Second-half surge sees Michael’s win battle of the Saints
St Pat’s had led by four points at the break but managed just one point in the second period and despite playing the final quarter with only 14 men after Liam Martin was sent off, Eddie Courtney’s free taking proved vital as they claimed a superb triumph.
Courtney and Stephen O’Hara exchanged early points before Gerard Bradley found the bottom left hand corner of the net to put the Derry lads in the ascendency.
They failed to build on that though and despite leading 1-3 to 0-2 at the break they had kicked ten wides and that would ultimately come back to cost them dear.
By the tenth minute of the second half St Michael’s had trimmed the deficit to one, thanks to efforts from Courtney, Tommy McCaffery and Liam Martin and while the latter was dismissed in the 46th minute it didn’t knock Dominic Corrigan’s side out of their stride.
Courtney converted three frees in a row with the last of those from almost 50 metres out and they never looked back. O’Hara had a Maghera point but they took their wides tally to 15 and a more efficient Enniskillen side sealed victory when Courtney converted his sixth free of the contest.
Scorers for St Michael’s: E Courtney 0-6, N Beggan, L Martin, T McCaffery 0-1 each.
Scorers for St Pat’s Maghera: G Bradley 1-1, S O’Hara 0-2, J Kearney 0-1.
ST MICHAEL’S, ENNISKILLEN: P Sweeney, E Hamill, C Cullen, K McDonnell, L Cullen, N Shannon, N Beggan, R Brennan, R Hyde, C Murphy, L Martin, N Maguire, T McCaffery, B McAleer, E Courtney.
Subs: L Jones for Murphy, L Brennan for Beggan, D Teague for McCaffery.
ST PAT’S, MAGHERA: S McNicholl; O Hegarty, M McCloskey, G McKinless; B Rogers, C Carville, C O’Doherty; C McAtamney, R Dougan; J Kearney, C Murphy, P Gunning; S O’Hara, N McNicholl, G Bradley.
Subs: C Convery for Murphy, D McFaul for McNicholl, C Gallagher for Rogers, R McElwee for Gunning, P Cassidy for Kearney.
Referee: J McQuillan (Cavan).
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
