Loch an Iuir Cup Winners

 

Dean Maguirc College claimed the Loch an Iuir Cup on Friday afternoon at Garvaghy following a 1-15 to 3-6 win over a hotly fancied Abbey Vocational School side from Donegal. The beaten finalists scored two goals from the penalty spot deep in injury time which gave the scoreline the appearance of a close game.

The Dean began well working hard as a unit to deny their opponents time and space on the ball with Ciaran Mc Crystal and Sean Og Harte outstanding. They were a yard quicker to the ball particularly in defence while up front the forwards were a threat every time the ball was played inside.

Points from Sean Donnelly (2) and Vincent Gormley (2) put the Dean four points clear inside eight minutes. Abbey then hit the net with a fine goal from Daire Slevin before a point on thirteen minutes from Tomas Carr tied the game. Gormley, Michael Mc Callan and Daniel Heagney added points for the Dean to put the Tyrone school three clear with seventeen minutes of the first half gone.

Abbey responded with a point from Thomas Lenehan but a minute later Vincent Gormley sent over his fourth point of the first half as the Dean kept their opponents at arm’s length with half time only minutes away. Lenehan replied for Abbey before Marcus Conway scored a fantastic individual goal that was worthy of winning any final. That goal put Dean five clear and in pole position but Abbey showed they were far from out of the contest with the final two scores of the first half from Thomas Mc Hugh and Gethin Mosby to go in at the break behind by three

Half time score : Dean Maguirc 1-8, Abbey Vocational School 1-5.

The first ten minutes of the second half saw defences on top. Abbey upped the ante as they sought to close the gap but they found a resolute Dean defence in no mood to yield.

Dean Maguirc weathered the storm and then hit six points in a row between the forty first and fifty fifth minutes displaying some exceptional teamwork built on hard work and commitment. A converted free from Lenehan with three minutes remaining gave the Donegal side their first score of the half but Vincent Gormley responded for the Dean to hit his sixth point of the contest and virtually seal the title.

Two converted penalties from the boot of Tomas Carr deep in injury time put something of a gloss on the final score but there was no doubt the Dean were deserving winners. Final score  Dean Maguirc College 1-15, Abbey Vocational School 3-6

Sean Donnelly 0-3, Vincent Gormley 0-6, Brayden Mc Nally 0-1, Micheal Mc Callan 0-1, Daniel Heagney 0-1,  Marcus Conway 1-0, Phelim Mc Crory 0-1, Lorcan Meenagh 0-2,