The last of the eight play-off games in the Danske Bank MacRory Cup takes place on Monday evening in Burren (7pm) where Abbey CBS take to the pitch for the first time since the death of their mentor Jody Gormley.
They face St Macartan’s, Monaghan with the winners then lined up for a short trip to Armagh to take on St Patrick’s in the quarter-finals at the start of January.
All four teams that topped their groups won their play-off games last week and that means each of them get home venue in their quarter-finals.
The tastiest of the ties looks to be the south Derry derby between St Patrick’s, Maghera and St Mary’s, Magherafelt and it will be a surprise if that isn’t an evening game in Owenbeg, such is the interest already building since they respectively beat Our Lady’s, Castleblayney and St Patrick’s Academy last week.
Omagh CBS, chasing a third successive Hogan title, were taken to extra-time by St Paul’s, Bessbrook. They survived and now take on Southwest Donegal, who caused the only surprise of the week by travelling down to Kingspan Breifne to beat St Patrick’s, Cavan.
St Colman’s victory in Darver at the weekend will see them playing the other Donegal side remaining in the competition, Abbey Vocational, and that quarter-final will take place in Donegal.
Quarter-finals (January 7-11, first-named teams at home)
Abbey VS, Donegal v St Colman’s, Newry
St Patrick’s, Maghera v St Mary’s, Magherafelt
Omagh CBS v Southwest Donegal
St Patrick’s, Armagh v winner of Abbey CBS v St Macartan’s
Danske Bank MacRory Cup play-offs
Omagh CBS 1-13 St Paul’s, Bessbrook 1-9
(after extra-time)
HOLDERS Omagh CBS needed extra-time at Father Hackett Park in Augher to book their place in the MacRory Cup quarter-finals writes Kevin Kelly.
Indeed, but for the woodwork St Paul’s could have upset the odds as a shot from midfielder Daithi O’Callaghan hit the post with the last kick of the game in normal time.
A few minutes earlier, it had looked as though Omagh were going to pay the price for a number of missed chances when O’Callaghan bagged a goal to put Bessbrook in front.
But, impressive substitute Peter Colton forced extra time and a goal from full-forward Adrian McGurren just before the end of the first period ultimately proved to be the crucial score.
The Tyrone lads will now face Southwest Donegal after Christmas.
McGurren had hit the opening two points of the game before defender Owen Griffiths made it three. Tiarnan Brown, Fergal Boylan and Shea Loughran helped Bessbrook get on level terms and after Fearghal McGurren and Sean McCann had put Omagh two clear again it was level pegging at the break after Kane Rigley and Boylan registered.
A Rigley free on the restart gave St Paul’s the lead for the first time, but Thomas Meehan sent over the equaliser before Colton weighed in with a superb brace.
Finn Toal and McGurren traded points before that frantic finish left it 0-10 to 1-7 after normal time.
Diarmaid Martin and Colton put Omagh two in front in extra-time before Jarlath O’Neill replied for Bessbrook. Mark Kennedy then released McGurren who finished low to the net and that proved to be the clincher as both teams added just a point each in the second period through Ronan Martin and Conan Hegarty.
Omagh CBS A McGurren 1-3 (0-3f); P Colton 0-4; O Griffiths, F McGurren,
S McCann, T Meehan, D Martin & C Hegarty (m) 0-1 each
St Paul’s D O’Callaghan 1-1; F Boylan 0-2 (0-1f); K Rigley 0-2 (0-1m, 0-1f);
S Loughran (m), F Toal, J O’Neill & R Martin 0-1 each
Abbey Vocational, Donegal 2-13 Cathair Dhoire 0-9
ABBEY Vocational School proved too big, too quick and too lethal in front of goal against a very spirited Cathair Dhoire side at Convoy writes Steven Doherty.
The Donegal side, backboned by a highly decorated Four Masters player contingent, led 1-8 to 0-6 at half-time, with Theo Colhoun’s 11th-minute goal their key score.
Kevin Muldoon’s goal early in the second half all but nailed Cathair Dhoire’s coffin shut. Oisin Doherty top-scored with four points with Tomas Carr hitting 0-3.
The excellent Jude Bryson, and Cathal Deery, shouldered the scoring burden for the beaten side with 0-3 apiece.
The favourites took an early lead when Tomas Carr split the posts in Abbey’s very first foray forward, but two fine curling efforts from Christopher McCullagh handed the Derry side the lead for the first and only time in the contest.
