Corn Uan Uladh semi-final
Cross & Passion Ballycastle 3-9 St Mary’s Magherafelt 1-10
A goal from corner forward Eimear McCaughan in the 60th minute of Saturday’s Corn Uan Uladh semi-final in Creggan sealed a place in the final for CPC as they got the better of St Mary’s, Magherafelt. The Ballycastle school were two to the good at this stage and appeared to be safe, but McCaughan’s goal put the icing on the cake.
Cross and Passion were on top in the early stages but they could not turn their possession into scores and St Mary’s took advantage as they went two clear with points from Jemma Shivers and Eva Forbes. It was nearing the end of the opening quarter before the Antrim side got on the scoreboard through centre forward Teagan Cassidy and soon afterwards they took the lead when the quick thinking Eobha McAllister fired a quick free to the Magherafelt net.
St Mary’s hit right back with a goal of their own when centre back Aoibh Shivers took advantage of a misplaced puc-out by CPC but Eimear McCaughan responded well for the Ballycastle school and had her team back on terms with two well taken points.
The Derry girls got back ahead when corner forward Cara McNally found the target but CPC finished the half strongly. Mary McArthur drew her team level before Marie Laverty pounced on a defensive mistake to finish to the net in style. That put them three clear and things got even better in the run in to half time when Eobha McAllister added another points to send her team in at the break with a four point cushion. (2-05 to 1-04)
St Mary’s started the second half strongly and had the gap back to the minimum with two points from Eva Forbes frees and one from play from Jemma Shivers and it remained that way when Eobha McAllister and Grainne Doherty exchanged points from frees.
Two McAllister points and one from McEimear McCaughan stretched the CPC advantage to four once again and though both teams had chances to add to their tally it remained that way until McCaughan settled it with her late goal.
CPC: É McAllister 1-5 (1-3fs), E McCaughan 1-3, M Laverty 1-0, T Cassidy and M McArthur 0-1 each.
St Mary’s: J Shivers 1-2, E Forbes 0-5, (3fs), E Cullen, G Doherty (f) and C McNally 0-1 each
CPC: Molly McToal, Sarah Flavin, Sarah Louise Kearns, Mecha Cunning, Cara Delaney, Aoibheaan Gillan, Fiah Sands, Éobha McAllister, Rose McMullan, Marie Laverty, Tegan Cassidy, Louise McBride, Eimear McCaughan, Mary McArthur, Adria McAllister.
St Mary’s: KJ McCoy, B Bradley, F McGuckin, M O’Kane, E Kearney, O Devlin, A Shivers, L Scullion, A Rocks, E Cullen, E Forbes, G Doherty, A Doherty, J Shivers, C McNally.
Subs: R Gribben for A Doherty (24), C McErlean for C McNally (52)
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