Battling Dean Maguirc lose out in Loch an Iuir Final

Dean Maguirc Carrickmore 3-8 St.Ronan’s Lurgan 6-10

DEAN Maguirc Carrickmore’s hopes of winning the Ulster Schools Loch an Iuir title ended in disappointment at the Eoghan Ruadh Hurling field in Dungannon last week as they lost out to a strong St.Ronan’s Lurgan side.

An eleven point defeat doesn’t do justice to the display of Dean Maguirc who were the better side in the first half.

They had recovered from a slow start to move three points in front only to be hit by a goal on the stroke of halftime to leave it all square.

Unfortunately the second half proved to be a different story as the Armagh School struck for a number of goals to take control to limit their opponents to just two points up until the 28th minute of the half before they grabbed two consolation goals.

Michael Mullholland had the game’s opening score inside sixty seconds for St.Ronan’s Lurgan and by the fourth minute they were three points to the good after Rioghan McKinney and Jack Geoghegan had both registered. Dean Maguirc opened their account in the sixth minute via full forward Gearoid McElhatton and that began a productive spell for them.

Micheal McCrystal converted a brace of frees and he also landed an effort from play as did centre half back Conor Molloy and PK Murphy to make it six unanswered points to establish a 0-6 to 0-3 advantage.

Geoghegan stopped the rot for the winners and after wing half back Michael McConville had kicked a good score Alfie Walsh slotted over the equaliser from a free.

With halftime approaching Dean Maguirc grabbed the first goal of the game when Damhan Meenah and Murphy combined for the latter to send in a long delivery which Sean McGlinchey got on the end of to flick the ball to the net.

It looked like a score that was going to send the Dean in at the break with a lead but on the stoke of halftime towering midfielder Caiden Conway first timed the ball to the back of the net to level matters, 1-6 apiece.

The second half was less than a minute old when St.Ronan’s were awarded a penalty for a foot block and Conway confidently dispatched the resulting kick to the bottom right hand corner of the net.

Murphy responded with a point for the Dean but that core was quickly cancelled out at the other end of the field by Geoghegan who he drove his shot over the bar.

At the end of the third quarter St.Ronan’s centre half forward Darragh O’Hagan sent in a high ball that wasn’t dealt with by the Dean Maguirc defence and when it broke Geoghegan was on hand to finish to the net from close range.

A good ball from Murphy picked out McCrystal for a fine score but the momentum was now with St.Ronan’s and they enjoyed a blistering eight minute spell that yielded them 3-3 without reply to put the issue beyond any doubt. Conway, Mulholland and O’Hagan all pointed before substitute Eoin Geoghegan bagged a 54th minute goal.

Sixty seconds later Mulholland scored goal number five and two minutes after that he raised his side’s 6th green flag of the night.

To their credit Dean Maguirc played to the final whistle and in the 58th minute full forward McElhatton poked the ball home. A brilliant run from McCrystal then saw him earn a penalty but Damhan Meenah’s spot kick was saved by Connor O’Hagan.

Meenah did have the final say of the game with an injury time goal but it was St.Ronan’s Lurgan who emerged worthy winners.

Scorers

Dean Maguirc Carrickmore: Michael McCrystal 0-4 (2F), Gearoid McElhatton 1-1, Sean McGlinchey 1-0, Damhan Meenah 1-0, PK Murphy 0-2, Conor Molloy 0-1

St.Ronan’s Lurgan: Michael Mullholland 2-2, Caiden Coneway 2-1 (1-0 pen), Jack Geoghegan 1-3, Eoin Geoghegan 1-0, Rioghan McKinney 0-1, Michael McConville 0-1, Alfie Walsh 0-1, Darragh O’Hagan 0-1

Referee: Paul Faloon, Down