Abbey Vocational School edge past St Columba’s to lift Junior Ulster Cup

Abbey Vocational School secured a hard-fought victory over St Columba’s College, Stranorlar, in the Tim Ticher Junior Ulster Cup Final, edging a tense 1-0 contest at Leckview Park.

A single moment of brilliance proved decisive in a match where both teams battled not just each other, but also the tough playing conditions.

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With strong winds sweeping across the pitch, neither side found it easy to create clear chances on the AstroTurf surface. St Columba’s looked threatening in the early exchanges, with Declan Patton testing Abbey’s defence on a few occasions. Meanwhile, Abbey came closest through Ryan Quinn, whose strike rattled the crossbar in what could have been the opening goal.

The breakthrough finally came five minutes before half-time. Jack Bennett, cutting in from the right, unleashed a perfectly placed curling shot that sailed over St Columba’s goalkeeper Noah Boyle and into the far corner. It was a strike worthy of winning any final, giving Abbey the lead heading into the break.

The second half saw St Columba’s fight desperately to restore parity. Patton, Jamie Gavigan, and Ronan McHugh all had sights on goal, but Abbey’s defence held strong. Goalkeeper Thomas O’Donoghue remained composed under pressure, ensuring his side maintained their slender advantage.

Despite a late push from St Columba’s, Abbey Vocational saw out the contest to claim the title once again following their Ulster final win last year against Loretto College Milford with another 1-0 win in Letterkenny.

St Columba’s College, Stranorlar: Noah Boyle; Ronan McHugh, Cian Thompson, Peter Sweeney, Ben Scott; Caolan Burns, Callum Long, Declan Patton, Diarmuid Reid; Ryan McConnell, Niall McBrearty. Subs: Jack Byrne for McConnell (21 mins), Jamie Gavigan for Burns (46 mins), Raynne Rowan for Reid (71 mins).

Abbey Vocational School: Thomas O’Donoghue; Ryan Mahon, Conall Flannery, Gavin Doherty, Jamie McMonagle; Jack Bennett, Josh Cullen, Thomas Healy, Thomas Lenehan; Ryan Quinn, Gethin Mosby. Subs: Thomas McHugh for Doherty (52 mins), Cian McMahon for Mahon (65 mins), Dylan Doherty for Quinn (71 mins) Adam Campbell for Mosby (75 mins).