Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup semi-final
Dean Maguirc, Carrickmore 2-11
St Pius’ X, Magherafelt 0-15
DEAN Maguirc, Carrickmore are through to their first-ever Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup final just two years after winning the Markey Cup for the first time.
First-half goals from Odhrán Curran and Ryan McCallan and a late point in added time from Shane Morris got them over the line against a determined effort from St Pius' X, Magherafelt.
Curran was a thorn in the Derry team’s side from the start. He opened the scoring after three minutes and made it 1-2 to 0-2 with his goal in the 12th minute.
Derry All-Ireland minor medallist Oisin Doherty was a late addition to the Magherafelt team and he scored four of their seven first-half points. Two of those came in the 10 minutes before half-time when they reduced the gap of five points after 20 minutes to one with a minute to go.
However, Ryan McCallan popped up for the second goal right on the whistle.
Curran and Shea Munroe stretched the Carrickmore lead to 2-8 to 0-7 before Doherty (two) and Emmet Spiers scored three points in three minutes to reel the Tyrone side in again.
Over the next 10 minutes, the teams remained four points apart, with Dean Maguirc substitute Phelim McCrory splitting the posts twice. Entering the home straight it was 2-10 to 0-12.
Points from Josh Conway, Doherty and Dylan Rocks closed it to the minimum in added time. But Carrickmore held their nerve and Morris hit an insurance point to kill the game.
Cuddy, Monroe and Curran caused plenty of anxious moments for the St Pius' defence, while Michael McCallan pushed forward as well. At the back Ciarán McCrystal and Michael Gallagher did well in closing out the danger posed by Magherafelt’s Doherty and Scullion.
Dean Maguirc O Curran 1-2, R McCallan 1-0, R McCallan 0-3, P McCrory and K Cuddy 0-2 each, M McCallan and S Morris 0-1 each
St Pius' X O Doherty 0-6, D Rocks 0-2, J Connery, R Lennox, E Musgrave, E Spiers, C Scullion, J Conway and C Rocks 0-1 each
