Danske Bank Foresters’ Cup quarter-finals
St Killian’s Garron Tower 1-15 St Patrick’s Maghera 3-8
St Killian’s held off a spirited second half comeback from St Pat’s Maghera to edge their way through to the semi-final of the Danske Bank Foresters Cup at UU Coleraine. The Tower boy appeared to be in charge when they turned around at half time leading by 1-10 to 0-3, after having the use of a strong diagonal wind. They were still in the driving seat when they held a six point lead with ten minutes left to play, but the Derry side hit were now dominating possession and when they drew level near the end the smart money would have been on St Pat’s to push on and book that semi-final place.
However St Killian’s steadied the ship and good work on the left wing sent Shane McQuillan off on a run and he sent over what turned out to be the winning point. There was still a lot of anxiety for the Tower supporters to endure and it took a good save from defender Dylan McNaughton and a fantastic score saving ‘hook’ by corner back Brian McNeill to keep the lead intact.
Three points in the early stages of the opening half, two of them from midfielder Cadhan Graham and a monster strike from his own half by Odhran Kerr had St Killian’s four clear by the eighth minute, before midfielder PJ Glover got St Pat’s first score on the board. Midway through the half Connlaodth McNaughton stretched the Tower’s lead to four again and four minutes later the north Antrim school got a great break when a high shot for a point by left half forward Charlie Black hung up on the wind, deceiving the St Pat’s keeper and ending in the net. Things got even better as McNaughton added three more points, to one from Maghera’s Owen O’Neill, to stretch their lead to ten by the time referee Owen Elliott blew the half time whistle.
Centre back Ultan McCloskey pulled a point back for St Pat’s with a fine long range strike within a minute of the restart, but Donacha Laverty and Cahir McCambridge got the next two for Garron Tower to put eleven clear by the the 37th minute.
St Pat’s were in deep trouble, but the got themselves back in contention when Owen O’Neill fired in a brilliant goal from 25 metres, and when McCloskey added two quick points the gap was down to six. The danger appeared to have been averted when St Killian’s came back with points from Laverty and McNaughton, but a goal from corner forward Sean O’Kane and a point from full forward Fionn Cartin brought St Pat’s right back into the game.
When St Killian’s full forward Cahir McCambridge stretched the lead to four with just three minutes of normal time left to play it looked like the game was safe for the north Antrim team, but Cartin pointed in the last minute and followed it up with his team’s third goal to bring his side level, and it took that late Shane McQuillan point to get a very relieved St Killian’s home through to a semi-final meeting with CPC
St Killian’s: Ben Duncan, Jake Laffan, Paddy Morgan, Brian McNeill, Odhrán Kerr, Dylan McNaughton, Cadhan Graham, Ronan Magee, Christopher Leech, Shane McQuillan, Connlaodth McNaughton, Charlie Black, Donncha Laverty, Cahir McCambridge, Conal óg Trainor
Subs:
St Patrick’s: Fionn Wallace, Dan McEldowney, Ultan McCloskey, Brennan O’Kane, Dara McKenna, Cathal McCloseky, Owen O’Neill, Lorcán McMullan, Seán O’Kane, Neil McDermott, Fintan Hardy, Charlie Bradley, Ryan Tohill, Fionn Cartin, Seán O’Hara.
Referee – Owen Elliott (All Saints)
To see more photos from the game click on the link below
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