Masita GAA All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Paddy Buggy Cup final

Mountrath Community School (Laois) 1-12
Cross and Passion College, Ballycastle (Antrim) 1-16

By Jackie Cahill at Semple Stadium, Thurles

LAST YEAR’S BEATEN finalists Cross and Passion, Ballycastle, were crowned Masita GAA All-Ireland Post Primary Schools Paddy Buggy Cup champions in Thurles this afternoon.

The Antrim boys went one step further than 2014 as Shan McGrath hit 1-2 in the second half to floor Mountrath Community School.

Cross and Passion were superb at Semple Stadium in a tie that was level seven times.

McGrath’s 55th minute goal was brilliantly created and superblty finished by the Loughgiel Shamrocks forward.

Alex O’Boyle did brilliantly to offload on the 45m line to Cormac McClafferty and his pass was batted home by McGrath.

There was still time for Mountrath to launch a late revival as Dylan Conroy scored a consolation goal in the final minute.

Mountrath had another goal disallowed in stoppage time for a square ball offence but overall, they didn’t do enough after trailing by just a point at the break, 0-8 to 0-9.

Twin brothers Stephen and Aaron Dunphy scored six of Mountrath’s points in that opening half but they Conroy was his team’s sole scorer after the break – and that late goal was Mountrath’s only score from play after half-time.

Cross and Passion, fuelled by the hurt of their 2014 final defeat to Coláiste Phobal, Roscrea, were superb in that second half and Diarmaid McShane scored a 48th minute point from long-range that will live long in the memory.

Scorers for Mountrath: Dylan Conroy 1-4 (0-4f), Aaron Dunphy 0-4, Stephen Dunphy 0-2, Conor Hiney & John Lennon 0-1 each.

Scorers for Cross and Passion: Shan McGrath 1-3, Cormac McClafferty 0-5 (3f), Shea Hunter & Diarmaid McShane 0-2 each, Tiarnan Butler, Conor Patterson, Johnny McErlain & Alex O’Boyle 0-1 each.

Mounrath:

1. Shane Cuddy (Castletown)

4. Shaun Moore (St Fintan’s Mountrath)
3. Kevin O’Rourke (Ballyfin, capt.)
2. Eoin Peters (Castletown)

5. Ben Quinlan (Borris-Kilcotton)
6. Conor Phelan (Castletown)
7. Jake Cranny (Abbeyleix)

8. Stephen Dunphy (Borris-Kilcotton)
9. Paddy Williams (St Fintan’s Mountrath)

10. Aaron Dunphy (Borris-Kilcotton)
11. Dylan Lalor (Trumera)
12. Dylan Conroy (Castletown)

13. Conor Hiney (Shanahoe)
14. John Lennon (Rosenalis)
15. Mark Dowling (Camross)

Subs:

18. David Connolly (Ballyfin) for Quinlan (36)
23. Shane Phelan (Castletown) for Lalor (45)
17. Oisín Bennett (Camross) for Dowling (58)

Cross and Passion:

1. Ciarán Butler (McQuillans Ballycastle)

2. Caolan Blair (Loughgiel Shamrocks)
3. Seán McBride (Faughs Carey)
4. Paddy Joe Graham (McQuillans Ballycastle, capt.)

5. Caolan McCaughan (McQuillans Ballycastle)
6. Odhran Laverty (Loughgiel Shamrocks)
7. Conor Boyd (McQuillans Ballycastle)

11. Cormac McClafferty (Ruairi Og, Cushendall)
8. Tiarnan Butler (McQuillans Ballycastle)

12. Johnny McErlain (Glen Rovers, Armoy)
9. Shea Hunter (Faughs Carey)
10. Conor Patterson (Oisíns, Glenariffe)

13. Shan McGrath (Loughgiel Shamrocks)
14. Alex O’Boyle (Oisíns, Glenariffe)
15. Diarmuid McShane (McQuillans Ballycastle)

Subs:

20. Geoffrey Óg Laverty (St Brigids, Cloughmills) for Blair (h.t.)
18. Cathal Connor (McQuillans Ballycastle) for McCaughan (53)
19. Conor Dallas (Loughgiel Shamrocks) for Patterson (60+2)

Referee: Diarmuid Kirwan (Cork).

Tyrone will be without their legendary manager for tomorrow’s relegation battle with Kerry>