Ulster Schools GAA: Historic St Columb's hurlers ease into Casement Shield final

St Columb’s College hurling team have qualified for the Casement Shield. It is the first time a school from the city has entered a sixth form team in an Ulster competition. The boys from the Buncrana Road school qualified from the group stages joint top with Buncrana and went on to record an easy quarter-final win over Coláiste Fierste in Glen, Maghera. They booked their place in the final yesterday when they defeated St Michael’s (Enniskillen) in their semi-final clash played in Garvagh, Co. Tyrone. Playing against a strong wind, the College got off to a fantastic start with Eoin Cassidy scoring a goal in the first minute. St Michael’s replied with a point of their own almost immediately and were denied a goal by a great save from John Rabbett, despite rain and hail beating into his eyes. Mark McCloskey scored two fantastic points from the left hand side to reinforce the Derry boys’ dominance. The Enniskillen full-backs found keeping Morgan Murray and Cassidy quiet an impossible task with great inter-play between them. They were assisted by the quality of the ball put in by Reece Armstrong and Aodhan O’Donnell. Playing with the wind, St Columb’s proved to be too strong for St. Michael’s and Tim Rankin acting as the midfield general they kept their discipline and kept working to the end. They now play St Malachy’s (Belfast) in the final in two weeks time. The College team was: J Rabett, J Friel, D Glynn, J McKeever , C Mcelholm, C Durey, O Fox, T Rankin 1-3 (vice-bapitan), F McAnaney, M McCloskey (0-2), A O’Donnell 1-3 (captain), R Armstrong , E Cassidy (1-6), J McLaughlin, M Murray (6-2). Substitutes: M Lynch 0-2 (for J Friel), J Boyle (D Glynn), E Mc Crossan (M Murray), D Brady (J McKeever), E Coll (F McAnaney), P Neillis 0-2 (O Fox) B Collins (E Cassidy).