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Wed 7th Dec 2011
Corn Eimhear final :
Quinn Park, Ballymena, Saturday 12.30pm.
St Mary’s Magherafelt v Cross & Passion Ballycastle
Although they ended the hopes of Maghera collecting a fourth successive title, Cross and Passion Ballycastle will not be favourites going into SATURDAY’s Corn Eimhear final in Ballymena.
Instead last year’s beaten finalists St Mary’s Magherafelt protect an unbeaten run through the league stages and the derby semi-final with St Pius X.
That run included a comfortable win over today’s opponents although on that day in September the Ballycastle community had other things on their mind with the disappearance of Karen Coyles.
CPC will be familiar with a few of the St Mary’s players, particularly Portglenone’s Kirsty McLeod and Creggan’s Ciara McAuley who fielded alongside some of them on Antrim under-age teams.
However the Convent ensemble includes quite a few of the Derry side that beat Antrim in those provincial deciders with Eimear McGuigan, Roisin Cassidy and Meaghan Diamond dominant forces.
Ballycastle have accurate forwards in the O’Neill twins and Caitrin Dobbin, but the game may well depend on how the defence copes with the Magherafelt attack.
Here captain Bronagh McCaughan, centre-back Sarah McCloskey and Katai McKillop have a big role to play.
St Mary’s are the form team and, if they get an early foothold, they will be hard to stop collecting the school’s 13th title – something that has been denied them in two finals since their last title in the 2005/6 season.
St Mary’s : Una McKeown, Eimear O'Kane, Meaghan Diamond, Hannah Doherty, Rebecca Bradley, Roisin Cassidy, Aine Mulholland, Kirsty McLeod, Ciara McAuley, Una McCoy, Eimear McGuigan, Emma Robinson, Katie McQuillan, Shauna McCusker, Aine Murphy.
Subs : Aine Conway, Nicole McAllister, Faoiltiarna Burke, Susan McElwee, Niamh Conway, Caoimhe O'Neill, Niamh McAteer, Niamh McGarry, Ellen McAteer, Orla McErlain, Niamh Kelly, Anna Coogan, Caroline Collins, Siobhan Comer, Jackie Donnelly, Amy Shivers, Aoife Bradley, Shannon McGillian, Bernice Kealey, Sinead Diamond, Eimear Mulholland, Megan Kearns, Francess Connery, Marie McCrystal.
Cross & Passion : Allysha McGarry, Bronagh Johnson, Bronagh McCaughan capt., Siobhan Donnelly, Erin Elliott, Sarah McCloskey, Erin McBride, Katai McKillop, Tara O’Neill, Johanna McKeown, Caitrin Dobbin, Niamh O’Neill, Eimear Donnelly, Brónagh Clarke, Annie Laverty.
Subs : Clare McKillop, Cliodhna McGuckian, Emma McMillan, Christina Donnelly, Christine Laverty, Shannon Magee
Submitted by: Seamus McAleenan
