Danske Bank MacNamee Cup final
Cross & Passion, Ballycastle v St Patrick’s, Maghera (Friday, Ballymena, 2.45pm)
THIS year’s MacNamee Cup (hurling) has been dominated by three teams – Cross & Passion, Ballycastle; St Patrick’s, Maghera; and St Killian’s, Garron Tower.
Ballycastle and Maghera were in the same group and, while the north Antrim school pulled clear to win by 10 points, there was little between the teams with less than 10 minutes to go in their head-to-head.
That defeat sent Maghera on a journey that would see them take on the other group winners – St Killian’s – in a semi-final in Ballymena the week before Halloween.
That game looked well within Maghera’s grasp when they led by 3-7 to 1-3 at the break, the goals coming from Patrick O’Loughlin (two) and Quintin Darragh.
Maghera stayed on course for victory until 10 minutes from time when St Killian’s struck two goals inside a minute to narrow the gap to three. It was backs-to-the-wall stuff then for the rest of the game, with Dominic O’Kane and his defence playing inspired hurling into the wind.
Ballycastle, meanwhile, coasted into the decider with high-scoring wins in each game. They are powered by the Dunloy trio of Iarlaith O’Kane at centre-half back, Tom Richmond in the middle of the park and Pearse McMullan up front.
Naomh Pádraig’s John Óg Darragh is a huge presence at centre-forward and McQuillan’s Dara McShane a nippy corner-forward who knows where the net is.
CPC look to have the hurling skills to claim the title and Maghera will have to dig deep to stay with them for the duration of the match.
