The Dromintee contingent were to the forefront this afternoon in Crossmaglen as Abbey CBS booked their place in the Corn na nOg schools final.

Six of the boys from the Under 15 squad all saw action in the game with all playing a significant role in helping the school progress.

The Abbey started slowly in every sense conceding the first three scores before settling down and playing a better brand of football. As Conor Laverty and Fergus Toale knitted the defensive effort it was the combination play of a Dromintee Ballyholland axis that propelled Abbey into a commanding lead at the break.

Oisin Byrne & Diarmaid O’Rourke combined for the best score of the half while probing runs from both helped set up scores for the Ballyholland duo Paul McGovern and Charlie McGrath.

Were it not for a missed penalty and some wasted goal opportunities the Abbey would and should have been out of sight at the break.

The second half saw St Macartan’s rally as they threw additional numbers forward to reduce the deficit but two late goals were too little too late for the Monaghan side.

The Abbey side started with 9 players from Armagh and 6 from Down while all 6 Dromintee lads finished the game.

A sterner test awaits the squad in the final with St Patrick’s Dungannon set to provide the opposition. Allied to the win for St Paul’s yesterday who counted 14 Dromintee players among their ranks it now means the club will have an astounding 20 players in the two teams which will contest two Ulster schools finals.

Such numbers reflect the enormous efforts of Dromintee coaches, parents and above all players over the past five years.

We wish both local schools the very best of luck as the finals approach. No doubt the sizeable Dromintee fan base will grow to even larger numbers when final venues are confirmed.