Danske Bank Ulster Colleges Corn na nÓg semi-final: St. Macartan’s College, Monaghan 3-2 Patrician High School, Carrickmacross 1-7
ST MACARTAN'S College, Monaghan qualified for the Corn na nÓg final with a hard-earned win over county rivals Patrician High School, Carrickmacross in difficult conditions at Tyholland yesterday.
Lochlainn Power hit a goal at the start of each half for the Sem, while Bradley Maguire netted the clinching score late on as they gained some revenge for their Rannafast Cup team losing the final to Patrician a week earlier.
The Sem got off to a perfect start when a run by Conor Lappin led to the ball breaking in front of goal and being punched home by Power. A Conor Capaldi point got Patrician off the mark and they went close to getting a goal when Shea Hanratty was denied by Sem 'keeper Conor Caulfield.
A fine point from Patrician full-forward Andrew Moore ended 15 scoreless minutes and the High School moved ahead for the first time through a pair of frees by Donnach Swinburne. That left it 0-4 to 1-0 in their favour at half-time and they doubled their lead after the restart with a well-taken score by substitute Seán Jones.
The Sem had gone over half-an-hour without scoring, but their wait was ended when Karl Gallagher won a penalty that Power converted for his second goal. A Gallagher free put the Sem two points up, but Swinburne replied with a brace (one from play and one from a free) to level it up.
A couple of great saves by Patrician goalkeeper Ryan Farrelly denied Gallagher and sub Tristan Moyna, but the former converted his second free to regain the lead for the Sem. A well-worked goal, finished by Bradley Maguire, moved the Sem four clear in the final minute of normal time and even though Patrician pulled one back in added time through Moore, St. Macartan’s had done enough to edge through to the final against St. Patrick’s, Maghera.
St. Macartan’s College: C Caulfield; R Boyle, J McAdam, M Meehan; A Brennan, C Flood, C Devlin; O Fagan, J McPhillips; L Power (2-0, 1-0 pen), K Gallagher (0-2f), C Lappin; C McHugh, B Maguire (1-0), N McKenna.
Subs: T Moyna for McHugh, D Murray for Lappin, J McKenna for N McKenna, E McGinnity for Flood.
Patrician High School: R Farrelly; R Grimes, M Maguire, J Doogan; S Hanratty, C Downey, C Cunningham; K Connolly, J McGeown; R Kennedy, D Swinburne (0-4, 3f), R Shekleton; C Capaldi (0-1), A Moore (1-1), J McGarrell.
Sub: S Jones (0-1) for Shekleton.
