Danske Bank Flynn Cup final
Sperrin Integrated, Magherafelt 2-6 St Colmcille’s, Crossgar 2-5
SPERRIN Integrated held on in yesterday’s frenetic Danske Bank Flynn Cup final in St Enda’s, Glengormley to collect their first Ulster schools’ football title in eight years.
They edged home by a single point in a terrific game against holders St Colmcille’s, Crossgar.
Joe Connolly got Sperrin off the mark with a point at the end of a great solo run and his midfield partner Alexa Smadryc added a goal in the sixth minute.
However, Crossgar worked well to get themselves back into the game and points from Aaron Keenan, Sean Nixon and Rian Mahon from a free narrowed the gap to a point midway through the half.
Smadrjc responded with two points for Sperrin before Sean Nixon neatly side-stepped a tackle and hit the roof of the net to level the game.
However, at the other end a Magherafelt break resulted in Jack Bradley sliding a shot under Pól óg Howard to put Sperrin in with a 2-3 to 1-4 lead at the break.
Scoring was much slower in the second half with defences really tightening up, while Howard and his opposite number Sebastian Pattisson pulled off some super saves.
Points from Ryan McKay and Lewis York pushed Sperrin further ahead by the midway point of the second half, but Rian Mahon fired home a great goal with 10 minutes left.
Jack Wilson and Mahon swapped points and chances went astray at both ends, particularly during the five added minutes, before Riley Cook got his hands on the Flynn Cup.
Sperrin A Smadrjc 1-2, 0-1 free, J Bradley 1-0, J Connolly, R McKay, J Wilson (free) and L York 0-1 each
St Colmcille’s R Mahon 1-3, 0-2 frees, S Nixon 1-1, A Keenan 0-1
