Danske Bank Mageean Cup quarter-final
St Patrick’s, Maghera 3-16 Gaelcháiste Dhoire 0-6
THE first-ever Derry derby in the knock-out stages of the Danske Bank Mageean Cup drew a large crowd to Owenbeg last night but the on-field clash failed to live up to expectations with the greater physicality, guile and experience of St Patrick’s, Maghera proving too much for newcomers Gaelcholáiste Dhoire.
While the gaeilgeoirí always seemed under pressure when in possession, Maghera players had options, usually a couple of colleagues running off the shoulder and they tied up the result fairly quickly.
Rian Collins and Cathal Ó Mianáin exchanged frees in the opening couple of minutes and Dara O’Kane added a point before Pádraig O’Kane’s clearance out of defence found Collins. The Lavey man went around the outside and fired in from an acute angle to put Maghera in control.
They pushed on to lead by 1-4 to 0-1 before Cathal Ó Mianáin got Gaelcholáiste moving with four points from long-range frees.
Their only score from open play came when another defender drove over in added time after Maghera had tagged on three points late in the half.
At 1-7 to 0-6 ahead and the wind on their backs in the second half, Maghera were home and hosed.
They added four points in the third quarter before Turlough McHugh off-loaded for Dara O’Kane to hit the net off the right hand post.
The third Maghera goal came in the 52nd minute from substitute Cathal Quinn after a great drive out of defence by player-of-the-match Pádraig O’Kane.
Maghera now face competition favourites Cross & Passion, Ballycastle in the semi-finals the week after next.
Scorers
St Patrick’s R Collins 1-3 (0-3f); D O’Kane 1-2; C Quinn 1-1; G McIvor 0-3; C McCloskey (1f), O Doherty & T McHugh 0-2 each, J McCloy 0-1
Gaelcholáiste C Ó Mianáin 0-5f; D Ó Lochlainn 0-1
