Omagh CBS 6-16
Summerhill College Sligo 3-8
Paul Keane reports from Croke Park
IT TAKES A special team to score six goals in an All-Ireland final and Omagh CBS certainly fit into that category, the Ulster champions claiming the Hogan Cup title in remarkable fashion.
Fresh off their four-goal semi-final defeat of holders Naas CBS, an Omagh CBS side led superbly by captain Eoin McElholm, who struck 2-5, and Ruairi McCullagh, who contributed 2-2, finished up with half a dozen majors this time.
Conor Owens had a terrific game too, hitting 0-5, while there were goals from Liam Óg Mossey and Tomas Haigney also.
As if to underline what a fine and well balanced team they were, Omagh CBS scored 3-8 in both halves as they set the seal on a memorable win long before full-time.
Summerhill College, seeking to claim a first title at this level for a Sligo team, pulled back three goals in the closing quarter, with two of them coming from substitute Connor Flynn, but had left themselves too much to do by that stage.
As early as half-time it was hard to see a way back for Summerhill who trailed by 0-4 to 3-8 at that stage following an exhibition of Omagh scoring.
Omagh posted notice of their intention to go for the jugular again with a point after just 19 seconds.
McElholm struck that score and the Loughmacrory talent’s dovetailing with Owens was a feature of the opening half as Omagh raced decisively clear.
McCullagh, a goalscorer against Naas, took just five minutes to hit the net this time, performing a clever hand-pass dummy, a la Owen Mulligan, before blasting to the net at the Hill 16 End. Six minutes later, McElholm showed quick hands to offload to his left and find the onrushing Haigney who fired to the net.
Omagh now led 2-3 to 0-1 and already it was looking ominous for the Connacht champions who struggled to win possession off their own kick-outs and found the Ulster side’s slick inter-play and off the shoulder running tough to counter.
Ronan Niland, who pinched a crucial goal in Summerhill’s semi-final defeat of St Brendan’s, pulled back a point and team-mate Eli Rooney then punched the air in delight after sniping another.
But it was a false dawn for the side managed by Mark Breheny and Joe Neary as Omagh went on to finish the first-half with a series of scores to stretch their lead.
Charlie Donnelly struck his second point before then turning provider with a sumptuous left-footed kick-pass in the 25th minute that picked out Mossey. He still had plenty to do but got his shot away under pressure for his team’s third major.
Owens added back to back points before the interval to leave 13 in it and, in truth, Omagh could have been further clear. Owens drew a strong save from the Summerhill ‘keeper earlier in the half while McElholm rattled a shot off the bar following a terrific counter-attack from Omagh just before the break.
Omagh, remarkably, got the margin out to 20 points at one stage in the second-half following a series of points and McCullagh’s second goal in the 47th minute.
Summerhill, to their credit, refused to give in and were rewarded with 49th, 52nd and 64th minute goals, Shea O’Neill getting their first before Flynn weighed in with his double.
McElholm capped an incredible Omagh display with back to back goals for his team, in the 56th and 58th minute, while sub Niall McCarney rounded off the scoring.
Omagh CBS scorers: Eoin McElholm 2-5, Ruairi McCullagh 2-2, Conor Owens 0-5 (0-1f), Liam Og Mossey 1-1, Tomas Haigney 1-0, Charlie Donnelly 0-2, Niall McCarney 0-1.
Summerhill College, Sligo scorers: Connor Flynn 2-0, Shea O’Neill 1-1, Ronan Niland 0-2 (0-1f), Eli Rooney 0-2, James Donlon 0-1 (0-1 45), Jamie Walsh 0-1, Mark McDaniel 0-1.
Omagh CBS
1. Conor McAneney
2. Nathan Farry, 3. Barry McMenamin, 4. Sean Kerr
5. Caolan Donnelly, 6. Callum Daly, 7. Tomas Haigney
8. Eoin Donaghy, 27. Cormac Watson
9. Charlie Donnelly, 13. Ruairi McCullagh, 12. Lorcan McCullagh
14. Conor Owens, 11. Eoin McElholm, 15. Liam Óg Mossey
Subs
- 30. Niall McCarney for Watson (47)
- 28. Daithi McCallan for Lorcan McCullagh (48)
- 25. Brian Gallagher for Farry (50)
- 10. Caolan O’Hagan for Donaghy (50)
- 18. Cian McConnell for Kerr (50)
Summerhill College Sligo
1. Donnchadh O’Brien
3. Eamon Keane, 7. Robert O’Kelly-Lynch, 2. Rian O’Callaghan
5. Joe Campbell, 4. Ronan O’Hehir, 6. James Donlon
8. Dillon Walsh, 9. Paul O’Brien
10. Mark McDaniel, 11. Ronan Niland, 12. Michael Carroll
13. Shea O’Neill, 14. Eli Rooney, 15. Gavin Lynch
Subs
- 17. Jamie Walsh for Carroll (38)
- 19. Connor Flynn for Lynch (41)
- 21. Peter Kerins for Campbell (50)
- 18. Corey O’Dowd for O’Neill (58)
Referee: Brendan Cawley (Kildare).
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