St Joseph’s Donaghmore breeze into MacRory Cup last four

St.Joseph’s Donaghmore 5-12 Abbey CBS 1-6

St.Joseph’s Donaghmore produced a superb display of attacking football at Father Campbell Park in Coalisland on Thursday evening to secure an emphatic victory over Abbey CBS to set up a MacRory Cup semi final date with neighbours St.Patricks Academy Dungannon.

In their debut season in the competition they showed no sign of any nerves and after Darragh Donaghy found the net inside sixty seconds they never looked back.

They added another three goals before halftime to more or less end the game as a contest against an Abbey CBS side who struggled throughout to match the winner’s skill and work rate throughout the field. James Rafferty, Joey Clarke and Tegan Burns stood out in the winners defence, Fionn McHugh helped them win the midfield battle while up front Noah Grimes, Joseph Corrigan, Donnacha O’Neill and Darragh Donaghy all caused the Abbey CBS defence problems.

There was only forty five seconds gone on the clock when Clarke fed Donaghy who gave keeper Mikel Farrugia no chance with a clinical finish low to the net.

Conall McGeough responded with a brace for Abbey CBS but that was as good as it got for them. Either side of those two points Farrugia was called into action to deny Eoghan O’Neill a goal as it was clear that St.Joseph’s were up for the game. Grimes burst through to fist a point and Donnacha O’Neill added another one straight from the kick out as the winners began to turn the screw. Donaghy knocked over a “45” and Eoghan O’Neill tagged on a point to leave it 1-4 to 0-2 at the end of the opening quarter.

Abbey CBS full forward Aaron Maginess responded with a point but that proved to be their last score of the half. Corrigan converted a free and in the 20^th minute St.Joseph’s carved open their opponents defence for Mattie McNally to blast to the net. Two minutes later another green flag was raised when Grimes set up Clarke for a superb finish to the top left hand corner of the net. Grimes converted a free before he cut in from the right and centred the ball for Donnacha O’Neill to fist home at the back post. Abbey CBS were all over the place and the hard working Leo Hughes concluded the first half scoring to leave it 4-7 to 0-3 at the break.

St.Joseph’s were in complete control and the big question was could they keep it up and it took only three minutes for the answer as wing half back Jamie McCarthy combined with Donaghy to fire in goal number five. Eoghan O’Neill added a point before Abbey CBS got a consolation goal in the 38^th minute via midfielder Finn Donnelly.

Corrigan landed a superb point from play as well as knocking over a free with Abbey responding through Maginess, Donall Baxenden and substitute Sean Hamill. The night though belonged to St.Josephs Donaghmore with wing half back Jude McNally concluding the scoring to become their tenth marksman on the night.

The Scorers

St.Josephs Donaghmore

Joseph Corrigan 0-4 (3F), Darragh Donaghy 1-1 (45), Donnacha O’Neill 1-1, Mattie McNally 1-0, Joey Clarke 1-0, Jamie McCarthy 1-0, Noah Grimes 0-2 (1F), Eoghan O’Neill 0-2, Leo Hughes 0-1, Jude McNally 0-1

Abbey CBS

Finn Donnelly 1-0, Conall McGeough 0-2, Aaron Magennis 0-2 (1F), Donall Baxenden 0-1, Sean Hamill 0-1

The Teams

St.Josephs Donaghmore

Sean Kennedy, Caolann Quinn, James Rafferty, Tegan Burns, Jude McNally, Joey Clarke, Jamie McCarthy, Donnacha O’Neill, Fionn McHugh, Leo Hughes, Noah Grimes, Eoghan O’Neill, Darragh Donaghy, Mattie McNally, Joseph Corrigan. Subs: Marty Coyle for Eoghan O’Neill, Michael Donnelly for Grimes, Dara Quinn for Donnacha O’Neill, Leo Quinn for McCarthy

Abbey CBS

Mikel Farrugia, Rory Powell, Daniel McMahon, Jamie Wallace, Senan McEvoy, Corey Loughran, Donall Baxenden, Finn Donnelly, James O’Hanlon, Ryan Larkin, Donagh Murdock, Eoin O’Hare, Harry Lynch, Aaron Maginess, Conall McGeough. Subs: Darragh Saul for Murdock, Sean Hamill for Powell

Referee: Martin McNally, Monaghan