McLarnon Cup play-off
Aquinas Grammar 2-8 St. Louis Grammar 0-4
A strong second half performance propelled Aquinas into the quarter-final of the McLarnon Cup when they overcame the challenge of a shot shy St. Louis Ballymena in this play-off at Colaiste Feirste on Friday evening.
Goals from Daire Oglsby in the opening minute of the first half and another from Declan McArdle, 11 minutes into the second paved the way for a comfortable victory for the Belfast side over a St. Louis team who offered little in attack.
The first half was an even enough affair as Daire Oglsby got on the end of a turn over from John McAtamney’s misplaced kick out to finish to the net from close range.
St. Louis settled however and enjoyed their best spell in the game with Ryan McKeever and Darach Bradley from a free closing the gap to one by the 7th minute but it would be their only scores of the half as they wasted a number of good chances to draw level.
Their opponents, Aquinas didn’t fare much better though they did launch a number of promising attacks but were thwarted by some excellent blocking by the St. Louis defence and were wayward in their shooting when the opportunities did present themselves.
Indeed the remainder of the half would prove disappointing for both sides with Jacko Watson’s point for Aquinas in the 19th minute the only further score but it was enough to send the Belfast side into a two point lead at the interval.
St. Louis need a better start to the second half if they were to get back into contention but it was Aquinas who made the more promising start but continued to miss the target.
Three early opportunities went a begging before David Leggett fisted over in the third minute and when Fergus Donaghy finished to the net with 11 minutes gone it looked a long way back for the Kintullagh boys.
St. Louis continued to enjoy a fair percentage of possession but continued to take the wrong options and were turned over time and again by a resolute Aquinas defence.
In fact their only two second half scores came from Shea O’Brion frees as Aquinas began to find their range with some excellent approach play as the gaps in the opposition defence began to appear.
Jacko Watson 0-2, JJ Higgins, David Leggett, Con Gileece and Jude Dixon all weighed in with points as the Ravenhill Road side pulled away to win comfortably in the end and will now meet Abbey, Donegal in the quarter-final.
Aquinas: 1 Seanan Nagle, 2 Eoin Browne, 3 Colm Boyle, 4 Frankie Fergson, 5 Daire Oglsby, 6 Ben Christie, 7 Con Gileece, 8 Peter Mulgrew, 9 Jude Dixon, 10 Joseph Mellon, 11 Declan McArdle, 12 JJ Higgins, 13 Pearse Loughry, 14 David Leggett, 15 Jacko Watson.
Subs Used: Lorcan Cooney for Frankie Fergson, Conor McKavanagh for Con Gileece (Blood sub), Rory O’Donoghue for Peter Mulgrew, Oisin O’Hare, Sean Doyle and James Kelly
St. Louis: 1 John McAtamney, 2 Oliver O’Rawe, 3 Hugh O’Donnell, 4 Sean McDermott, 5 Jack Martin, 6 Harry Connon, 7 Caleb Smith, 8 Luke McFerran, 9 Daniel Doherty, 10 Patrick O’Neill, 11, Fergus Donaghy, 12 Darach Bradley, 13 Ryan McKeever, 14 Shea O’Brion, 15 Eddie Smith.
Subs: 21 Corey McKillop, 24 Pauidin Mitchell, 17 Shea McAuley, 22 Jack McCloskey, 18 Caolan McGarrell, 25 Josewph McNeill
Referee: Martin Conroy (Tyrone)
