The Official Ulster Colleges GAA Website - Sponsored by BT
Sun 6th Jun 2010
BT Gallagher Cup final :
Dunloy, 2pm Monday
St Mary’s Belfast v Cross & Passion Ballycastle
For the fourth time this season St Mary’s Belfast and Cross & Passion Ballycastle face each other in a BT Ulster Colleges’ final.
Ballycastle won the MacNamee / Mageean double back at Halloween, but St Mary’s snatched the Foresters’ title with an impressive 4-12 to 1-9 at Easter and the Belfast side are favourites to retain the Gallagher Cup this afternoon in Dunloy (2pm).
The favourites’ tag comes on the back of a 8 points’ victory when the pair met in a league fixture over a month ago. Team captain Conor Johnston was impresstood out in that game and he is looking to add to an impressive haul of Colleges’ medals after shooting 1-5 in the Foresters’ Cup final at Easter.
In a good all round St Mary’s side, there are strong players in Eamonn and Seaghan Shannon, Steven Gaskin and the midfield pairing of Liam McLarnon and Callum McVeigh.
Cross and Passion however cannot be discounted, especially after their 3-11 to 3-5 defeat of Maghera in Thursday’s semi-final.
They are led by Conor Christie who won a bronze medal in the Woodies All-Ireland Track and Field finals on Saturday. Conor, along with Cormac McAllister, played in that unsuccessful Foresters’ Cup side, but last year’s captain Ryan McCambridge misses out after tearing a cartilege in his knee.
Johnny McErlain and OD Laverty impressed in the MacNamee decider and it will be interesting to see if they can maintain that form this afternoon.
This promises to be a good game – but St Mary’s should make it two titles each for these great rivals.
St Mary’s (probable) : Joseph Magee, Caoimhín Hanna, Eamonn Shannon, Gerard Walsh, Garrett Mulholland, Steven Gaskin, Déaglán Murphy, Liam McLarnon, Callum McVeigh, Seaghán Shannon, Ciaran Kelly, Conor Johnston capt., Declan Brown, Fergal Green, Dara Rocks.
Subs : Cormac Bradley, Jack Hopkins, James Kennedy, Lewis McDonald, Adam Perry, Martin McGauley, Anthony Allsopp.
Cross & Passion (probable) : Conor Patterson, Eoin Hill, Conor McLaughlin, Phelim Duffin, Conor O'Kane, Cormac McAllister, Cahir McGrath, Ruairi Kinney, OD Laverty, Pierce Bannon, Conor Christie capt, Ciaran McAllister, Johnny McErlain, Cormac McClafferty, Ryan McKee.
Subs : Caolan McCaughan, Cathal Connor, Conleth McVeigh, Shan McGrath, Ryan McCollum, Ciaran Butler, Darwin Watt, Joe McCurry, James McLaughlin.
Submitted by: Seamus McAleenan
