St Columba’s defeat Loreto CS Milford to become Donegal Schools Senior A champions

St Columba’s College Stranorlar are Donegal Schools Senior A champions following their county final win over Loreto Community School Milford at O’Donnell Park.

St Columba’s College Stranorlar 4-9 Loreto CS Milford 2-8

Seven points separated the sides at the finish with the Twin Towns side the deserving winners. Sean MacCumhaills elusive corner forward Daithi McMahon top-scored for the winners with a final tally of 1-4, while Daniel Marley, Andrew Murray and Noah Griffin Reid scored the other three goals.

Loreto played in this season’s Ulster Colleges’ MacLarnon Cup but were short a number of their leading players including three of Luke Barrett's Donegal minor team.

Oisin Scanlon, John James Sweeney and Eoghan Scott are in the Donegal minor squad that face Cavan, in the quarter-final of the Ulster Minor Championship tomorrow evening in Kingspan Breffni Park. Finnian Coll was the leading scorer for Loreto. The Milford player hit a goal and two points of his team's tally. Full-back Tony Curran hit the second of the Loreto goals in the dying seconds of the game.

St Columba’s led 1-4 to 0-2 at half-time after coming from behind when Coll kicked Milford’s two opening points to lead 0-2 to 0-1 after 15 minutes.

Sean Martin levelled in the early minutes of the second quarter and Mahon rounded off the half with a late point and goal. The goal in injury was tucked away following good work in the left corner by Evan Long. Long squared the ball to the in running McMahon that made no mistake from five metres.

Daniel Marley stroked over a 45 before and Andrew Murray polished off a sweeping move with St Columba’s second goal.
That was 10 minutes into the new half and while Cian McMenamin responded with two well struck long range frees, St Columba’s were on their way shortly after when Marley drove home goal number three for a 3-5 to 0-5 lead. And the winners were 3-9 to 1-5 after Coll had netted for Loreto. And Noah Griffin Reid wrapped it up with ten minutes remaining with goal number four for St Columba’s.

St Columba’s College scorers: Daithi McMahon 1-4,2f; Daniel Marley 1-2,1 '45,1f; Andrew Murray and Naoh Griffin Reid 1-0 Sean Martin 0-2.
Loreto CS Milford: Finnian Coll 1-2, Tony Curran 1-0, Oisin McMenamin 0-2,2f, Thomas Roache 0-2.

St Columba’s College: Charlie Byrne; Ross Bradley, Jack Long, Josh Reid; Alan Sproule, Josh McMenamin, Eoin McGonagle; Fionn McNulty, Sean Martin; Andrew Murray, Noah Griffin Reid, Oisin Duffy; Evan Long, Daniel Marley, Daithi McMahon. Subs used: James Meenan, Pearse McGhee, Patrick Murray, Joe Boyle.

Loreto CS: Cillian O’Hagan; Peter McCleary, Anthony Curran, Odhran Doherty; Dylan McGlone, Shaun Coffey, Patrick McDaid; Oisin McMenamin, Oisin McHugh; Darren McAteer, Thomas Roache, Oran McMenamin; Finnian Coll, Ciaran McCormack, Eoghan Quinn. Subs used: Diarmaid Coyle, Cormac Gallagher, Alex Gerwatowski, Daithi McGroddy, Eoghan Gallagher, Elijah McGinley.
Referee: Marc Browne (Four Masters)