Big night for County Armagh boys

A special ceremony to honour County Armagh's SuperCupNI campaign offered players, coaching staff, officials and sponsors an opportunity to both reflect and celebrate the summer tournament.
Lord Mayor Garath Keating with boys from County Armagh's Premier squad.Lord Mayor Garath Keating with boys from County Armagh's Premier squad.
Lord Mayor Garath Keating with boys from County Armagh's Premier squad.

Monday’s meeting in The Navan Centre was organised by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council - with Lord Mayor Garath Keating offering a warm welcome to the Orchard County squads.

Months of planning culminated in the intensive week-long summer schedule and Monday’s event presented a welcome chance to look back on another year of progress.

County Armagh rolled back the years with SuperCupNI success across individual and team fronts.

In a repeat of the 2009 youth tournament, the Orchard County squad walked away having collected Junior and Premier section prizes plus the Globe.

The form of Alberto Balde and Lorcan Forde was recognised with wins in the respective age-group Overall County Player of the Year honours.

The Junior Section side capped the week-long grassroots celebration as Globe champions.

“It was nice to get as many of us together as possible in the same place, with our thanks to Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council and, in particular, the Lord Mayor,” said Dean McCullough, chairman of the County Armagh SuperCupNI Association. “Lee Upton and Lorcan Forde were presented with our association’s respective ‘Player of the Year’ honours.

“With so much hard work leading up to the SuperCupNI week and then the run of games in such a short space of time, often you do not really appreciate everything at that time.

“The evening was a great chance to sit down together and we also invited our sponsors, CRL Ltd, Pinkertons Armagh and Orchard County Contracts.”

Junior Section - Monday, July 25: Glasgow Rangers 2-1 County Armagh; Tuesday, July 26: County Armagh 5-1 County Tyrone; Wednesday, July 27: Plymouth Argyle 2-3 County Armagh; Thursday, July 26: (Globe semi-final) Strikers 0-1 County Armagh; Friday, July 27: (Globe final) County Armagh 1-1 County Down (County Armagh won 9-8 on pens).

Premier Section - Monday, July 25: Alset Colombia 0-8 County Armagh; Tuesday, July 26: County Armagh 1-2 County Down; Wednesday, July 27: Ichifuna 3-3 County Armagh; Thursday, July 26: (Vase semi-final) KV Mechelen 1-1 County Armagh (KV Mechelen won 5-4 on pens); Friday, July 27: (Vase third-place play-off) County Armagh 1-0 County Tyrone.

COUNTY ARMAGH (PREMIER): Craig Robinson (Bangor), Conor Larkin (Portadown), Conor Kerr (Armagh City), Shea Geraghty (Dungannon Swifts), Eoin Toal (Armagh City), Ross Larkin (Armagh City), Edi Tavares (Armagh City), Oisin Smyth (Dungannon Swifts), Ben Neill (Annagh United), Pablo Andrade (Linfield), Lorcan Forde (Warrenpoint Town), Nedas Maciulaitis (Portadown), Jackson Holmes (Portadown), Zac Wilson (Portadown), Ryan Leeman (Loughgall), Craig Taylor (Annagh United), Owen McConville (Dungannon Swifts), Cathal McGinty (Cliftonville).

COUNTY ARMAGH (JUNIOR): David Walsh (Linfield), Jack McIvor (Glenavon), Ruairi McDonald (Dungannon Swifts), Lee Upton (Portadown Youth), Daniel Neill (Portadown Youth), Daniel Gordon (Portadown Youth), Chris Hutchinson (Portadown Youth), Scott McCann (Loughgall Youth), Jack Adamson (Portadown Youth), Ryan Latifi (Portadown Youth), Ryan Carmichael (Loughgall Youth), Alberto Balde (Portadown Youth), Rioghan Crawford (Lurgan Celtic), Patrick Kerr (Armagh City), Adam McAlpine (Glenavon), Harry Evans (Portadown Youth), Tyler Marsden (Portadown Youth), Tom Barratt (Portadown Youth).