St Killian’s Garron Tower 6-22 St Patrick’s Maghera 1-7
St Killian’s eased their way into the final of the Mageean Cup when they brushed aside the challenge of a disappointing St Pat’s Maghera team at Quinn Park, Ballymena on Tuesday afternoon. Always noted for their battling qualities when it comes to the knock-out stages of any competition, it just wasn’t St Pat’s day as the Tower boys were in control all over the pitch.
With Joseph McLaughlin, one of the stars of Cushendall’s Ulster semi-final win over Portaferry on Sunday, carrying on where he left off, St Killian’s dominated the opening quarter, scoring seven points without reply, and it could have been more had McLaughlin not have been denied by the woodwork when a goal looked certain.
Ruairí Beggs eventually got Maghera on the scoresheet, and when a Jack McCloy 65 went all the way to the St Killian’s net you began to wonder if St Pat’s were back in the game. However St Killian’s hit back right away and soon the green flag was flying at the other end as Oran McCambride slotted home a rebound after a Joe McLaughlin shot had been well saved, and when Cormac McKeown pointed thirty second later it was clear there would be no way back for the Maghera boys.
.By half time the gap was 1-13 to 1-3 and when Oran McCambridge got in for a second goal early in the new half the only thing in question was the size of the winning margin. Ruairi Beggs pulled a couple back for St Pat’s but substitute Niall Hynds got his team’s fourth goal soon after being introduced and Oran McCambridge made it five soon afterwards as he completed his hat trick. Substitute Michael Furey came off the bench to add a sixth goal for St Killian’s who are bidding for the school’s first Mageean title since 1963.
In that final they will meet the winners of tomorrow’s (Wednesday) second semi-final between Cross & Passion Ballycastle and St Mary’s Belfast which throws in at Dunsilly at 4pm.
St Killian’s: O McCambridge 3-1, M Furey 2-0, N Hynds 1-0, O O’Connor 0-9, 3 frees, J McLaughlin 0-4, C McKeown 0-2, P McDonnell 0-2, C Mooney 0-2, C McAuley 0-1, E Ward 0-1.
St Patrick’s J McCloy 1-1, 1-0 free, R Biggs 0-4 frees, F Turner 0-1, C Gaile 0-1.
St Killian’s: Thomas McLaughlin, Colla Ward, Cailin Devlin, John Scullion, Cathan Graham, Charlie McAuley, Niall Magee, Calum McIlwaine, Callagh Mooney, Orrin O’Connor, Austin Birt, Cormac McKeown, Peadar McDonnell, Oran McCambridge, Joseph McLaughlin
Subs : Niall Hynds for P McDonnell (39), Eamonn Ward for C Graham (44), Michael Furey for J McLaughlin (48), Fintan McKillop for O McCambridge (44), James Kearney for J Scullion (44)
St Patrick’s Maghera: Danny Gallagher, Lorcan Collins, Martin McKenna, Kevin Barry Mullan, Jack McCloy, Ryan McGarvey, Odhrán McElhinney, Senan Lockhart, PJ O’Kane, Barney Bradley, Conor Gaile, Sean Boyd, Gavin McIvor, Turlough McHugh, Fionn McEldowney
Subs: Antaine Donnelly for O McElhinney (37), Pádraig O’Kane for G McIvor (37), Charlie Friel for L Collins (44), Fiachra Turner for J McCloy (44), Johnny Mullan for B Bradley (54).
Referee: Paddy Tumelty (Lamh Dhearg)
