Adam Reavey from Whitecross made history in the Athletic grounds in Armagh when he became the first pupil from St Paul’s to be presented with The Danske Bank Ulster Schools Rannafast cup (Under 16 ½ A competition)

Leading his team by example the captain personified the skill, appetite and never say die attitude that runs right through the 41 members of the panel in front of a crowd of almost 2000 on a fresh winter Sunday.

St. Paul’s had earned the right to play in the final with wins over St. Patrick’s College Armagh, St. Patrick’s College Maghera and St. Colman’s College Newry but it was a drawn game eaked out in Silverbridge in torrential rain against Our Lady’s School Castleblayney that was the first clear indication of the resilience that existed among the boys.

In the final they were paired off against a well-coached and much more physical St Mac Cartan’s team from Monaghan.

St Paul’s Bessbrook are Rannafast Cup champions after defeating Monaghan’s St McCartan’s on Sunday. Substitute Tomas Fox scored the crucial goal on 53 minutes and after that there was no way St Paul’s was going to lose.

It was a great victory for the south Armagh school, who were playing in a Rannafast Cup final for the first time this season and it bodes well for county Minor team who had four players on the team. Whitecross’ Adam Reavey captained the side and lifted the Cup.

The sides were level at half-time in a game St Paul’s should have been further in front. They squandered five first half scoring chances and facing the wind in the second half it may have proved costly.

Played in Armagh’s Athletic Grounds on Sunday, the south Armagh side started brightly with Dromintee’s Gavin O’Rourke firing between the posts after good movement.

Carrickcruppen’s Shea Loughran, son of Peter, had an excellent game and he floated over a beauty from the terrace side.

St Paul’s defence dealt with any high balls dropped in but they fell behind when Jack McCannon was left unmarked and fired into the net.

Cruppen’s Kane levelled the score a minute later with his converted free. There was only two points scored in the remaining 20 minutes of the half. John McCrystal thought about goal when he caught a long ball dropped in but he opted for a point to edge the Monaghan side ahead but Loughran grabbed his second with a mark on 18 minutes.

St Paul’s had chances to go in front but kicked wides and when the lively Fergal Boylan weaved his way towards goal, his shot crashed off the crossbar. The south Armagh moved the ball with swift crisp passing and David Crilly and Donal Coffey were immense at midfield, while O’Rourke impressed in defence.

St Paul’s finished the half with 14 players as defender Conor Bennett picked up a black card on 28 minutes but by the time he returned in the second half, St Paul’s had taken and lost the lead.

Kane had converted a free and at the other end and Killian Kearns levelled (free) but only after St Paul’s keeper Tom Beattie made a great save to deny Darcy Foy.

Eoin Kane’s third converted free on 41 minutes edged St Paul’s ahead and then Killeavy’s lively Boylan tagged on his first of the afternoon a minute later.

St Paul’s were smaller in stature that the physically bigger Monaghan side but they spread passes well with Kian Reavey’s intelligent kicking finding his team-mates. His cousin and Whitecross clubmate Adam also put in a great shift while full-back Conor Dunne from Dromintee, Tiarnan Brown of Killeavy and substitute Fionnan O Tuathiall from Dromintee also got played well.

McCannon pulled back a point for the Monaghan side. It was end-to-end stuff but St Paul’s got the breakthrough they needed when Crilly kicked long towards goal, St McCartan’s keeper Clerkin could only punch the high-ball in and Thomas Fox was perfectly positioned to nudge the ball into the net with his first touch – a real Fox in the goal.

However, it was a nervy finish, as Dunne picked up a second black card on 54 minutes, meaning St Paul’s would finish the game with 14 players and a three-point lead after St McCartan’s had replied.

St Paul’s could have killed the game off when Boylan was through on goal but Mark McCaffrey of Scotstown did brilliantly to clear the goal-line.

There was four additional minutes and McCrystal’s third score put two minutes between the sides and the same man added another, but with time up, it was St Paul’s who were celebrating at the final whistle.

They were deserving winners and far superior team than their one-point lead suggests. It was emotional scenes at the final whistle, with tears in the eyes of and celebrations from coaches John Rafferty, Bill Geoghegan, Barry Shannon, Caolan Dillon and Diarmuid McConville, while school Principal Jarlath Burns was over the moon.

St Paul’s: Tom Beattie, Conor Bennett, Conor Dunne, Gavin O’Rourke (0-01), Oisin Bennett, Donal Coffey, Adam Reavey, David Crilly, Daithi O’Callaghan, Tiarnan Brown, Eoin Kane (0-03, frees), Kian Reavey, Shea Loughran (0-2, 0-1m), Fergal Boylan, Eoghan McKeever.

Subs: Oisin Cunningham for Oisin Bennett 36’, Fionnan O Tuathaill for K Reavey 45’, Thomas Fox (1-00) for Brown 50’, Conor Loye for Boylan 60 +1’.

St McCartan’s: Shane Clerkin, Mark McCaffrey, Conal Gallagher, Kayden Keenan, Shea Corrigan, Donnchadh Connolly, Mark Lynch, Luke McKenna, Andrew Stewart, Jack McConnon (1-01), Thomas Muhall, Adam Carey, Darcy Foy, John McCrystal (0-04, 0-2 frees), Killian Kearns (0-01, free)

Callum McGorman for K Keenan 38’, Jamie McCaughey for K Kearns 50.’

This proved to be a case of third time lucky for St Paul’s as it is only the third time that the school has qualified to play in the Rannafast cup competition and indeed it was the third A final that St Paul’s had participated in in the The Athletic Grounds having lost 2 Danske Bank Mac Rory cup finals in the same venue.

The boys will now represent Ulster in the semi-final of The All-Ireland Schools Mc Girr cup at a time and venue yet to be decided.