Danske Bank Corn na nÓg quarter-final:
St Malachy’s Castlewellan 3-5 St Louis Ballymena 2-7
WHAT drama there was at the end of this Danske Bank Corn na nÓg quarter-final in Musgrave Park Belfast, the home of the new Antrim senior champions St Brigid’s!
St Malachy’s Castlewellan were hanging on to a narrow lead they had held throughout the game when St Louis Ballymena – who had beaten the same team in an enthralling Dalton Cup semi-final last May – won a late penalty.
Their excellent midfielder Conan McKeever took the responsibility and fired the shot past Conlon Andrews in the Castlewellan goals. Andrews had been superb over the course of the game with a number of top class saves in the second half. There was nothing he could do to stop McKeever’s shot.
It looked as if Castlewellan’s campaign was going to end there and then. But remarkably they launched another attack and won a penalty. With two points between the teams, James Morgan had no choice but go for goal. The Kilcoo forward struck it well to win the game.
That is how fine the margins were at the end of an enthralling game that saw St Malachy’s in the ascendancy before the break, but a little wayward in their shooting, while St Louis were the dominant force after the break only to be thwarted by Andrews in the Castlewellan goals.
There weren’t many scores in the first half. Ronán Laverty opened with a point for Ballymena before James Morgan with a goal and Shea Keraney with a point put Castlewellan ahead.
However as the wide count piled up for the Down side, Conan McKeever hit back with a free. Morgan ended the first half scoring with a point. St Malachy’s 1-2, St Louis 0-2 due mainly to the heroics for goalkeeper Conal Andrews, who denied St Louis on four ocassions
St Louis briefly took the lead in the early stages of the second half with a point from Mark Kirby followed by a goal from Oisín Martin.
St Malachy’s then had a short period when their defence worked very hard and Andrews denied Ballymena when they did make the breakthrough move. Inspired by this, Morgan levelled at 1-3 each and then Cillian Curran edged Castlewellan ahead before Morgan burst through for a goal.
The new rules helped Ballymena recover with both Oisín Anyalechi and the excellent McKeever each landing two pointers. Suddenly the game was level heading into the last seven minutes.
Morgan (who else?) put Castlewellan back into the lead with a point before the drama of the two penalties at the end. McKeever had the choice to level or go for a winner. He chose the latter – and that meant Morgan had no choice but to go low.
St Malachy’s: Conlon Andrews, Nathan McLaughlin, Tobias Ondus, Ruairí McAvoy, Harry McVeigh, Matthew Crowl, Aodhan Aldridge, Cathal Doran, Conal Shields, Niall Russell, Shea Kearney 1-1, Ollie Brannigan, Ryan Morgan, James Morgan 2-3, 1-0 pen, Cillian Curran 0-1
Sub used: Daithí Ireland
St Louis: PJ Marron, Charlie Herald, Lir Hodkinson, Charlie O’Brien, Kiran Jayaprakash, Joseph Killough, Liam O’Neill, Conan McKeever 1-3, 1-0 pen, 1tp, 1f, Nicholas McCrory, Ronan Laverty 0-1, Oisín Anyalechi, 0-2, 1tp, Cayden McGuckin, Oisín Martin 1-0, Mark Kirby 0-1, Cahan O’Kane.
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