Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup Quarter-final
St Pius X Magherafelt 1-15 Rathmore Grammar 2-11 AET
Rathmore’s were denied a place in the semi-final of the McLarnon Cup when St Pius scored a last minute point from a free at the end of extra time in Tuesday’s quarter final at Owenbeg. The Belfast boys had led by a point at half time and when they went three clear with just five minutes left of normal time they looked to be on course for a place in the last four. However St Pius picked off the scores in the run-in and a fantastic point from out on the wing by Cathal Donnelly took the game to extra time.
Rathmore were under pressure at the start of the game but they soaked it up and went two points clear to lead by 0-03 to 0-01 after twenty minutes, the scores coming from Christopher Robb, Aodhan O’Hanlon and Joe Logan. However St Pius full forward Cathal Scullion was proving a real handful for the Rathmore defence and he kept his team in touch with a couple of excellent scores, though they trailed by a point at the break.
Joseph Logan stretched the Rathmore lead to two early in the second half but St Pius fought back and went a point ahead on 45 minutes. The sides were level soon afterwards and it looked to be anyone’s game, but when Rathmore’s Eoin Sherry got in for a brilliant goal they Belfast side appeared to be on course for the win. However St Pius never panicked and they reeled off three points to take the game to extra time, the final score excellently taken by Scullion.
The excitement grew even more in extra time and after falling behind in the second minute Padraic O’Connell and Ronan Taylor pointed to put Rathmore back in front.
Thing again looked good when Pádraig Donaghy landed a beauty from distance a couple of minutes into the second half but St Pius hit back when substitute Dualta Donnelly came on as a sub to fire home a goal.
Rathmore got themselves back on level terms when Eoin Sherry got his second goal with time almost up, but Scullion’s brilliant late score proved a heart-breaking blow for the Belfast side as the Derry school booked a semi-final spot.
St Pius X: D Donnelly 1-0, C Scullion 0-5, 4 frees, J Connery 0-4, 1 free, E Spiers and P Donaghy 0-2 each, C Rocks and O Doherty (f) 0-1 each
Rathmore: E Sherry 2-0, J Logan 0-5, 4 frees, R Taylor 0-2, P O’Connell, I Robinson, A O’Hanlon and C Robb 0-1 each.
St Pius X: E Martin, R Coway, C martin, F McIvor, Z Gavigan, C Rocks, E Spiers, P Donaghy, J Connery, R Lennox, D Devlin, C Kane, J O’Neill, C Scullion, E Musgrave.
Subs: O Doherty for J O’Neill (58), F Grimes for E Spiers (69), C O’Neill for R Conway (73), D Donnelly (73).
Rathmore: C Smith, J Ward, S Doyle, C Taggart, P O’Connell, D McGurk, J Hetherington, E Sherry, I Robinson, R Taylor, A O’Hanlon, M Lloyd, C Robb, J Logan, C O’Connell.
Subs: C Friel for C Robb (50), F McCann for J Hetherington.
Referee: M McGeehan (Ballinderry)
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