St Columba’s Comprehensive School squeeze out Loreto CS, Milford 

St Columba’s Comprehensive School, Glenties are the Donegal senior secondary schools champions after they edged Loreto, Milford on Wednesday afternoon in Convoy. 

St Columba’s Comprehensive, Glenties 3-11
Loreto Community School, Milford 2-12 

Hugh Doyle’s boys had an advantage in physique and they had to withstand a spirited Loreto comeback playing into the breeze in the second period. 

Two first-half goals from St Columba’s full-forward Kian McCabe were key scores in this well-contested affair as they led by 2-3 to 0-5 at the break. 

But the introduction of the powerful and gifted Donegal senior panellist Cian McMenamin, early in the second helped to change the tenor of this match. 

The Termon star hit 0-4 and showed why Jim McGuinness has already called him into the senior squad. McMenamin was not able to start due to a facial injury but certainly made his presence felt when he came on. 

But the clinching score came from The Comp’s Danny Brown, who finished a lightning six-man move to the Loreto net to put St Columba’s into a 3-9 to 0-10 lead.  

The Milford scholars hit back with two goals of their own from James McAteer and Caolan Curran to set up a frenetic finish. 

The lively Eoghan ‘Ban’ McNelis opened the scoring for St Columba’s after a flying run down the right wing. But this was quickly cancelled by Loreto full-forward Callum Cullen who had a fine opening quarter. 

Cullen and corner forward Alex Gerwatowski then put Loreto into a 0-3 to 0-1 lead but they also landed four wides in that opening half. 

Brown tagged a point back for the Glenties students before Loreto keeper Cillian O’Hagan pulled off a great save from a Shane Sweeney goal bound shot in the 16th minute. 

St Columba’s went one better two minutes later when McCabe palmed the ball to the Loreto net after great work by Brown. 

McCabe then had a gilt-edged chance, a minute later, when put through but his shot came back off the post and went wide. 

But he did grab another goal in the 21st minute when he got on the end of McNelis’ shot at goal to punch the ball to the net. That opportunist strike put St Columba’s 2-2 to 0-3 clear. 

But points from Finnian Coll and John James Sweeeny were replied to by St Columba’s Max Campbell as the latter led by 2-3 to 0-5 at the break. 

Sweeney increased that lead by a point on the resumption as Loreto hit back through Paidin Sheilds. McMenamin was on the field by this stage and he hit three points on the spin, one from a placed ball. 

And St Columba’s ‘keeper Cian McConnell was forced to pull off a great save from Eoghan Scott. St Columba’s were leading by 2-9 to 0-10 when they struck for what proved to be the killer goal from Brown in the 42nd minute. 

But Loreto were growing into the game and found the net twice from McAteer and Curran to set up a grandstand finish as St Columba’s led by 3-10 to 2-11 as time ticked away. 

Sweeney and Scott swapped late points but time ran out on Loreto as St Columba’s celebrated winning the Lewis McIver Cup. 

St Columba’s Comprehensive School scorers: Kian McCabe 2-0; Danny Brown 1-3; Shane Sweeney 0-2; Max Campbell 0-2; Tiarnan Ward 0-2,1f; Eoghan ‘Ban’ McNelis 0-1; Finbarr Roarty 0-1. 

Loreto Milford scorers: Caolan Curran 1-1; Cian McMenamin 0-4.1f; James McAteer 1-0; Callum Cullen 0-2; Eoghan Scott 0-2; Alex Gerwatowki 0-1; John James Sweeney 0-1; Oran Gallagher 0-1. 

St Columba’s Comprehensive School, Glenties: Cian McConnell; Tiernan Byrne, Conan Brannigan, Matiú Clerkin; Ethan Dewhirst, Max Campbell, Thomas McDevitt; Finbarr Roarty, Darragh Hennigan; Eoghan ‘Ban’ McNelis, Shane Sweeney, Conor Farrell; Danny Brown, Kian McCabe, Tiarnan Ward. 

Subs: Gavin Sweeney for Farrell (40), Seamus Boyce for Dewhirst (45). 

Loreto Community School, Milford: Cillian O’Hagan; Sean Black, Paidin Sheils, Eoin Gallagher; Oisin McHugh, Seamus Ferry, J P Gallagher; Oisin Scanlon, John James Sweeney; Oran Gallagher, Finnian Coll, Caolan Curran; Alex Gerwatowski, Callum Cullen, Eoghan Scott. 

Subs: Dylan McGlone for Gerwatowski (h-time), Cian McMenamin for E Gallagher (36), James McAteer for JP Gallagher (42). 

Referee: Jimmy White (Killybegs)