Our Lady’s Belmullet win Connacht crown

Connacht Post-Primary Schools Senior 'D' Football Championship

Final
Our Lady’s College 0-11
Belmullet

St Cuan’s 0-8
Castleblakeney

Oisín McGovern
Charlestown

ANOTHER provincial title has made its way to Our Lady’s College in Belmullet after they beat St Cuan’s in Saturday’s Connacht Post-Primary Schools Senior ‘D’ Football Championship Final at Fr O'Hara Park.
The Erris school led for the entire second half after winning the first half by the slimmest of margins.
The opening half never justified the atmosphere created by the St Cuan’s and Our Lady’s followers.
In truth, they had little to shout about over 32 minutes of football where neither side gained any notable foothold.
Though they finished the half one point to the good, Our Lady’s shooting left a lot to be desired.
Their Galway opponents were the only ones to threaten the goal in the first half.
St Cuan’s rampaging centre-forward Michael Mulryan came closest when he bore down on goal before erroneously passing off to the left, thus killing the move and allowing Belmullet bodies to flood back.
The Erris lads had most of their scoring done by full-forward Josh Carey, who ably assisted by the impressive Charlie Ginnelly, Luke Tighe and Rory Conway.
Our Lady’s took the game to their opponents right from the throw-in after half-time.
Jack Healy struck first with a Charlie Ginnellly-assisted point before former Mayo Minor, Rory Conway, hit his first of the afternoon to put the North Mayo lads three points up.
The sides swapped scores before St Cuan’s Michael Burke missed the best goal chance of the game when he sent the ball thundering off the cross bar and between the posts in the 41st minute.
The black-carding of Jack Reilly and Jason Calvey robbed the sides of a defender each for most of the final quarter. By then, Our Lady’s had established a four-point lead an looked like genuine winners.
Cuan’s narrowed the gap to two at one stage but couldn’t do enough from stopping Our Lady’s from bringing provincial silverware back home.

Our Lady’s Belmullet
O Reilly; D Gallagher, L McGrath, J Calvey; P Doherty, J Flannery, J Doherty; L Tighe, A Barrett (0-1); K Conway, R Conway (0-2), D McAndrew; J Healy (0-1), J Carey (0-4, 2fs), C Ginnely (0-3).
Sub used; G McAndrew for McGrath (18, inj.)

St Cuan’s Castleblakeney
J Tully; R Hynes, P Kenny, F Glynn; J Reilly, R Hennelly, J Jordan; A Moclair (0-1), O Butler (0-2, 1f); T Mellody, M Mulryan (0-4, 1f), C Fahy; C Keating, M Burke (0-1), E Murray
Subs used: L Gormally, K Hughes.

Referee: A Clogher