J. Davidson, C, Taggart, P. Hardy, E. King, M. O’Rourke, N. Gilmore, B. Byers (0-2), R. Murray, D. Doran (0-2), E. Sands (1-7), C. O’Neill (0-6), E. O’Neill, A. Doherty (1-0), S. Hardy. C. Coulter for P. Hardy, J. Doran for Coulter, O. McManus for Gilmore, C. Hynds for Doran, C. Fay for King.

Rathmore: G. Henvey, C. Mohan, R. McNulty (0-3), F. Mulvenna, C. Compston, M. Carlin, J. Cassidy, F. Leyden, C. Pelan, C. Leonard, C. Donnelly, E. Fleming, C. Hyland (0-1), R. Peden (0-1), D. Carson (0-5). A. Burke for Cassidy, J. Bohill for Hyland.

Final score: St. Patrick GS 2-17 Rathmore GS 0-10.