Campbell College Belfast and Royal Belfast Academical Institution both booked their places in the John Minnis Burney Cup Final with Semi-Final victories this afternoon.
CCB relied on run-ins to edge past Banbridge Academy whilst RBAI beat Sullivan Upper 2-0 in normal time.
In the days first game it was Banbridge who got off to a quick start as Josh Osbourne threw a long aerial and played Adam McKee in behind the Campbell defence before his shot was well saved by Thomas Costelloe.
The Banbridge pressure continued as they won consecutive penalty corners at the end of Q1 but they were once again denied by Costelloe as the danger was cleared.
With 25 minutes played they finally got their opening goal as Adam McKee broke down the left wing before firing his effort into the far corner with the help of the post.
Having led at half-time, the side were then pegged back just six minutes into the second half as Frazer McKane drew the Belfast side level with a well executed penalty corner.
As the game advanced to the latter stages, it was once again Banbridge who looked the most likely to steal a game winning goal, however, the resilient Campbell College defence held on to force the game to penalty run-ins.
It was there that Costelloe once again came out on top, denying to opposing players as his side ran out 3-2 winners.
In the second semi-final, it was Sullivan Upper who started the quicker of the two teams with Adam Duffield going close twice in the opening ten minutes as his drag flick efforts went just wide of the post.
The first chance for RBAI didn’t come until the beginning of the second quarter as Jacob McIlhatton won the ball high up the pitch before seeing his reverse effort saved.
Ten minutes later it was McIlhatton who broke the deadlock. The winger was quickest to react when John Cunningham’s penalty corner wasn’t cleared by the Sullivan defence as he poked in the opening goal from close range.
Three minutes into the second half it was Cunningham who doubled his sides lead.
The Lisnagarvey forward broke down the right wing before cutting in and unleashing a strike from the top of the circle and picking out the far bottom corner.
Despite being temporarily reduced to ten, the goal proved to seal the win for the reiging champions as Sullivan were unable to find a route back into the game and it finished 2-0 to RBAI.
Both Campbell College Belfast and Royal Belfast Academical Institution will now go head-to-head in the final which is due to be held at Havelock Park on Thursday 13th March 2025.
PHOTO: Front Row Union