Danske Bank Mageean Cup Final 2019
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CPC last won the Mageean Cup in 2014 when the beat An Dún in the final at the Dub Arena to retain the title they had won the previous year at the expense of St Pat’s Maghera. In a hard fought game against an excellent An Dún side goals from Shan McGrath and Shea Hunter, plus a great display of freetaking by Cormac McClafferty got the Ballycastle school over the line by a single point.
This is how the Cross & Passion Facebook page reported the game at the time
October 24, 2014
CPC retain Mageean after super showpiece at the Dub
Cross & Passion, Ballycastle (Holders) 2-12 An Dún 0-17
This probably has to be the most intensely fought Danske Bank Mageean Cup final of recent times and it went right to the wire.
A game that looked to be swinging An Dún’s way in the first half swung dramatically against them during the third quarter, swung back entering the last ten minutes and finally three super points clinched back to back titles for Cross and Passion Ballycastle for the fourth time in their history.
The exchanges in every area of the pitch were fierce but fair and referee Aidan Kelly didn’t have to use his yellow cards until the last three minutes when a player from each side entered his notebook.
Goals win games is an old adage and in hindsight, Ballycastle’s two came at the right time.
Shan McGrath angled in the first after just two minutes play and their second came right at the start of the second half when they had gone in at the break three points adrift.
However over the hour, it was the accuracy of free-taker Cormac McClafferty that kept the score-board ticking over enough for the north Antrim boys to come through the big test.
He pointed three times in the opening half during a spell of excellent score-taking by the Down side, whose own free-taker Oisin McManus fired over four placed balls and a fine effort from play, and he added four frees and one from play after dropping back to a more midfield role during the second half.
An Dún can also be proud of their effort – and small margins made the difference. Their free-taker McManus had a late effort for a point from open play, but it drifted wide. He had scored much more difficult points – but that one escaped him.
After that early goal, McManus responded with five points in the first quarter to put his side 0-6 to 1-1 ahead.
McClafferty and the elusive Shan McGrath brought Ballycastle level, but two monster scores from Ciaran Monan, another from Jordan Doran and then a tenth Down point from Pearse óg McCrickard left Ballycastle adrift, 0-10 to 1-4 at the turnover.
Although McManus pointed from play on the re-start and goalie Sean Dougan saved brilliantly from McShane, Shea Hunter’s goal in the 33rd minute ushered in a period of Ballycastle dominance that saw them go into a four point lead, 2-9 to 0-11 by the halfway point of the second half.
Then Down, scoreless for 15 minutes, hit five scores inside the next four minutes to take the lead once more. McManus pointed twice from frees and then shot the lead point from play.
McClafferty responded with a free and then wing-back TT Butler picked up a loose ball and angled over the lead again.
Sub Geoffrey óg Laverty hit another over his right shoulder, but Ballycastle had to see out the game in their own half, conceding just a point from a Ciaran Monan free to take a ninth title amid great scenes of jubilation on the final whistle.
Cross & Passion : C Butler, J Brown, S McBride, PJ Graham capt., TT Butler 0-1, OD Laverty, C Black, C McCaughan, C Connor, C Patterson, J McErlean, S Hunter 1-0, S McGrath 1-1, C McClafferty 0-8, 0-7 frees, D McShane 0-1.
Subs : C Dallas for C Connor (20), A O’Boyle for C Patterson (50), G óg Laverty 0-1 for C Dallas (54).
An Dún : S Dougan, D Mallon, C Coulter, J Murphy, C Monan 0-3, 0-1 free, 0-1 65, L Savage, M Fisher, PJ Davidson, J Doran 0-1, S Hardy, R Campbell, O McManus 0-9, 0-6 frees, P óg McCrickard 0-3, R McCusker, D Sands.
Subs : B Hughes 0-1 for D Sands (ht), S McKey for R McCusker (54).
