Danske Bank Mageean Cup
Thursday 3rd October at Fr Healy Park, Loughiel
Cross & Passion Ballycastle 4-27 St Patrick’s Maghera 0-15
Cross & Passion College got their Mageean Cup campaign off to the perfect start when they beat St Pat’s Maghera in the opening round robin game at Fr Healy Park, Loughgiel on Thursday. The Ballycastle college had to withstand a stern challenge from St Pat’s during the opening quarter when the Derry school hit five points without reply, but they soon responded and hit back to lead by 2-13 to 0-08 at the interval, despite having played against a strong breeze.
A couple of CPC scores in the opening minutes seemed to suggest the ‘Convent’ were in for an easy ride, but once they settled Maghera started to pick off some excellent scores, and five without reply had them ahead, despite Conor Donnelly getting the first of his three goals. However their potent forward line began to click into gear and they started to find their range with a series of excellent scores and with Donnelly adding another goal and Paudi Martin, Caeden Crawford and Oisin McCallin picking off some top class points the pushed on the lead by eleven points by the time match referee Owen Elliott sounded the half time whistle. (2-13 to 0-08)
St Pat’s showed a bit more urgency when they came out for the second half and they closed the gap with a couple of points, but with the breeze now favouring CPC the task facing the Maghera side was massive. Caedan Crawford, Paudi Martin and Oisin McCallin relied with points apiece to put them on top once again, and though St Pat’s hit a couple great points from frees the pendulum had now swung decisively to the CPC side. With team captain Liam Glackin chipping in with a couple of long range efforts to add to those by the forwards the gap stretched even further and the size of the winning margin is another indications of just why the Ballycastle school are firm favourites to go all the way this season.
CPC: C Donnelly 3-3, C Crawford 1-4, O McCallin (2 frees) and P Martin (5 frees) 0-7 each, R Fitzgerald 0-3 (1 free), L Glackin 0-2 (1 free), O Conway 0-1.
St Patrick’s: R Collins 0-5 (frees), C óg McCloskey 0-3 (2 frees), O Doherty and G McIvor 0-2 each, D O’Neill, J McCloy and A McGill 0-1 each.
CPC: Anthony Mullan, Cathair McMullan, Reece Cunning, Eunan Johnson, Dara Kinney, Liam Glackin, Ardan Kelly, Niall McClean, Ronan Fitzgerald, Conan Johnson, Conor Donnelly, Aidan Richmond, Oisín McCallin, Paudie Martin, Caedan Crawford.
Subs: Liam McGarry for C Johnson (37), Oisin Conway for A Richmond (45), Tomás McNulty for E Johnson (45), Logan McConville for D Kinney (54)
St Patrick’s: Dara Hasson, Danny Gallagher, Odhrán Burke, Niall McNicholl, Phelim óg Diamond, Pádraig O’Kane, Darragh O’Neill, Daithí McCloskey, Odhrán Doherty, Cathal Quinn, Cormac óg McCloskey, Rian Collins, Anthony McGill, Jack McCloy, Gabhan McIvor.
Subs: Cathal Mulholland for P óg Diamond (42), Kevin Barry Mullan for O Burke (45), Charlie Friel for J McCloy (45), Pádraig McAreavey for A McGill (50)
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