St Colmcille’s win primary schools’ cup

ST Colmcille’s Primary School won their first ever Ballymena & District Primary Schools’ Association Cup when they edged out Gracehill Primary School 2-1 after extra-time in a thrilling final at Ballymena Showgrounds.
By The Newsroom
Published 3rd Jun 2011, 10:25 BST

In the first ever final played on the new 3G pitch the sides were deadlocked after a hard fought opening 30 minutes’ football.

The excitement level increased substantially in an incident packed second-half as St Colmcille’s found the Gracehill net only to be correctly ruled out for offside by match referee Frankie Hughes.

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Minutes later the St Colmcille’s fans were in full cry once more when they found the net again, but the referee had already blown for a penalty kick after Gracehill player James McClean had ‘taken one for the team’ and handled the ball on the goal line.

The cheers of moments earlier soon became squeals of anguish from the Saints fans as the penalty was driven wide and worse was to come when two minutes later Gracehill, who were now down to ten men following McClean’s dismissal, were awarded a penalty at the other end after their dangerous striker Jack Millar was taken down in the box.

It was now the turn of the Gracehill fans to endure the anguish as the brilliantly struck penalty by Matthew Logan rattled off the crossbar and rebounded to safety, and so the game finished scoreless at the end of normal time.

St Colmcille’s made the breakthrough in the second minute of extra-time when James McDonnell cleverly lobbed the ball over the advancing Gracehill goalkeeper Wilkinson to break the deadlock and give his team a lead they held to half-time.

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The win was all but sealed early in the second period of extra time when St Colmcille’s substitute, with the wonderful name of Kuba Babuszewski, fired in number two to spark great scenes of celebration.

Gracehill never gave up the fight however and pulled a goal back in the final minute through Matthew Logan, but it was a case of too little, too late, and St Colmcille’s held on for a historic win.

St Colmcille’s PS: Eamonn Elliott (capt), Ryan McGarry, Eoghan Daly, Rory Corr, Eoin McGuigan, James McDonnell, Brandon Reid, Ronan Laverty, Michael McAuley, Rory Kelly, Conor Stewart. Subs: Kuba Babuszewski, Tarlach Tennant, Taylor Kernohan, Conor O’Rawe.

Gracehill PS: Mark Wilkinson, George Harpur, Patrick Hargy, James McClean, Jack Wilson, Matthew Logan, Ben Hood, James Poston, Dylan Duff. Subs: Jamie Ruddock, Harry Fleming, Harvey McClurkin.

Referee: Frankie Hughes.

For more photos from the final, don’t miss this week’s Ballymena Times.

Related topics:BallymenaPrimary school