Football

St Paul's Bessbrook can progress to MacRory Cup last eight

Danske Bank MacRory Cup quarter-final play-off: 


St Patrick’s, Armagh v St Patrick’s, Armagh (tonight, Athletic Grounds, 7pm)

SINCE they entered the MacRory Cup a few seasons ago, St Paul’s, Bessbrook have proved themselves well able to compete at the highest level and never with more determination than in a derby situation.

The Newry schools – Abbey CBS and St Colman’s – are their closest rivals and both have lost out to the ‘noisy neighbours’ in the knock-out stages of the MacRory.

Tonight’s derby is of a different nature – an Armagh county derby against St Patrick’s College from Cathedral Hill in the city.

The latter haven’t had too much to shout about since Ronan Clarke and Sean Cavanagh steered them to their only title win in the last 63 years in 2000 – but they have been very dangerous at the quarter-final stage with a number of impressive scalps in recent years.

Neither their league win over Enniskillen nor their draw with Monaghan rank up there with shock results, but there were glimpses in that league campaign that there could well be a big game in this squad as well with Conor Cullen, Tom O’Kane, and the manager’s son, Matthew Og McGleenan, well able to notch a score or two.

O’Kane made the Allstar team, as did Bessbrook defender Declan Loye, who has been getting through to pick off quite a few scores in the school’s league run that ended with three wins and two defeats.


Those defeats, however, were big ones – a 2-18 to 1-9 loss to Cavan and a 6-8 to 0-6  defeat to St Colman’s.

Both Cavan and St Colman’s are considered contenders for the title this year, but the two setbacks will have hurt and John Rafferty will be hoping the break since the end of the league will have helped his side put them to the back of their mind.

They still have useful players – double All-star Jarlath Og Burns is a huge presence whether in midfield or in the full-forward line, while Shea Loye has impressed from frees and open play.

While St Patrick’s have built a reputation on being a threat to any aspiring team, St Paul’s will relish the big stage against a ‘traditional’ MacRory school. They have the players to make it through.