Danske Bank MacRory Cup Section D, round three
Abbey CBS 1-8 Abbey Donegal 3-9
A GOAL and three points in the 10 minutes after the break helped Abbey Vocational School pull away from Abbey CBS in the second half of this game in Garvaghey.
The Donegal town school, in their first season in the competition after winning the MacLarnon and All-Ireland Paddy Drummond titles last spring, have now topped their group and will play the winners of the Section B bottom-of-the-table clash next week between St Joseph’s, Donaghmore and Cathair Dhoire.
The opening half was quite competitive. Despite the Newry side having the advantage of the elements, the teams turned around at half-time on equal terms, Donegal’s 2-3 to Newry’s 1-6.
CBS opened the scoring through Aaron Maginess and Daniel McKernan added a second soon after – although he might well have found the net.
It took Abbey Vocational 13 minutes to land a score, a free from Tomás Carr, but the Newry side responded with a quick goal and a point from McGeogh.
Kevin Muldoon hit back with a point and the game suddenly changed with around 20 minutes in when Tiarnán McBride and Conor McCahill hit the net twice inside 90 seconds, the second finished soccer-style by McBride after he lost his footing having taken a through ball from McCahill.
Although late points from Daniel Carr and Conor McGeogh tied the teams at the break, within nine minutes of the re-start Abbey Vocational had made their break for the line.
There was a long-range point from Turlough Carr and then a brace from Oisin Doherty before Tiarnán McBride grabbed a third goal for his team.
A lead of six points in those difficult conditions was good enough and Abbey CBS couldn’t reel it in. They only managed a further two points, while Tomás Carr, Kevin Muldoon and midfielder Theo Colhoun, with the score of the day, added points for Abbey Vocational.
Danske Bank Casement Cup semi-final
Rathmore Grammar 2-13 Lecale Trinity 0-13
A STAND-OUT performance from Rathmore Grammar’s centre-back Donncha McGurk propelled the Belfast side to a comfortable enough victory over Lecale Trinity in yesterday’s Danske Bank Casement Cup semi-final in Woodlands.
McGurk had an outstanding game well supported by Ronan Taylor, Fionn McCann and Jay Ward, while Cian Clarke, DJ Farrell and Matthew Murray did their best to keep the Downpatrick school in touch.
The Rathmore goals at the start and very end of the first half made the difference at half-time and the gap was maintained in the second half.
The first goal came in the sixth minute from Aodhán O’Hanlon and put Rathmore 1-2 to 0-0 ahead. DJ Farrell opened Lecale’s account a minute later but McGurk and Ronan Taylor had added further points for Rathmore before Cian Clare tagged on a second for the east Down side.
Lecale were just a goal in arrears when James McElhone struck for the second goal of the game in the 28th minute and Rathmore led by 2-5 to 0-6 at the change of ends.
Chris Robb (free) and Taylor increased that lead on the re-start before Lecale got going again. They never really managed to close the gap, however.
In next week’s final, Rathmore will face St Patrick’s, Keady.
