Danske Bank MacNamee Cup final
Cross & Passion Ballycastle 1-12 St Patrick’s Maghera 2-7
CROSS and Passion Ballycastle retained the Danske Bank MacNamee Cup in an exciting final in Allen Park, Antrim on Wednesday evening evening, a goal from Ronan Smith two minutes before half-time the key score in the contest.
In a game played in cold conditions, which included a few snow showers, both sides served up a game of excellent hurling with little separating them throughout.
Up until Smith’s strike, St Patrick’s Maghera seemed to be able to respond to everything CPC threw at them. However they went in at the break a point down, 1-7 to 1-6, and the Ballycastle boys then hit them with three points in three minutes to open a gap.
Cross & Passion just about deserved their victory as they moved the sliotar that little bit faster and more directly while Danny Cassidy in the Maghera goals denied them at least two goals in the first half and another after the break.
Maghera had a lot of possession in their opponents’ half and could have taken points to keep the score-board moving. Instead they over-elaborated and Ballycastle were able get in around them and snuff out the danger.
They were held scoreless over the last 24 minutes of play. Ballycastle only scored two frees in that period, but those two scores divided the teams at the final whistle.
Sean Johnston, one of the stars of the game for CPC, started the scoring with a point, but that was the only time Ballycastle led until Smith’s goal. Fionn Mullan responded with a point and Daithí McGarrity took a pass from Mullan to hit the net.
Although free-taker Ruairí McQuillan hit back with two scores, the goal was still the difference at the midway point of the half.
Ballycastle then hit three scores in two minutes, from Iarla Gillan, Johnston and Jake Feetham to level the game. But within two minutes Maghera were on top again with points from McGarrity, Mullan and Davin Gallagher.
There was another McQuillan free before Smith’s snap-shot hit the Maghera net and on the resumption Smith and Johnston (two) stretched their lead.
Maghera hit back with a point from a Kearney free and in the 36th minute the same player stroked a penalty to the net. Unfortunately that was their last score.
Indeed there were only two further scores in the remaining 24 minutes, both Ruairí McQuillan frees that were enough to see CPC home.
Cross & Passion: R Smith 1-1, R McQuillan 0-5 (fs), S Johnston 0-4, I Gillan and J Feetham 0-1 each
St Patrick’s: D Kearney 1-2 (1-0 pen, 2 fs), D McGarrity 1-1, Fionn Mullan 0-2, Fiontan Mullan and D Gallagher 0-1 each
CPC: O McConville, K Gillan, C McAuley, C Keenan, D McMullan, D Boyle, O O’Connell, C Bailey, I Gillan capt, R McQuillan, S Johnston, N McAuley, R Smith, J Feetham, B Murtagh
Subs: R Hennessey for C Keenan (19), J Richmond for B Murtagh (39)
St Patrick’s: D Cassidy, D Ruddy, C Ruddy, S O’Kane, R Quinn, C McNicholl capt, C Dillon, D Kearney, Daniel Boyle, Fionn Mullan, D McGarrity, D Gallagher, F Kerr, Fiontan Mullan, Danny Boyle
Sub: P Hogan for Danny Boyle (39)
Referee: Lorenzo McMullan
Alistar McGilligan presents the Danske Bank MacNamee Cup to Cross & Passion captain, Iarla Gillan
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