Danske Bank Mageean Cup
Cross & Passion Ballycastle 2-21 St. Mary’s CBGS 1-12
Cross & Passion, Ballycastle continued their unbeaten run in the Danske Bank Mageean Cup when they proved too strong for St. Mary’s CBGS in Ballymena today. The North Antrim College had most of the damage done by half time when they led 2-12 to 0-5, thanks to goals from Roan McGarry and Darragh Kelly.
Kelly got the show on the road with a point in the opening minute and further points from Tiarnan Heggarty and Liam Glackin had Cross & Passion 0-3 to 0-1 ahead after 10 minutes.
St. Mary’s responded with a second point from Adam Murray and a fine long range point from Finn Jeffrey had the side’s level and the Belfast side seemed to be gaining a foothold but it was only temporary as the Ballycastle side came storming back.
Roan McGarry pointed and followed with the game’s opening goal when he was first to react to a shot that came back off the crossbar and the Loughgiel corner-forward was starting to assert his mark on the game.
Points from Ronan Fitzgerald and Eoin McGarry and four further points from the excellent Roan McGarry (2 f’s) had Cross & Passion in a commanding position and he would add three more before the interval to a Darragh Kelly goal with St. Mary’s only reply coming from Adam Murray (0-2).
The Glen Road side performed better in the second half and got off to a good start when Ruairi McAreavey goaled in the opening minute and the same player followed with a good point from out near the sideline to give his side some hope.
Roan McGarry replied with a point for Cross & Passion but a Caoimhin Ruinee point for St. Mary’s kept their hopes of a comeback alive but they failed to build on their early second half success.
The Ballycastle side responded with points from Roan McGarry, Darragh Donnelly, Eoin McGarry, a fine long range effort from Ronan Fitzgerald and at the other end Eoghan Richmond pulled off a great save to deny McAreavy.
The superb McGarry kept the scoreboard moving for Cross & Passion in the closing stages with Adam Muray 0-02 and Edna McGurk replying for the Glen Road men and Tiarnan Heggarty getting the final score of the game for a rampant Cross & Passion who look the team to beat in this year’s Mageean Cup.
St. Mary’s CBGS: 1 Reece Killyleagh, 2 Michael Marlowe, 3 Michael Darragh, 4 Connell Short, 5 Jay Maguire, 6 Edna McGurk, 7 Odhran Cosgrove, 8 Darragh Coleman, 9 Darragh O’Sullivan, 10 Adam Murray, 11 Baire Burns, 12 Callum Lapin, 13 Finn Jeffrey, 14 Ruairi McAreavey, 15 Caoimhin Ruinee, 18 Shea Cunningham, 20 Lorcan McCallin, 19 Connor Corr, 17 James Duffy.
St. Mary’s scorers: Ruairi McAreavey 1-1, Adam Murray 0-6, Caoimhin Rainey 0-1, Finn Jeffrey 0-1, C Lappin 0-1 Edna McGurk 0-1, O Cosgrove 0.1, C Rainey 0-1,
Cross & Passion: 1 Eoghan Richmond, 2 Conin Sheridan, 3 Cathair Doherty, 4 Cian Baudant, 5 Conor Donnelly, 6 Ben McGarry, 7 Joseph Magee, 8 Liam Glackin, 9 Ronan Fitzgerald, 10 Tiarnan Heggarty, 11 Darragh Kelly, 12 Ben O’Kane, 13 Eoin McGarry, 14 Darragh Donnelly, 15 Roan Mcgarry, 16 Frank McCaughan, 17 Conall Magee, 18 Gavin McToal
Cross & Passion scorers: Roan McGarry 1-11, Darragh Kelly 1-2, R Fitzgerald 0-3, E McGarry 0-2, T Hegarty 0-2, L Glackin 0-1
Referee: Eamon Mulvenna (Bredagh)
