Danske Bank MacRory Cup quarter-final play-off:
St Paul’s, Bessbrook 3-8 St Patrick’s, Armagh 2-7
ST PAUL’S, Bessbrook left it very late before they snatched Wednesday’s MacRory Cup play-off at the Athletic Grounds.
With a few minutes to go, they trailed by a goal, but man-of-the-match Jarlath Óg Burns set off on a huge run through the centre and off-loaded over his right shoulder to put substitute Niall Magennis clear through for a goal.
After several wides that followed, Burns then picked up a loose ball around the middle. It was fed through a number of players before Liam Kerr started to draw players and play one-twos that eventually put Ryan McSherry through for a goal in the second minute of injury-time. As Armagh’s defensive discipline dropped, Kerr converted a late free for the insurance score.
However, it was a game St Patrick’s should have wrapped up with a couple of points during the last quarter when they were a goal up and playing direct football into Matthew Óg McGleenan on the edge of the area. The manager’s son converted points from each foot and caused plenty of bother for the Bessbrook defence.
However, the Armagh defence also struggled with the penetrating runs of Burns, that resulted in two of their goals and several points. They lost both corner-backs to black cards as well as goalkeeper Callan Duffin to injury and, in the run in, those absences proved crucial.
After a decent start from Bessbrook that saw them lead 0-3 to 0-1 after 16 minutes, they failed to score during the second quarter and went in two points down at half-time, thanks to three frees and a great score from Tom O’Kane.
The leadership of Burns resulted in three Bessbrook points in the first three minutes of the second-half to regain the lead. Tom O’Kane then put Armagh back in the lead with a 37th minute goal, quickly followed by a McGleenan point.
McGleenan then saved a high ball from going wide and toe-poked across to the unmarked Conor Cullen for a second goal. Within a minute, Ryan Gaskin finished a Burns run with a goal - a score they badly needed and one that set them up for the late smash and grab.
MATCH STATS
Armagh: C Duffin; K McConnell, P Mackle (capt), M Hosty; E Daly, R Moore, R McCay; T O’Kane (1-1), K Muldoon; G Conlon, T McGeary, M Óg McGleenan (0-2); C Keenan, J Duffy (0-1 free), C Cullen (1-3, 0-3 frees); Subs: Eoin Kearney for Duffin (44), C Nugent for Moore (55); Black cards: K McConnell replaced by O Murphy (16), M Hosty replaced by C McGeary (44).
Bessbrook: M Murphy; R McGuiness, D Loye, C McDonnell; E McCabe, R Gaskin (1-0), C Clarke; J Óg Burns (capt, 0-2), D O’Hagan; R McCann, J Durnan, A Boyle; L Kerr (0-4, 0-3 frees), S Loye (0-2 frees), R McSherry (1-0); Subs: R Keenan for McGuiness (37), C Magennis for Durnin (37), N Magennis (1-0) for McCann (37).
Referee: S Hurson (Tyrone).
