Danske Bank Leonard Cup 

St. Mary’s CBGS 3-16-2-20 Cross and Passion 

By Kevin Herron 

Pics by Bert Trowlen

DAMIAN LAVERTY’S late free sealed a stunning second half fightback and saw Cross and Passion edge past St. Marys’ in their opening Leonard Cup encounter with a 2-20-3-16 victory on the Glen Road on Wednesday afternoon. 

The visitors had a strong opening quarter but found themselves in arrears at the break and by the 35th minute trailed 2-13-0-10, but they slowly got to grips and closed to within a point in the dying embers and held their nerve to leave with victory at the conclusion. 

Paidi O’Kane got Cross and Passion off the mark in the early stages with the Ballycastle outfit shooting into the breeze blowing towards the Monagh By-Pass end. 

A converted Matthew O’Neill free restored parity quickly and O’Neill added his first point from play shortly afterwards. 

CPC largely dominated the opening 10-minutes and it soon reflected on the scoreboard as Killian Cassidy tied things up for a second time and a converted O’Kane free edged them back ahead. 

A fine Damien Laverty score extended their advantage with O’Kane converting a further free and Tom Richmond finding aim to give their side a 0-6-0-2 lead. 

Despite Jude Gamble landing a fine point from range that was met by two in reply from the visitors courtesy of Cahir McCloskey and Ronan Elliott (free). 

The same pattern presented itself following Matthew O’Neill’s third point of the half, with Killian Cassidy sending over successive scores in less than 60-seconds as his side held a 0-10-0-4 advantage. 

The opening goal arrived midway through the opening period and it was a much needed goal for St. Mary’s. 

Matthew O’Neill headed for goal but saw his angled shot kept out by Liam McClelland, but Sian McMullan reacted quickest and flashed the loose ball to the net. 

A converted Matthew O’Neill free followed the hosts were back in business as they began to get to grips with things in attack whilst keeping the backdoor shut. 

They would keep Cross and Passion scoreless for the remainder of the half and by the 25th minute had clawed their way level after O’Neill added a further point from play and another from the placed ball. 

The Glen Road outfit led for just the second time after Gerard Delaney landed an angled score and just before the break Matthew O’Neill brought his tally to seven with another placed ball as the hosts led 1-9-0-10. 

St. Mary’s picked up where they left off before the interval with O’Neill adding to his personal tally and things would get better when Conan Mulligan raced onto a precise forward pass and had the composure to lift the ball over the keeper and it dropped in to make it 2-10-0-10. 

Jude Gamble landed a long range free, goalscorer Sian McMullan got his first point of the afternoon and Matthew O’Neill swung over his fourth from play. 

Cross and Passion ended a scoreless spell that stretched just over 20-minutes and it was a vital score as Cahir McCloskey rifled to the net to reduce arrears by a third (2-13-1-10). 

In the aftermath, Ronan Elliott converted a free and McCloskey notched his second point of proceedings. 

Successive Matthew O’Neill points- one from a free and the other from play- would restore his sides six-point advantage, though the pendulum was shifting with the game in the final quarter. 

Damian Laverty converted two frees either side of a John Og Darragh point. Darragh doubled his tally and Cahir McCloskey clipped over a 54th minute point to reduce the deficit to the bare minimum. 

The hosts looked to have given themselves a platform to victory when they netted for the third time through Cristoir McCabe, but at the other end Damian Laverty drilled a converted free to the net to make it 3-15-2-17. 

With two minutes to spare Paidi O’Kane dropped a shot over to pull his side level, though there was still time for the lead to change hands. 

St. Mary’s regained the lead through a Gerard Delaney point, though John Og Darragh popped over a further equaliser. 

It was the Ballycastle side who held their nerve at the last, earning themselves a late free that Damian Laverty converted. 

The hosts were unable to reply and force a share of the spoils as Cross and Passion held out for a 2-20-3-16 victory in what was a quality game of hurling. 

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