Danske Bank Casement Cup Hurling semi-final

St Mary’s Magherafelt 2-17 St Malachy’s Belfast 2-4

A great individual display by Cargin’s Conhuir Johnstone guided St Mary’s Magherafelt to the final of the Ulster Schools Casement Cup final on Monday afternoon at Dunsilly. In a re-match of last season’s decider the Magherafelt boys turned the table to book their place in the final. With Johnstone leading the line from centre forward St Mary’s dominated throughout and the game was all but decided at half time when last year’s beaten finalists led by 1-12 to 0-2 at the change of ends.

Football ace Johnstone, showed he adapt to the small ball with no trouble, as he proved far too difficult for the St Malachy’s defence to contain and he shot a goal and seven points in the wind-assisted first half to put the game to bed at half-time.

No less impressive were his MacRory Cup colleagues James Sargeant and Niall O’Donnell in the half-back line, while John McGurk hoovered up any ball that came past them.

Segdae Mac Adaimh got the opening point for St Malachy’s and Rónán Edgar from a free put them 0-2 to 0-1 up after Johnstone had opened his account at the other end. However the Antrim Road side failed to score for the rest of the half as St Mary’s took control out the field and Johnstone orchestrated the forward line.

Johnstone fired over from an acute angle on the right to tie the teams and Sargeant landed a long range free to put them ahead in the 5^th minute. With Jack Convery placing O’Donnell for a fine point a minute later, St Mary’s were building up a head of steam.

Patrick Birt got in on the scoring just before Johnstone crashed home the opening goal in the 12^th minute. The Cargin man then landed five points in a row, the opening two from frees.

Midfielder Charlie Curley interrupted the run to tag on a point, but Johnstone and Lorcán O’Donnell finished the first half scoring to make it 1-12 to 0-2 at the break.

Any complacency St Mary’s might have had going into the second half was knocked out of them by Rónán Edgar who careered through their defence to find the net within 45 seconds of the re-start. James Sargeant sent over a long range free in response and, at the other end, Pádraig Kelly did well to smother and clear a goal-bound free from Edgar.

Callum Walsh kept St Malachy’s going with a point in the 35^th minute, but St Mary’s weathered the storm and gradually regained control of the game, helped by points from Birt and Johnstone (two frees).

Then in the 50^th minute a long clearance out of defence was taken at pace by Johnstone who ran straight through the centre and fired the sliotar to the roof of the net for his second goal.

In fairness Edgar responded with a decent goal at the other end and Caoimhín Killyleagh added a point. But they were mere consolation scores with AJ McCann shooting over from wide on the right to complete the scoring for Magherafelt.

St Mary’s will now face Rathmore Grammar in the final after the south Belfast school overcame St Colman’s Newry in the other semi-final.

St Mary’s: Pádraig Kelly, Leo Gribbin, Odhrán Mulligan, John McGurk, Rónán McCallion, James Sargeant (0-2 frees), Niall O’Donnell (0-1), Charlie Curley (0-1), Luke Burns, Michael Walls, Conhuir Johnstone (2-9, 0-4 frees), Jack Convery, Lorcán O’Donnell (0-1), AJ McCann (0-1), Patrick Birt (0-2)

Sub: Ben McLarnon for N O’Donnell (55).

St Malachy’s: Liam McCafferty, Jake Massingham, Conor McAllister, Emmett Casey, Eoin Brown, Cian O’Connor, Oisín Kelly, Caoimhín Killyleagh (0-1), Evan Stanley, Segdae Mac Adaimh (0-1), Ronan Edgar (2-1, 0-1 free), Eoin Duffy, Diarmuid Martin, Callum Walsh (0-1), Cillian O’Brien.

Subs: Ray McKenna for D Martin (45), Pádraig McKevitt for E Stanley (45).