Theo Colhoun’s goal handed the Donegal school a comfortable cushion, before the two well-conditioned sides went score for score to leave it 1-6 to 0-6 to Abbey after half an hour of end-to-end football. Points from speedster Kevin Muldoon and Turlough Carr, however, handed Abbey a five-point advantage at the break.
Muldoon then goaled soon after the restart and Abbey never really looked in any trouble after that.
Jude Bryson would prove a perennial thorn in the side for the Abbey defenders, but when the Donegal side stationed a couple of sweepers back it dried up any flow of ball to the Cathair Dhoire ace.
Blessed by any number of talented attackers of their own, the home side finished this tie with aplomb. Oisin Doherty sailed over three fine points and Tomas Carr hit his first of the day as Abbey, in the end, cruised comfortably into the next round.
Abbey VS K Muldoon 1-1; O Doherty 0-4 (0-1f); Tomas Carr 0-3 (0-1f), T Colhoun 1-0; C McCahill 0-2 (0-1f); Turlough Carr, E Gallagher & O Brogan 0-1 each
Cathair Dhoire J Bryson 0-3; C Deery 0-3 (0-2f); C McCullagh 0-2; T McFeely 0-1
St Patrick’s, Maghera 1-10 Our Lady’s, Castleblayney 0-4
ST Patrick’s, Maghera eased their way to the last eight at Owenbeg writes Michael McMullan.
A fourth-minute goal from Finbar McShane put them into a lead they never lost and it sets them up with a quarter-final meeting with St Mary’s, Magherafelt in the new year.
Odhran Doherty kicked three points in all and when he peeled off Turlough McHugh straight from the throw-in, he took a pass to have the ball over the bar within 12 seconds.
Donnacadh Smith’s pass set up Hughes for the ’Blayney opener but they never got their noses in front at any stage.
Maghera were well drilled and dominant in the possession stakes over the hour.
When the goal came, it was a direct move. Cahal McKaigue, McHugh and Dara Doherty were all involved before McShane planted the ball to the top corner for a 1-1 to 0-1 lead.
’Blayney hit back with a score but a well-marshalled Maghera picked them off on the break.
McKaigue, Dara and Odhran Doherty added points as they crept into a 1-5 to 0-5 interval lead.
Odhran Doherty added a point before plucking a dangerous Canice Murphy high ball into the box at the other end.
Fionan Markey and Murphy hit two points in a minute but ’Blayney never looked like getting the goal to pull them back into the game.
A second Cormac Óg McCloskey point followed an effort from the lively McShane as Maghera tagged on late scores in a comfortable win.
St Patrick’s F McShane 1-1; O Doherty 0-3; C McCloskey 0-2 (0-1m);
C McKaigue, D Doherty, P Haran & D McGonigle 0-1 each
Our Lady’s C Murphy, F Markey, E Treanor & A Hughes 0-1 each
St Colman’s, Newry 1-12 St Ronan’s, Lurgan 0-6
FOR three-quarters of this game in a cold and fresh Darver on Friday evening, there was nothing between the St Colman’s and St Ronan’s teams writes Séamas mcAleenan.
St Ronan’s then lost a player to a red card, but won a penalty. Ronan McAlinden’s spot-kick, however, rose over the bar when a goal would have put them ahead for the first time since the third minute of the game.
There was a further chance for Lurgan a couple of minutes later, but goalkeeper Niall Howlett pulled off a terrific save and St Colman’s fed off that incident to score a goal and five points in the final 11 minutes of play and move into the quarter-finals.
Although St Ronan’s opened the scoring with a point after three minutes from Eoin Brankin, St Colman’s quickly got into their stride and 20 minutes in they led by 0-5 to 0-1 with points from Eoin Braniff, Corey Clerkin (two), Harry Fearon and Aaron Haughey.
St Ronan’s pulled back two points before the break via Ronan McAlinden and trailed by 0-6 to 0-3 at the change of ends.
They closed the gap further with another McAlinden point before an incident-packed five minutes that included the red card and two goal opportunities.
Eventually, St Colman’s regained control of the tie. Fearon hit three points and James Moriarity finished a good team move by palming the ball to the net for a victory that sees the Newry seat of learning into a quarter-final against Abbey Vocational from Donegal town.
St Colman’s J Moriarity 1-0; H Fearon & C Clerkin 0-3 each;
D Cunningham 0-2; E Braniff, A Haughey, R Marsden & C Armstrong 0-1 each
St Ronan’s R McAlinden 0-4; E Brankin & A Henderson 0-1 each
