By Paul Fitzsimmon
REGENT House made it two trophies in as many weeks as they beat Our Lady & St Patrick’s College Knock (OLSPCK) to claim the U-18 Belfast & District Schools’ Cup, adding to their Northern Ireland Plate glory.
Appearing in the showpiece final at Blanchflower Stadium for the third year in a row, and defending the trophy they won for the first time in the school’s history in 2025, Regent knew it would be an extremely testing game against a team with a strong cup pedigree
OLSPCK are serial achievers, at all age groups of school football, and were narrowly defeated by St Malachy’s College in the Northern Ireland U-18 Cup final in March.
They started the game with intent and quickly had Regent on the back foot, with their midfield dominating through NI Schoolboy international Jack Faloona.
It was no surprise when they took the lead via a Faloona corner, which was met in the air and glanced home for an early lead.
However, Regent have NI Schoolboy internationals of their own in Stephen Kelly and Jack Martindale, and it was those two who were instrumental in turning the game around.
A sublime cross from Kelly found an unmarked Matthew McCann, who powerfully headed the ball past the St Pat’s ’keeper for the equaliser.
Minutes later, Martindale played a lovely through ball to McCann from midfield and the striker once again found the back of the net, firing Regent in front.
This completed a hat-trick of Belfast Cup final goals for McCann, after he scored a memorable goal in last year’s victory over Rathmore Grammar.
Regent had the chance to go into the interval 3-1 up, when Martindale was brought down in the box and a penalty, was awarded. However, the OLSPCK ’keeper made a fine save to deny Martindale from the spot.
OLSPCK started the second half in similar fashion to the first, and they quickly equalised, before taking the lead for the second time in the game.
At 3-2 down, Regent were wobbling and looked in danger of conceding a fourth goal, which would have effectively ended the game, with the woodwork saving them on more than one occasion
However, they say good teams always find a way, and Regent House are indeed a good football team.
Steven Cairnduff has been head coach since 2018 and has seen it all before, but it took all of his tactical prowess, ably assisted by coach Jonah Heron and the Regent’s new director of football, Steve Cathcart, to turn this game around.
With substitutions made and team shape changed, Regent threw everything at St Pat’s, and with just seven minutes to go, Martindale was again fouled in the box. Stephen Kelly took the spot kick and made it 3-3, sending the match to extra-time.
The additional period was a cagey affair, with the heat contributing to tired legs and cramping, and neither side wanted to make a mistake.
It was no surprise to anyone in the stadium when the game ended all square, leaving it up to a penalty shootout to decide the fate of the cup.
Every game has a hero, and up stepped Regent’s Will Creighton. After ’keeper Daniel Fitzsimmons rolled an ankle in the pre-match warm up, Creighton put on his gloves with hardly any time to think and was thrown in at the deep end.
However, with Regent scoring all five of their penalties, through skipper Ryan Bailie, Stephen Kelly, Year 14 pupils Alfie Mckee and Jude Carlisle and Year 12 boy Rory Magee, it was Creighton who made the crucial save, helping his side secure a 5-4 victory and retain the Schools’ Cup.
Bailie lifted the trophy in front of jubilant supporters and Regent House cemented their current standing as the premier football school at U-18 level in the Belfast district, and one of the best in the whole of Northern Ireland.
