Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup final: St Patrick’s Day 10.45am in Athletic Grounds, Armagh
Our Lady’s, Castleblayney v St Ciaran’s, Ballygawley
Invariably teams in the Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup operate with a couple of outstanding individuals and it is how well management use those individual talents that determines how far they can progress in the competition.
Of course nowadays with crowded defences it is harder for that type of player to make their presence known – but they do.
Two years ago Frank Connolly and James Wilson were the young corner-forwards in a team from Our Lady’s, Castleblayney that surprised Patrician Carrickmacross to collect the school’s second Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup.
That was a decade on from their breakthrough success in 2005.
Wilson contributed a goal that day and this season he is the key forward in a team that has made it through to today’s decider with a single point win over St Eunan’s, Letterkenny and a 2-9 to 1-10 win over St Pius X, Magherafelt.
The diminutive Toome forward, who also picked up an All-star at Christmas, showed just why he was included in Malachy O’Rourke’s Monaghan senior squad for the Dr McKenna Cup by putting away 2-5 in the semi-final.
Both his goals were classic examples of a player able to assess the opportunity before anyone else did.
Connolly, now director of operations at centre-back, was impressive in that game as well, while Aaron Courtney is a good foil for Wilson and able to create and take scores of his own.
Courtney put away 1-2 in the quarter-final, badly needed scores with Connolly black-carded and missing for most of the second-half.
In fairness the rest of the team rose to the challenge and kept the show on the road – David Hanley picked off a couple of scores and Hugh McGinn and Tiernan Duffy did their best to turn the midfield.
But there is little doubt that the trio of Wilson, Courtney and Connolly will present the biggest problem for a Ballygawley side in their first MacLarnon decider.
Not that St Ciaran’s lack experience of finals; they have already claimed both the Treanor and Rafferty Cups in recent years with this squad, while the recent arrival of Galbally’s Cormac Donnelly has added a dimension at midfield or half-forward.
For Wilson in the ‘Blayney attack, read Darragh Canavan up front for Ballygawley.
Like his father Peter, Darragh is a predator in front of goals, the goal he got in a tight semi-final with Knock a perfect example – and he can take the right option under pressure, his late point in that game the decisive one on a 1-12 to 3-5 score-line.
St Louis, Ballymena did well to crowd him out in the semi-final, but he still scored a tremendous point and the attention they applied to him opened the avenues for Caoimhin O’Donnell (0-6) and Pascal Donaghy (0-3) in a 0-17 to 2-8 win.
Late scores from Ballymena reduced the lead to just a point in the 57th minute, but Ballygawley once again responded with match-winning scores
Captain Conor Quinn from Galbally and his Errigal Ciaran namesake Cahair Quinn are the stalwarts in defence while Daniel Millar is a good worker further out.
However the result of the game will come down to the creation and execution of scores.
Both teams have sharp-shooters to put those scores away, but it would be a little much to expect that they will all get the openings to do so.
A shoot-out would be nice for the neutral spectators to enjoy.
That’s unlikely, but if the Quinns can close out the threat of Wilson, St Ciaran’s might just have the greater variety in the team to claim a first title.
Our Lady’s Castleblayney: K O’Connor, T Geehan, C Blanche, S Markey, C Callan, F Connolly, J Gorman, T Duffy, H McGinn, G Kelly, D Hanley, D Drury, J Wilson, K Duffy, A Courtney.
Subs: D Kelly, D Caraher, C McKenna, M Mooney, C McMahon, H Brennan, S Beattie, J Carragher, D Hughes, K Tibby, R Hanratty, C Merrick, C Brennan, E Markey, L Kiernan, M Hughes, F McGeough.
St Ciaran’s Ballygawley: P Traynor, M Lennon, Conor Quinn capt., J Murray, C Corrigan, Cathair Quinn, C Corrigan, J Oguz, D Millar, P Donaghy, C Donnelly, C Traynor, T Hoy, C O’Donnell, D Canavan.
Subs: C McKenna, A McAnenly, C Kelly, D McCrudden, J McMenamin, J Doyle, M Owens, N McElvogue, P McNelis, P McCaughey, T Colhoun.
