Danske Bank MacRory Cup semi-finals
St Patrick’s, Armagh 1-0 St Patrick’s, Maghera 0-5
IN THE battle of the St Patrick’s, it was Maghera who came out on top in dreadful conditions at Derrylaughan yesterday afternoon to book a MacRory Cup final date with Abbey Vocational School, Donegal writes Alan Gunn.
The Derry lads dug deep to edge this war of attrition as they kept the Armagh boys scoreless in the second half.
With the wind at their backs, they led at the break by the narrowest of margins when Turlough Muldoon fired home the Armagh goal on the stroke of half-time.
That looked to be a crucial score, knowing they were coming back out with the elements at their backs in the second half, but Maghera turned in a stunning display to run out deserved winners.
Maghera opened the scoring after six minutes with a superbly struck free by Cormac Óg McCloskey. However, they were struggling to break down a solid and well organised Armagh defence and only led by three by the 19th minute, Odhran Doherty and the hard-working Gabhan McIvor adding the points.
On the back foot, Armagh had a glorious goal chance on 22 minutes when corner back Tiernan Moore was found unmarked in front of goal but his effort was superbly blocked as defenders threw their bodies in front of him and Jack McCloy gathered the loose ball.
McCloskey struck over a beauty from play to move the Derry college four clear. Then, in the final minute of the half, Michael McSorley fielded Conall McCann’s kick-out and his long delivery into space set up a race between Turlough Muldoon and Rian Collins, with Muldoon shrugging off the Maghera man before firing low to the net.
Re-emerging for the second half, it looked like Armagh carried all the aces, but Maghera stood firm and dug deep and indeed dominated possession. They had the ball in the net inside the opening exchanges only for it to be ruled out for a square ball.
McCloskey did land a free to move his side two clear, but this was to be their only score of the half with still 20 minutes remaining.
Padraig Haran, Darach McGonigle, Turlough McHugh and McIvor were all outstanding in the second half for the winners.
Armagh could find no way through a superbly organised Maghera side who were very comfortable in holding possession and passing it around in the difficult conditions.
Armagh T Muldoon 1-0
Maghera C Og McCloskey 0-3 (2f); O Doherty & G McIvor 0-1 each
Abbey Vocational School 0-12 Southwest Donegal 0-10
LESS than 18 months after entering the Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup for the first time, Abbey Vocational from Donegal town have reached next month’s MacRory Cup final.
They led their neighbours, Southwest Donegal, from pillar to post on Saturday in Fr Tierney Park, Ballyshannon to reach an historic milestone, not just for the school, but for Donegal as well as it’s the first time since 1961 that a school from the county will contest the MacRory decider.
Abbey were excellent in the opening half, playing into the breeze and turning around at half-time with a 0-7 to 0-3 lead. They played the more cohesive football, with Tiarnan McBride and Conor McCahill central to every attacking move, both carrying the ball inside the 20-metre line before shooting or laying off the pass for a colleague.
By contrast, Southwest went for shots from distance that only paid off on a couple of occasions.
Nevertheless, the amalgamated team raised their game after the break and in added time had a chance to snatch an unlikely draw or even a winner.
McCahill opened the scoring after five minutes and then pointed a free that Kevin Muldoon had won. Alex Cunnea responded with a point at the other end, but his team were being pushed on to the back-foot time and again as Abbey made it 0-5 to 0-1 after 22 minutes with points from Oisin Doherty (two) and McCahill.
Aaron Neely hit back with a point from distance before Eoghan Gallagher, one of just two Abbey players not from the Four Masters club, finished a 60-metre run with a point. Cian Gavigan then released McCahill to score his fourth point of the half.
Just before the break, there was a scare for Abbey in their own goal area when a long ball from Shane Callaghan dropped short and Cathal Gallagher got a hand to the bounce to send it over when it could easily have ended in the net.
Southwest needed a good start to the second half and Shane Callaghan gave them one with two early points and then Eoghan Gallagher and sub Patrick O’Donnell swapped scores.
At this stage, Southwest looked to have the upper hand, but Abbey came back with points from distance from Turlough Carr and Oisin Doherty. Then Muldoon did the donkey work for Doherty to put five between the teams.
Although Cunnea responded with a point, Turlough Carr stroked over a free from distance and, with 51 minutes gone and a lead of 0-12 to 0-7, the game looked over.
Southwest, however, surged forward and picked off points from Callaghan (free) and Aaron Neely and then Oisin Diver hit the crossbar with Lewis McCaughan beaten. They just couldn’t get the goal they needed, though, and had to be satisfied with a late point from Danny Brown.
Abbey Vocational C McCahill (1f) & O Doherty (1f) 0-4 each; Turlough Carr 0-2 (0-1f); E Gallagher 0-2
Southwest Donegal S Callaghan 0-4 (0-2f); A Cunnea & A Neely 0-2 each; P O’Donnell & D Brown (f) 0-1 each
