Captain McElholm leads six-goal Omagh CBS to Hogan Cup glory
PADDY'S DAY DELIGHT: Omagh CBS players celebrate after winning the Masita GAA Post Primary Schools Hogan Cup Final match between Summerhill College Sligo and Omagh CBS at Croke Park in Dublin. Pic: Stephen Marken/Sportsfile
A special Omagh CBS team, led superbly by captain Eoin McElholm who struck 2-5, captured the Hogan Cup title in remarkable fashion at Croke Park, helping themselves to half a dozen goals.
Fresh off their four-goal semi-final defeat of holders Naas CBS, the Ulster champions struck six this time with McElholm and Ruairi McCullagh contributing a brace of majors apiece.
Conor Owens had a terrific game too, hitting 0-5, while there were goals from Liam Og Mossey and Tomas Haigney also.
Summerhill College, seeking to claim a first title at this level for a Sligo team, pulled back three goals in the closing quarter, with two of them coming from substitute Connor Flynn, but had left themselves too much to do by that stage.
It's a second ever triumph at the grade for Omagh CBS, matching their 2007 win.
As early as half-time it was hard to see a way back for Summerhill who trailed by 0-4 to 3-8 at that stage following an exhibition of Omagh scoring.
Omagh posted notice of their intention to go for the jugular again with a point after just 19 seconds.
McElholm struck that score and the Loughmacrory talent's dovetailing with Owens was a feature of the opening half as Omagh raced decisively clear.
McCullagh, a goalscorer against Naas, took just five minutes to hit the net this time, performing a clever hand-pass dummy, a la Owen Mulligan, before blasting to the net at the Hill 16 End.
Six minutes later, McElholm showed quick hands to offload to his left and find the onrushing Haigney who fired to the net.
Ronan Niland, who pinched a crucial goal in Summerhill's semi-final defeat of St Brendan's, pulled back a point and team-mate Eli Rooney then punched the air in delight after sniping another.
But it was a false dawn for the side managed by Mark Breheny and Joe Neary as Omagh went on to finish the first-half with a series of scores to stretch their lead to 13.
Charlie Donnelly struck his second point before then turning provider with a sumptuous left-footed kick-pass in the 25th minute that picked out Mossey. He still had plenty to do but got his shot away under pressure for his team's third major.
Omagh, remarkably, got the margin out to 20 points at one stage in the second-half following a series of points and McCullagh's second goal in the 47th minute.
Summerhill, to their credit, refused to give in and were rewarded with 49th, 52nd and 64th minute goals, Shea O'Neill getting their first before Flynn weighed in with his double.
McElholm capped an incredible Omagh display with back-to-back goals for his team, in the 56th and 58th minute, while sub Niall McCarney rounded off the scoring.
E McElholm (2-5), R McCullagh (2-2); C Owens (0-5, 1 free); L Og Mossey (1-1); T Haigney (1-0); C Donnelly (0-2), N McCarney (0-1).
C Flynn (2-0); S O'Neill (1-1); R Niland (1 free), E Rooney (0-2); J Donlon (1 45), J Walsh, M McDaniel (0-1).
C McAneney; N Farry, B McMenamin, S Kerr; Caolan Donnelly, C Daly, T Haigney; E Donaghy, C Watson; Charlie Donnelly, R McCullagh; C Owens, E McElholm, L Og Mossey.
N McCarney for Watson (47); D McCallan for L McCullagh (48); B Gallagher for Farry, C O'Hagan for Donaghy, C McConnell for Kerr (50).
D O'Brien; E Keane, R O'Kelly-Lynch, R O'Callaghan; J Campbell, R O'Hehir, J Donlon; D Walsh, P O'Brien; M McDaniel, R Niland, M Carroll; S O'Neill, E Rooney, G Lynch.
J Walsh for Caroll (38); C Flynn for Lynch (41); P Kerins for Campbell (50); C O'Dowd for O'Neill (58).
B Cawley (Kildare).
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