St Eunan’s College crowned U-19 Ulster champions after victory over Scoil Mhuire

St Eunan’s College knocked last year’s Ulster and All-Ireland champions Scoil Mhuire Buncrana off their perch following their 2-0 over the Inishowen men in the Dr Tony O’Neill U-19 Senior Ulster Cup final on Friday afternoon at the Letterkenny Community Centre. 

Played in wet conditions, the game could’ve fallen either way, but it was two first-half goals from the Letterkenny side that had Paddy Carr’s men chasing in the second half, and although they came close on a number of occasions, they just couldn’t put the ball past star man Andrew Nicholls in goals, who put in a master shift throughout. 

It took time for both sides to settle into this affair with St Eunan’s College and Scoil Mhuire Buncrana attempted several half chances, but none to seriously threaten either goalkeeper.

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It wasn’t until the 22nd minute when St Eunan’s hit the front after a free just on the edge of the box, on the left side of the field, saw Ronan Buchanan swing the ball underneath the jumping wall, with it finishing into the corner of the net to make it 1-0 and put the local side in the driving seat. 

Terrence Doherty came close on two occasions as the Buncrana school started to control the rest of the second half, but Nicholls was on hand both times to keep his side in front. 

The Inishowen men kept plugging away and it was almost clear that a goal was coming their way but Houssein Hassan Shire and Adam McColgan just overplayed the ball with their efforts skimming over the crossbar on both occasions. 

Brendan Roe was left one-on-one against Nicholls after Adam McDaid headed the ball down to the on-running Buncrana man but he miskicked his effort as it fell to the left of the post. 

Eunan’s had the final two chances of the half, the first coming from Buchanan who was played a stunning ball in as he chipped it over the head of goalkeeper Jamie McCauley. All he had to do was head the ball into the open net, but it took too long for it to come down, and when it did, his effort saw him head the ball wide of the post 

Then came St Eunan’s second goal. With three minutes left in the half, Fintan Hasson floated in a fine free kick on the edge of the box, the wet surface saw the ball bounce at speed in the Buncrana box, hit off the foot of Scoil Mhuire’s Daire McColgan and fall into the roof of the net for an own goal, making it 2-0 at the break. 

Buncrana had three chances on the bounce but Nicholls was again a step ahead on two occasions to stop any Row goal, while Danny McDaid blasted a free high over the crossbar. 

Credit must go to the Eunan’s defence who stood strong in the second period and were unfortunate not to find the net two more times, the first was when Hasson fired in a fantastic free kick, with Adam Bonner at the back post hitting it down for Troy Preston, but the Eunan’s man couldn’t connect on the half volley. 

The second big chance saw Hasson again present when he rounded three Scoil Mhuire defenders in what was a super piece of skill and balance but fired the ball directly into the arms of McCauley. 

Shane McLaughlin nearly hit one back when he caught the ball first time on the edge of the box, only for his effort to rattle the crossbar. That’s the closest they came as the final whistle went to crown St Eunan’s College the new Ulster champions. 

St Eunan’s College: Andrew Nicholls; Connor Bonner, Ronan Lynch, Jack Keys, Adam Bonner; Tiarnan Callaghan McElwaine (Blake Meredith, 56), Kyle McLaughlin, Adam McDaid, Troy Preston (Ciaran Lowe, 89); Fintan Hasson, Ronan Buchanan (Mark Patterson, 85). 

Scoil Mhuire Buncrana: Jamie McCauley; Liam Duncan (Shaunie Bradley, HT), Adam McColgan, Daire McColgan (Devin McCarron, 62), Elliot Friel; Shane McLaughlin, Brendan Roe, PJ Doherty, Terrence Doherty; Danny McDaid, Houssein Hassan Shire (Jack Gill, 71). 

Referee: Damien McFadden