Danske Bank Mageean Cup
St Louis’ Ballymena 4-17-1-07 St. Mary’s CBGS
From Kevin Herron at Quinn Park
St Louis kept their hopes of progression to the semi-final of the Mageean Cup alive with a comfortable 4-17-1-07 win over understrength St. Mary’s CBGS at Quinn Park, Ballymena on Wednesday afternoon.
Both sides were beaten in their respective openers and went into the game knowing that another defeat would all but spell the end of their hopes of progressing to the last four.
Darragh Patterson was first off the mark for St Louis and despite Ruairi McAreavey sending over a fantastic reply for St. Mary’s- they fell behind to a converted free from Jack McCloskey and a Ronan McCollum point after the corner-forward intercepted a stray puck-out and punished the error.
The opening goal came after ten minutes as Oisin McCamphill sent a tidy shot to the net to open up a 1-03-0-01 lead.
Dubhaltach Wilson landed a free in response, but Jack McCloskey did likewise at the other end in-between points from Conall McCloskey and midfielder Aodhan McGarry- who was finding pockets of space and took advantage.
With little under ten minutes to the break St. Mary’s thought they had a lifeline when Dubhaltach Wilson struck an angled free, which dipped over Callum Mullan and into the St Louis’ net to make it 1-06-1-02.
Any hopes of a fightback before the break were dealt a swift blow however when Jack McCloskey repeated the trick at the other end.
McCloskey had a free in front of the posts and caught St. Mary’s cold with a driven shot into the roof of the net to restore his sides seven-point advantage.
Points from Eoin McBriarity and Wilson followed, though Jack McCloskey brought his tally to 1-03 with another conversion before the break and give his side a 2-07-1-04 lead.
Louis’ extended their lead upon the second-half’s resumption with three points on the spin courtesy of McCamphill, Ryan McQuillan and Jack McCloskey from a free.
Dubhaltach Wilson tried his upmost to get his side motoring with two scores- though in-between Jack McCloskey landed his sixth free of the afternoon and Conall McCloskey floated one over the bar.
Another McCloksey conversion was followed by a nice Diarmaid Rogan reply, but St. Mary’s were in need of a few goals in the last quarter if they were going to produce a comeback that would keep their hopes alive.
It wasn’t forthcoming though as a second of the afternoon for Oisin McCamphill put the game beyond the reach of the Glen Road outfit.
Darragh Patterson added two further to his days tally and substitute Barry McCloskey impressed upon his introduction with an impressive point and flick to the net late-on to secure a 4-17-1-07 win for his side.
Louis’ face Cross and Passion in their final group game with their chances of progression very much alive.
Only a fortunate set of permutations would allow St. Mary’s an outside chance of keeping their hopes alive as the Belfast side look to have bowed out of the reckoning.
St Louis’: C Mullan, D Martin, K O’Boyle, P Patterson, D McMullan, C Dickson, C McCloskey (0-02), A McGarry (0-01), F Henry, D Patterson (0-03), C Higgins, R McQuillan (0-01), R McCollum (0-01), J McCloskey (1-07, 1-06f), O McCamphill (2-01). Subs: B McCloskey (1-01).
St. Mary’s CBGS: R Camlin, M Darragh, P Moyes, D Coleman, J Maguire, B McCauley, P Short, E McBriarity (0-01), R McAreavey (0-01), A Murray, C Duffy, D Wilson (1-04, 1-02f), J Sloan, D Rogan (0-01), L Loughlin.
Referee: Owen Elliott (All-Saints)