Leadon Timber Frames – Ulster Minor Hurling Cup Final

Loughgiel 3-11 Eire Og, Carrickmore 0-8

Saturday 7 January

Brendan McTagart reports from Dean McGlinchey Park, Ballinascreen

Loughgiel retained the Ulster Minor Cup on Saturday afternoon with a brilliant second half display that saw off the dogged resistance of Carrickmore.  The young Shamrocks held Eire Og scoreless for the entirety of the second period as they made the most of the wind at their back.

Led superbly by captain and man of the match, Ben McGarry, two of the Shamrock’s majors came from the younger of the McGarry brothers, Roan.  One in either half coming after Jack McCloskey’s opening goal and were pivotal in deciding the outcome of this final.

The Tyrone men started with savage intensity from the first whistle, tackling, hooking and blocking everything that moved in a red and white shirt as they tried to make the most of having the wind at their back in the first half, and while Loughgiel struggled with the elements, their two goals late in the half proved essential.

Roan McGarry would top score for the Shamrocks with 2-2 for his hours work while Jack McCloskey was hot on his heels, finishing with 1-4.  The two young Shamrocks with another impressive display that warmed the travelling Loughgiel support on a cold afternoon in south Derry.

The opening score of the contest came in the second minute through Eire Og’s, Aidan Woods.  The talented full forward would finish the game with 0-5 beside his name and was a constant threat for the Tyrone champions.  Roan McGarry opened his and Loughgiel’s account with the next attack but both sides were showing signs of nerves in the opening exchanges.  Conn Sweeney was playing deeper to try and nullify the threat of the Loughgiel inside forward line while Ashdon McGarry was spare in the Loughgiel defence.  Woods (free) and Shea Munroe split the posts for the Carrickmore men before a free from Jack McCloskey kept Loughgiel in touch but it was clear even at that early stage the wind was going to be a major factor in the final.

With Sweeney influential at the heart of the Eire Og defence, they looked to build a lead with Woods (free) and Munroe (two) putting four between the sides with ten minutes of the half remaining.  In truth, it could have been more with the Tyrone men hitting a number of wides during their purple patch.

With the next attack Loughgiel scored the first goal of the final.  A long ball into the heart of the Eire Og defence wasn’t dealt with properly and Codi McGarry collected the loose sliotar.  He found Jack McCloskey in space and he pulled first time to give Kevin Hughes no chance between the sticks.

Eire Og looked to recover and did hit the next point of the game through a Woods free but again a brace of wides either side hurt their challenge.  A fact that was compounded as the game ticked in to first half injury time.  Jack McCloskey’s long free fell short and the Eire Og defence failed to clear the danger.  Roan McGarry pounced on the loose sliotar and punished the Carrickmore men with Loughgiel’s second goal to give them the lead for the first time in the final. 

There was still time for one more attack with Woods splitting the posts for the fifth time in the first time with his fourth free to leave the sides tied on 0-8 to 2-2 at half time.

In a half where Carrickmore had did the majority of the hurling, Loughgiel were fortunate to go in level at half time but they showed their predatory instinct in front of goal to give them a huge advantage in the second half.

With the wind showing no signs of dissipating, Loughgiel started the second half superbly.  A point from Jack McCloskey was preceded by a huge free from Ben McGarry moments later to put Loughgiel two clear.  A ’65 from Loughgiel captain McGarry made it three unanswered as Eire Og were camped in their own half before a touch of brilliance brought about the third Loughgiel goal.

Ben McGarry sending the sliotar to the edge of the square and with the chance looking to have gone, his brother Roan got flicked the sliotar to the back of the net.  A brilliant piece of individual brilliance that all but ended the final as a contest just 11 minutes into the second half.

Further scores from Darragh Patterson and Ronan Fitzgerald before Eire Og’s first attempt at a score came 17 minutes into the second half.  The Shamrocks were well on top but struggled in front of the target with a series of missed chances. 

Roan McGarry, McCloskey (free) and Darragh Patterson put further daylight between the sides as they put further gloss on the score line.

