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Pats are 2015 Under-19 League Champions
DERRY CITY | 2-3 | ST PATRICKS ATHLETIC |
Kelly 9, 85 |
| Feely 24 |
|
| McGrath 47, 81 |
Under-19 League Knockout Final
Maginn Park, Buncrana
25 Apr 2015
Pats captain Curtis Murphy
hoists the Dr Tony O'Neill Trophy
St Patricks Athletic claimed the 2015 Under-19 League title when they beat Derry City in Buncrana.
The home side had gone ahead early with well-taken goal by Georgie Kelly, but Rory Feely cancelled that mid-way through the first half.
Man of the Match Jamie McGrath then struck twice in the second period, early and late.
And though Kelly turned up trumps again with a goal in the final minutes to give the hosts hope, the Saints held out until the end.
Derry drew first blood after just nine minutes following a fluent build-up.
And it was completed when right-winger Ronan Curtis delivered a cross into the danger area which saw Derry City striker George Kelly launch a diving header to divert the ball home.
In fact, the young 'Stripes continued to boss the ball with the wind at their backs with Ciaron Harkin crashing a superb effort off the Pats crossbar eight minutes later with keeper Lee Doyle stranded.
However, the Inchicore youngsters regrouped and restored equality in the 23rd minute when hitting on the counter-attack.
Derry centre-back Paddy McClean, younger brother of senior Irish international James, slipped at the vital moment allowing Rory Feely to burst through on goal and the Pats player finished with aplomb.
And the pendulum swung towards the visitors at the start of the second half when the Derry City players were clearly caught cold.
Pats midfielder Jack Bayly displayed superb footwork to weave his way into the danger area, finding the well positioned Jamie McGrath and presenting him with a simple tap-in from close range.
That goal certainly frustrated the Brandywell side who went close to restoring quality in the 57th minute, but Curtis failed to hit the target when set-up by Kelly.
And it got worse for the home side in the 80th minute when, enjoying an excellent spell of pressure, Pats again hit on the break with devastating effect.
The impressive McGrath, an under-19 international last season, raced clear from the half-way line with Derry having committed players forward and produced a magnificent chip to from 25 yards to end the final as a contest.
Derry refused to give up the ghost and, to be fair, they forced a nervous finish when Kelly drove the ball high into the net following a goalmouth scramble in the 85th minute.
But Pats used their experience to good effect to see the game out to deservedly secure the SSE Airtricity U19 League title and the Dr Tony O'Neill Cup for the first time.
Match report courtesy sseairtricityleague.ie
Derry City team: 31 Michael Lynch; 4 Aidan McCauley, 23 Gareth McFadden, 5 Jack Blake, 36 Patrick McClean, 8 Ciaron Harkin (c), 32 Chris Flanagan, 14 Rory Holden, 9 Georgie Kelly, 10 Ryan Doherty, 12 Ronan Curtis
Substitutes: 1 Dylan Doherty, 3 Shay Dunlop (for Flanagan 68), 7 Conor McDermott, 11 Stephen Mills, 30 Dylan McCallion (for Doherty 56)
St Patricks Athletic team: 16 Lee Doyle; 2 Jordan Delmar, 3 Curtis Murphy (c), 4 Craig Hanlon, 5 Paul Rooney, 6 Michael Hannigan, 7 Rory Feely, 8 Jack Bayly, 9 Paul Bracken, 10 Jamie McGrath, 21 Darragh Markey
Substitutes: 11 Steven Ball (for Bracken 62), 12 Fuad Sule (for Bayly 82), 14 Stephen Hogan, 15 Thomas Ilunga, 17 Ian O'Brien, 18 Ryan Ennis
Referee: Terence Moyne
