GAA
Danske Bank MacRory Cup quarter-final play-off: St Patrick’s, Armagh 1-10 St Colman’s, Newry 0-9
A goal three minutes from time clinched the last of the quarter-final places in this year’s Danske Bank MacRory Cup for St Patrick’s, Armagh yesterday in Burren.
Justin Kieran finished a sweeping move involving Niall Boyle and Dylan Horsfield with a rasping shot that came off the underside of the crossbar.
Kieran immediately claimed that it was over the line, but his captain Diarmuid Rafferty made doubly sure by following it into the net.
That score finished off a well-contested game that St Colman’s will probably claim slipped from their grasp after both Peter Fegan and Cian McConville crashed shots off the post during a period of ascendancy around the three-quarter mark.
However Armagh were only behind at one point during the whole contest, when sub Eoghan Byrne put St Colman’s 0-9 to 0-8 ahead, and they were fully deserving of their ticket to play St Paul’s Bessbrook in ten days’ time.
Cormac Byrne’s tussle with the wily Cian McConville was crucial to St Patrick’s keeping last year’s finalists in check while captain Diarmuid Rafferty led the half-back line well.
Up front Horsfield and Conroy were a handful for the Newry defence in which Declan O’Hare, Peter Fegan and Patrick Brooks excelled.
St Colman’s lost Darragh Fegan to a black card at the end of the first quarter when St Patrick’s had edged into a 0-3 to 0-2 lead with two of the points from Michael Conroy.
St Colman’s brought it back to 0-4 each with Cian McConville hitting the target on three occasions, but Conroy with his fourth and a second from Seamus Muldoon had Armagh ahead 0-6 to 0-4 at the turnover.
St Colman’s pushed forward at the start of the second half and were level in the 35th minute with points from Jack O’Doherty and McConville (free) and the next four scores were shared with points each for Armagh’s Justin Kieran and Conroy and for Newry half-time sub Conor McCartan and McConville.
St Colman’s were looking more likely to push on at this point, but could only add a point from Eoghan Byrne before Conroy with a free tied the game once again at 0-9 each.
Dylan Horsfield edged the Cathedral Hill side ahead with a fine effort and then was involved in that fine move that finished with the only goal for the game in the 58th minute.
St Patrick’s have now shown the door to both Newry schools but will still be looking south as they line up St Paul’s Bessbrook for a place in the last four.
St Patrick’s: J Gibney, T Sheridan, C Byrne, O McKeagney, G Kelly, D Rafferty capt., D Murphy, M McGleenan, C Smyth, D Horsfield 0-1, M Conroy 0-6, 0-4 frees, J McCoy, S Muldoon 0-2, J Kiernan 1-1, C Hicks.
Subs: N Boyle for G Kelly (35), B Toal for C Smyth (40), T Weir for S Muldoon (51), J Birt for M Conroy (58), O Campbell for D Horsfield (59).
St Colman’s: M Magill, D Fegan, C Tierney, D O’Hare, P Brooks, P Fegan capt, G McParland, T Travers 0-1, F McElroy, J O’Doherty 0-1, T Close, C Doherty, S Grant, C McConville 0-5 frees, C McLoughlin.
Subs: P Sweeney for D Fegan (black card, 15), C McCartan 0-1 for C McLoughlin (HT), E Byrne 0-1 for C Doherty (HT), D Magill for S Grant (53).
Referee: Martin McNally (Monaghan)
Bowls
North West emphatically booked their place in the IIBA McIroy Cup final when they overcame visitors Mid Down at the weekend, writes Ray McClean.
Six-times winners of the trophy the hosts finished 44 shots ahead of their rivals who only secured a victory on one rink.
With seven talented juniors in their ranks North West were always in command with wins for Ryan O'Neill's daughter Shauna and Hannah Cochrane for whom Hannah's sister Caitlin played at third.
Sophie McIntyre played at third on her mother Joanne's rink who chalked up another home win with Orla McCloskey at second while Sophie Black was was also in action.
Afterwards, a delighted O'Neill head juniors coach said: "These youngsters are not simply leads they played a massive part in our great run to the final."
