Danske Bank MacRory Cup quarter-finals
St Patrick’s Armagh v Abbey CBS
(Saturday, the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, 6pm)
AN opening win over St Colman’s, Newry would appear to have put wind beneath the sails of the MacRory Cup challenge from St Patrick’s, Armagh.
They went on to top their group with victories over Cookstown, Castleblayney and Southwest Donegal before jettisoning the dreams of St Michael’s, Enniskillen in a pre-Christmas play-off.
The Donegal game proved the most challenging as they struggled against their defensive set-up, and it took a goal on the break from Michael McSorley late in the opening half to keep them in touch.
That was followed by an unanswered 1-4 in the third quarter, before the Donegal side turned the screw once more and drew level. McSorley again had to point a long-range free in added time for a single-point victory.
McSorley and James Daly have been the main score-takers up front, with Tiarnan Moore and Ryan McGahon sharp defensively and on the break.
Abbey opened their Group B campaign promisingly with a derby win in Páirc Elser over St Paul’s, Bessbrook and then they beat St Patrick’s Academy before losing by 3-8 to 1-9 against Abbey Vocational from Donegal.
Their play-off against St Macartan’s, Monaghan had to be postponed due to the death of their Head of PE, Jody Gormley, and, when it eventually was played, it went right to the wire, with the Newry side coming out on top in a penalty shoot-out.
Understandingly, last term was pretty difficult for the school and for players who had played for Jody through their school careers. There was a feeling of relief after that play-off, while the Christmas break will have provided the team with some respite. Nevertheless, it will be difficult for them to rise to this challenge.
Abbey have been one of the teams with the top scoring returns in the competition, but they have also conceded quite a few scores as well.
Paul McCartan’s pace and Conal McGeogh’s leadership, allied to good scoring on the break from Diarmuid O’Rourke and Aaron Maginness means that they will be a threat going forward, but scoring returns tend to dip in the knock-out stages of the competition as defences become harder to break down.
Armagh on the other hand are brimming with confidence after five straight victories and they look that bit tighter at the back. They are the likely semi-final challenger against the winner of Wednesday’s Derry derby between St Patrick’s, Maghera and St Mary’s, Magherafelt.
Abbey VS, Donegal v St Colman’s, Newry
(Sunday, Convoy, 3pm)
FROM a situation where the occasional visit from St Eunan’s, Letterkenny was Donegal’s sole representation in the Danske Bank MacRory Cup, we now have two new teams from the western seaboard making the quarter-finals this year.
The amalgamation of five schools, known as Southwest Donegal, has already achieved its aim in entering the MacRory and will play holders Omagh CBS with more than an outside chance of progress.
That game was due to be played at O’Neills Healy Park on Friday night but was postponed, and will now be played on Sunday, January 19 at the same venue (4pm).
The other team through is last year’s MacLarnon Cup winners Abbey Vocational from Donegal town, who went on to claim the All-Ireland Drummond Cup and have hit the ground running in their first-ever MacRory campaign by topping Group D and then seeing off Cathair Dhoire in a play-off in Convoy last month to reach the quarter-finals.
They draw heavily from the Four Masters club that successfully defended their fonaCAB Ulster Club Minor Football Tournament at St Paul’s at the start of the month. Only minor captain Callum McCrea is not in the Abbey squad and the club side, more or less, will change their jerseys for the school ones. Oisín Brogan from Naomh Bríd and possibly a player from Naomh Náille will be included in the school side.
We have become familiar with the rising names from the west through the St Paul’s tournament and last year’s MacLarnon Cup – McCahill, the Carrs, McBride and Doherty.
They signalled their intent in the MacRory opener with a 4-14 to 2-13 win over St Patrick’s Academy, but lost concentration in the second game against Bessbrook after leading by 2-5 to 0-4 at the interval.
They eventually lost that game by 3-12 to 3-7, but picked up pace again in the final group tie to beat Abbey CBS by 3-9 to 1-8.
The other Newry side – record MacRory Cup winners St Colman’s – will come to Convoy for what should be a severe test.
They lost their first group game against St Patrick’s, Armagh, but were steady enough in each subsequent game, nailing down victories over Southwest Donegal, Holy Trinity, Cookstown and Our Lady’s, Castleblayney. They then despatched St Ronan’s, Lurgan in the play-off game the week before Christmas.
None of those games showed exceptional play including the play-off tie that they won by 1-12 to 0-6 after struggling for periods against 14 players. But in the past they have launched a successful title challenge from a lower base.
Eoin Braniff, Corey Clerkin, Aaron Haughey and Aaron Garvey will be players that Abbey Vocational have to watch, but St Colman’s will be wary of getting caught with the swift counter-attacks.
The winner will face the winner of the Omagh CBS v Southwest Donegal quarter-final.