Eire Og went in search for goals to try and revive their flailing chances but Mark Christie was equal to any chances that came his way.

Jack McCloskey scored the last score of the final, a remarkable point considering he had lost his balance as a Carrickmore challenge came late.  A touch of class and a sign of the confidence McCloskey is playing with as he sealed a comfortable victory for the Shamrocks.

TEAMS

Loughgiel: Mark Christie; Ronan McLaughlin, Pearse Patterson, Ashdon McGarry; Tiago McGarry, Ben McGarry, Preston McGarry; Liam Glackin, Charley O’Hagan; Ronan Fitzgerald, Darragh Patterson, Ryan O’Boyle; Jack McCloskey, Codi McGarry, Roan McGarry

Subs: Danny McAuley for R O’Boyle (53); Conan Johnston for C McGarry (53); Ronan Casey for D Patterson (58); Conan McCormick for C O’Hagan (58); Eddie Smyth for P McGarry (58)

Scorers: R McGarry 2-2; J McCloskey 1-4 (2f); D Patterson 0-2; B McGarry 0-2 (1f 1’65); R Fitzgerald 0-1

Eire Og: Kevin Hughes; Cillian Kerr, Cormac McCrystal, Senan Munroe; Darragh McPhillips, Daithi McIlhatton, Michael Coyle; Francey Hurson, Conn Sweeney; Padraig McCrystal, Shea Munroe, Dylan Devlin; Caolan Martin, Aidan Woods, Conor Kerr

Subs: Padraig Gavin for S Munroe (40); Conor McGarvey for D Devlin (53); Darragh Coney for C Martin (53)

Scorers: A Woods 0-5 (4f); S Munroe 0-3

Referee: Alan Nash (Doire Trasna)

Leadon Timber Frames Ulster Minor Club Hurling Cup final:

Loughgiel (Antrim) v Éire Óg Carrickmore (Tyrone)

(Saturday, Ballinascreen, 1pm)

Loughgiel go into Saturday final at Ballinascreen as hot favourites after their runaway win over Derry champion Lavey last weekend. The young Shamrocks were a cut above their opponents and without having to extend themselves were convincing winners in the end. Of course if you took Jack McCloskey’s contribution out of it things would have been a bit tighter, the talented corner forward grabbing 3-5 of this team’s 3-18 total, but in truth the Antrim side were dominant throughout the field. Liam Glackin was the man that made things tick, the strong running midfielder a cut above the rest as he pulled the strings in the middle of the park, his ball winning skills eye-catching.

The other semi-final last Sunday was a much more competitive contest, with Tyrone champions Carrickmore taking extra time to get the better of Down’s Bredagh. The boys in black and amber should probably had things wrapped up in normal time but a late surge by Bredagh saw them snatch a draw. Carrickmore regained the upper hand in the ten minutes each way extra time and were deserving winners in the end as they secured their final place.

It may be a little arrogant to assume that Loughgiel will dominate the decider, and the Tyrone boys will be going all out to prove the doubters wrong, but I think that Liam Glackin, Ben McGarry, Ronan Fitzgerald, Jack McCloskey and the Patterson twins will have too much for their rivlas and should retain the trophy they won when the competition was last played back in 2019.

Loughgiel will be without Codi McGarry who was unlucky to see red last weekend but the rest of the team should be very similar to the one that beat Lavery.

The team that lined out last week was Mark Christie; Ronan McLaughlin, Pearce Patterson, Ashdon McGarry; Tiago McGarry, Ben McGarry, Preston McGarry; Liam Glackin, Charlie O’Hagan; Ronan Fitzgerald, Darragh Patterson, Ryan O’Boyle; Jack McCloskey, Codai McGarry, Roan McGarry Subs: Danny McAuley for D Patterson (52); Conan Johnston for B McGarry (54); Oisin Convery for L Glackin (55)