St Clare’s Cup semi-final
Cross & Passion Ballycastle 11-4 St Patrick’s Maghera 4-13
Wednesday’s St Clare’s Cup semi-final between St Patrick’s Maghera and Cross & Passion Ballycastle produced 15 goals and 17 points, a staggering total.
Maghera went into the game slight favourites to meet St Killian’s Garron Tower in the final, but Cross and Passion’s twin-strike force of Mary McArthur and Marie Laverty killed off the Derry side’s cup hopes with some excellent goals.
Goals from McArthur (2) and Laverty had opened up a 3-3 to 1-2 lead for Ballycastle at the end of the first quarter. Emer Quinn had bagged the Maghera goal.
However the Derry side battled back during the second quarter and helped by solid defence, a goal from Ellie Griffin and a series of points they took a 2-7 to 3-3 lead at the break.
Laverty and McArthur scored a goal each in the opening five minutes of the second half, but once again Maghera hit back with two points from Emer Quinn and a goal from Orla McCartney to level the game.
From then until the end however, Mary McArthur and Marie Laverty ran in a further six goals between them, McArthur eventually finishing on five goals and Laverty on 6-3.
In fairness Maghera fought to the end with Emer Quinn, Lucy McKeague and Ellie Griffin their leaders, but the finishing of CPC’s twin strike force, along with solid defensive displays from Aoibh Gillan and Cara Delaney and hard work from Aobha McAlister sees them into a derby final with St Killian’s next week.
Cross & Passion: Marie Laverty 6-3, Mary McArthur 5-0, Aobha McAlister 0-1.
St Patrick’s: Emer Quinn 1-5, Orla McCartney 1-2, Ellie Griffin 1-2, Bronagh Brolly 1-1, Mary Teresa McCullagh 0-1, Ciara O’Loughlin 0-1.