St Patrick's win 17th MacRory Cup title with narrow win over Abbey Vocational

CHAMPIONS: St. Patrick's Odhran Doherty denied by Abbey's Aidan Quinn, Eoghan O'Neill and Lewis McCaughan. Pic: ©INPHO/Lorcan Doherty

Danske Bank MacRory Cup final: St Patrick’s Maghera 0-12 Abbey Vocational 2-5

DESPITE conceding two goals in the first eight minutes and hitting a plethora of wides, St Patrick’s Maghera collected their 17th Danske Bank MacRory Cup title in Celtic Park Derry Sunday afternoon.

Abbey Vocational from Donegal town, playing in their first final just 12 months after winning the MacLarnon Cup at the first attempt, got a dream start when Kevin Muldoon released Conor McCahill on the left wing to race through and fire high off goalie Jack McCloy to the net.

Although eventual Player of the Match Gavin McIvor responded with a point for Maghera, the Derry school were caught too high in the eighth minute and Muldoon intercepted. He carried it deep into Maghera territory before support arrived from McCahill who raced through to claim his second goal.

There was another interception a few minutes later and McCahill again was on hand to point. But that was very much as good as it got for the Donegal side.

Maghera dominated possession over the remaining 50 minutes, but their poor finishing prevented them from taking the lead before the break. They shot six wides, hit the upright twice, dropped some shots short and wasted three goal chances - although Lewis McCaughan saved well on two of those occasions.

Points from Mark McGurk, Darach McGonigle and Cormac Óg McCloskey closed the gap to at the break and within seven minutes of the restart, they were back on level terms.

McCloskey and Darragh Doherty pointed twice from the left wing and those were followed by another from McCloskey and then one from McIvor.

It took St Patrick’s until the 45th minute before they took the lead with their only score of the day from a free (McCloskey). From then until the final whistle they always looked comfortable.

Finbar McShane and Darragh Doherty stretched the lead to three before a black card for Pádraig O’Kane resulted in a tap-over free from Conor McCahill, Abbey’s first point since the 10th minute of the game.

Kevin Barry Mullan fisted a Maghera point and although the Carr brothers whittled the lead down to a single point, the Derry side were through to meet new Corn Uí Mhuirí champions Mercy Mounthawk in the Masita Hogan Cup semi-final.

In the opening game of day, first time MacLarnon Cup finalists Dean Maguirc College Carrickmore also got a dream start with a goal from Shea Munroe in their first attack. It helped them to an interval lead of 1-6 to 0-7 over favourites Patrician High Carrickmacross.

The Monaghan side levelled through Peter Connolly at 1-8 to 0-11 halfway through the second half, but they couldn’t get ahead and the game finished 0-13 to 1-10 with the replay scheduled for Tuesday evening.

Scorers for St Patrick's

: C Óg McCloskey (0-4, 0-1f), G McIvor and D Doherty (0-2 apiece), F McShane, M McGurk, KB Mullan and D McGonigle (0-1 apiece)

Scorers for Abbey VS: C McCahill (2-2, 0-1f), Turlough Carr (c) (0-2), Tomás Carr (0-1)

ST PATRICK'S: J McCloy, R Collins, P O’Kane, N McNicholl, D Doherty, P Haran, D O’Neill, C McKaigue capt., O Doherty, F McShane, T McHugh, M McGurk, G McIvor, D McGonigle, C Óg McCloskey.

Subs: KB Mullan for O Doherty (35), D O’Kane for M McGurk (57), D McCloskey for T McHugh (60), S O’Kane for N McNicholl (60 +1) 

ABBEY VS: L McCaughan, E O’Neill, A Quinn, D McGinty, C Gavigan, P McGonagle, O Brogan, T McBride, T Colhun, Tomás Carr 0-1, Turlough Carr capt. 0-2, O Doherty, C McCahill 2-2, 0-1 free, E Gallagher, K Muldoon.

Subs: E McCrea for A Quinn (41), T Lenehan for E Gallagher (44), D Griffin for T Colhun (47)

Referee: M Loughran (Tyrone)