Danske Bank MacRory Cup quarter-finals
St Patrick’s, Armagh 1-7 Abbey CBS, Newry 0-10
(after extra-time, St Patrick’s win 4-3 on penalties)
JUST before Christmas, Abbey CBS survived a penalty shoot-out in a Danske Bank MacRory Cup play-off to eliminate St Macartan’s, Monaghan.
On Saturday evening in the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, they were again taken to penalties, but this time they went down 4-3 to St Patrick’s, Armagh.
The first six penalties were all converted, but Armagh goalkeeper Conall McCann smothered the fourth Abbey effort and turned the fifth over his crossbar.
In between, Cathaoir Hughes planted his shot in the left corner and that was that for the Newry side, who had scored seven unanswered points either side of half-time in a very low-scoring game to lead by 0-8 to 1-2 with less than 10 minutes left to play.
However, the boys from Cathedral Hill hit four of the last five points – including McCann’s equaliser from a 45 in the second minute of added time – to bring the sides to extra time.
The extra 20 minutes couldn’t separate the teams and it took further intervention from McCann to secure St Patrick’s a passage to a semi-final meeting with the winners from Wednesday evening’s Derry derby in Owenbeg between St Patrick’s, Maghera and St Mary’s, Magherafelt.
Seven minutes were gone before Conal McGeogh opened the scoring with a point for Abbey and that was the only score of the first quarter. Armagh, however, hit a quick scoring burst at the start of the second quarter.
Ryan McGahan got in for the only goal of the game in the 16th minute and Michael McSorley tagged on two points soon after.
However, the second of those in the 21st minute was to be the Armagh side’s last score for over half an hour.
In between, Abbey started to slowly build a head of steam. McGeogh took his second point off a free in the 22nd minute, while late points from Paul McGovern and a McGeogh free left the Newry side just a point behind at the break, 0-4 to 1-2.
Half-time substitute Charlie McGrath levelled the game with his first touch of the leather in the 32nd minute and four minutes later McGeogh converted a free to edge Abbey ahead.
The Forkhill forward then added one from play and within 60 seconds Diarmuid O’Rourke came storming through to make it 0-8 to 1-2. There were also a couple of half-chances to widen the gap further, but the shooting was off the mark.
Eventually, the game started to change, but it wasn’t until the 52nd minute that the Abbey defence was breached and it took full-back Aodhán McGrane to do it. Oisin Gribben followed with Armagh’s fourth point and, despite sub Daniel Carr responding with an Abbey point after 58 minutes, Michael McSorley and that Conall McCann 45 sent the game to extra time.
There were no scores during the first half, but Carr fired over his second point of the night early in the second half only for McGrane to land the equaliser two minutes from time.
St Patrick’s R McGahan 1-0; M McSorley 0-3 (0-2f); A McGrane 0-2; C McCann (f) & O Gribben 0-1 each
Abbey C McGeogh 0-5 (0-3f); D Carr 0-2; D O’Rourke, P McGovern & C McGrath 0-1 each
Abbey VS, Donegal 1-7 St Colman’s, Newry 1-5
ABBEY Vocational are the first team from Donegal since a Michael Murphy-powered St Eunan’s, Letterkenny 17 years ago to reach a MacRory semi-final as they led from pillar to post in Convoy yesterday.
Less than 24 hours after their cross-city rivals Abbey CBS exited the title-race, St Colman’s bid for a 21st title hid the skids because they couldn’t get to grips with this other Abbey team dominated by the Four Masters club players who had completed back to back provincial minor titles less than a fortnight ago.
The MacRory Cup aristocrats were held scoreless during the first half, although their own wayward shooting was as much to blame as the Donegal town side’s defensive formation.
Abbey, despite playing against the breeze, shot out of the blocks and by the end of the opening quarter led by 0-4 to 0-0.
Tomás Carr got them going with a superb point from 40 metres. They then won the kick-out and the Carrs set up Conor McCahill for the second. Eoghan Gallagher added the third before Tomás Carr, with another delightful effort, kicked the fourth in the 14th minute.
St Colman’s had chances before the break, however, with Aaron Garvey almost in for a goal and then Corey Clerkin denied by a great save from Lewis McCaughan. Even a mark taken by Dylan Cunningham 30 metres out dropped short.
Ross Marsden finally got the Newry side on the scoreboard two minutes into the second half, but, despite having plenty of possession, they continued to add to their first-half tally of six wides.
Aaron Garvey pointed on 47 minutes to leave two between the teams, but two minutes later Abbey got the first goal of the game on the end of a spectacular run by Conor McCahill. He went almost the length of the field, played a one-two with Tiarnan McBride and slid the ball past Niall Howlett with his right.
St Colman’s responded with points from Aaron Garvey (free) and Eoin Duffy but Theo Colhoun won a free for Oisin Doherty to leave it 1-5 to 0-4 with four minutes of normal time left.
Following a free played short on 58 minutes, Corey Clerkin drove low past a crowded goalmouth to the Abbey net. However Abbey Vocational’s response clinched the result. Kevin Muldoon won the kick-out and Tomás Carr drove over a good point. Muldoon then went on another run and won a free that Oisín Doherty pointed.
St Colman’s tried to get a second goal but all they could manage was a point from an Eoin Duffy free and Abbey held on to create another piece of history, reaching the MacRory semi-final at their first attempt.
Abbey VS C McCahill 1-1; Tomas Carr 0-3; O Doherty 0-2f;
E Gallagher 0-1
St Colman’s C Clerkin 1-0; A Garvey (1f) & E Duffy (1f) 0-2 each;
R Marsden 0-1
