Danske Bank MacRory Cup
Section B, round five
Omagh CBS 2-9 St Mary’s, Magherafelt 1-10
Holders Omagh CBS hit 1-4 without reply in the closing stages at Healy Park to come from behind and claim victory and top spot in Section B.
Both sides came into the game with perfect records and the game didn’t disappoint. The hosts led by six at one stage in the opening period, but that was whittled down to just one by the break.
Six unanswered points from the visitors then appeared to put them in control by the 56th minute but they failed to score again as Omagh produced a rousing finish.
Wing half-back Dara McGuckin opened the scoring for Magherafelt but it took them another 20 minutes to register again, by which time Omagh were on top.
Full-forward Adrian McGurren kicked their opening three points before Tiarnan Loughran bagged a 21st-minute goal for a 1-4 to 0-1 lead.
In the next attack, though, St Mary’s were right back in contention when centre half-forward Eamon Young found the net before a brace from midfielder James Sargent left it all to play for in the second period.
Young and Fearghal McGurren traded points on the restart before Magherafelt hit their purple patch. Sargent had a brace with Young, McGuckin, Cathair McBride and Dara McKenna all on target as they moved 1-10 to 1-5 in front.
Omagh though showed great character to fight back boosted by a well-struck Adrian McGurren penalty before they kicked for home with Conan Hegarty, Brian Gallagher and Harley Patton all raising white flags.
Omagh A McGurren 1-4 (1-0 pen, 0-1f); T Loughran 1-0; C Hegarty 0-2 (0-1f); F McGurren, B Gallagher& H Patton 0-1 each
Magherafelt E Young 1-2; J Sargent 0-4 (0-2f); D McGuckin 0-2;
C McBride & D McKenna 0-1 each
Section A, round five
Our Lady’s, Castleblayney 0-5 St Colman’s, Newry 3-5
ST Colman’s, Newry booked a home clash against St Ronan’s, Lurgan for next week’s play-offs in the MacRory Cup after this victory in Castleblayney left them second at the conclusion of Section B.
Our Lady’s finished in fourth and will have to travel to St Patrick’s, Maghera.
An early goal from Eoin Braniff set the Violet Hill boys up for the win, giving them a 1-1 to 0-2 lead after 12 minutes.
Those were their only scores of the first half and the home side edged level, 0-4 to 1-1, at the break with points from Canice Murphy, Evan Treanor and Christopher Geoghan.
Points from Ailbhe Morris and Martin McKinley for St Colman’s and one in reply from Tristan Nugent still left it fairly tight midway through the second half, but goals from Corey Clerkin and Ruairí McEvoy opened up a gap for the Newry side.
Our Lady’s C Murphy 0-2; E Treanor, C Geoghan & T Nugent 0-1 each
St Colman’s E Braniff, C Clerkin & R McEvoy 1-0 each; A Haughey 0-2; A Morris, M McKinley & D Cunningham 0-1 each
Danske Bank MacRory Cup
Play-offs (December 10-14, first-named at home)
1 Abbey Vocational v Cathair Dhoire
2 St Patrick’s Maghera v Our Lady’s Castleblayney
3 Omagh CBS v St Paul’s Bessbrook
4 St Patrick’s Armagh v St Michael’s Enniskillen
5 Abbey CBS Newry v St Macartan’s Monaghan
6 St Patrick’s Cavan v Southwest Donegal
7 St Mary’s Magherafelt v St Patrick’s Academy Dungannon
8 St Colman’s Newry v St Ronan’s Lurgan
Quarter-finals (January 7-11)
1 v 8; 2 v 7; 3 v 6; 4 v 5
