Danske Bank MacRory Cup final: St Patrick’s Day 1pm in Athletic Grounds Armagh
St Mary’s, Magherafelt v St Colman’s, Newry
It’s probably true to say that not too many expected this to be the pairing on St Patrick’s Day for the settlement of the 95th Danske Bank MacRory Cup competition.
After all, other teams had better credentials, but they started falling as early as the pre-Christmas league stages and then, when holders St Patrick’s Maghera were knocked out in the first of the play-off games, the competition seemed wide open.
St Colman’s struggled to put St Patrick’s Cavan away less than 24 hours later, only taking control in the final 10 minutes at Páirc Esler.
St Mary’s were even less impressive in a really poor game against St Michael’s, Enniskillen when only four of their 11 points came from open play.
However people sat up and took notice when they took out a fancied Omagh CBS side on a wet Friday evening at the start of February, with full-forward Kevin Small playing a huge part.
While the focus was on other games, St Colman’s took out St Patrick’s, Armagh by 1-16 to 1-9 with their key forward Rian O’Neill shooting nine points and he notched up seven more as they controlled the semi-final to gain revenge for last year’s exit to St Ronan’s Lurgan.
The focus again was on the other semi-final as St Mary’s and last year’s beaten finalists St Paul’s Bessbrook played out an extra-time thriller in Queen’s that finished with two fantastic injury-time frees.
The first came from Kevin Small to edge St Mary’s ahead and the second from Shea Loye from a tight angle to bring the teams to a replay.
Again there was huge intensity in the replay and again Small landed a huge 40-metre free with the last kick to bring the Convent to a third MacRory final.
Amazingly that was Small’s first free, their regular free-taker is Daniel Bradley.
However there is little doubt that Small’s return from injury has been a huge boost to Magherafelt’s campaign that has relied a lot on a sound enough defensive unit that allows the likes of Declan Cassidy, Adam Connolly and Simon McErlean to break at pace to open opposing defences.
However sitting back has drawn teams on to them and Bessbrook picked off 13 scores in each game, suggesting that getting players behind the ball does not necessarily close out scoring opportunities.
St Colman’s haven’t totally bought into the mass defence idea, but often needs must and they have shown a certain adaptability throughout the three knock-out games, while still retaining an attacking spirit that has run up 2-12, 1-16 and 0-14 on their path through to the final.
Rian O’Neill is a fine footballer and good free-taker as his 1-21 total over those three games indicate, but there is danger as well in Eoghan McDonnell and Jack McCartan when they get a sniff of goals.
St Colman’s are traditionally associated with Down football successes, but the team that played in the semi-final was predominantly from south Armagh with the spine from goalie Mark Magill through to Cian McConville all tinged with orange apart from centre-half back Mark Braniff from Liatroim Fontenoys.
And, by the same token, five players from the Antrim south-west division – Sean and Eamon Kelly from Moneyglass and the Creggan trio of Small, Caolan McCann and Liam Quinn – and Ardboe’s Conall Devlin will all start for St Mary’s bringing interest in the game outside the Oak Leaf boundaries.
Magherafelt’s four game knock-out run has certainly brought them on in terms of team-play and the closeness of the last three matches will have given them an edge in keeping their shape into injury-time.
It would be easy to favour St Colman’s because of the school’s phenomenal record in MacRory deciders, 19 wins from 26 finals over the years, and because it is often extremely difficult for a team in search of a first title to see off one of the “traditional” forces.
However I am favouring St Colman’s in a really close final because they comfortably disposed of a hitherto very impressive St Ronan’s side in the semi-final and I believe they have a lot of comfortable ball-players in the front half of the pitch.
St Mary’s Magherafelt: O Lynch, C McCluskey, S Kelly, M Loughran, D Cassidy, C Devlin, E Kelly, K McCann, T Donaghy, A Connolly, D Bradley, S McErlean, L Quinn, K Small, C Murphy.
Subs: B Cassidy, T McAteer, M Rodgers, J McCann, O Devlin, R Keenan, C Donnelly, L óg McElhone, C O’Neill, R Kearns, C Prenter, C Logan, S Kinoulty, O McAteer, S Layden, E McBride, C McErlean, C Doyle, G Lupari, P Tohill, J Crawford, K McWilliams.
St Colman’s: M Magill, L Brown, S McCarthy, C Killen, F McElroy, M Branniff, P Fegan, C O'Neill, R Garvey, J McCartan, R O’Neill, E McDonnell, M McCreesh, C McConville, A Gribben.
Subs: M Nugent, R Byrne, O O’Neill, J O’Doherty, J McKee, R Carr, J McConaghy, C Bagnall, C Tierney, F McCartan, C McCartan, M Girvan, S Grant, R Martin, C Hynes, J Fitzpatrick, G McParland, D McKeown, E Byrne, P Brooks, J Brady, B McConville, T Travers, R Dalton.
