Academy beaten in MacRory Cup opener by Abbey

St Patrick’s Academy, Dungannon 2-13 Abbey Vocational School 4-14

ABBEY Vocational School Donegal got their first ever MacRory Cup campaign off to the perfect start with a seven point win over St Patrick’s Academy, Dungannon in Trillick.

An unusually open game, it started in quick fashion with Conor McCahill getting away from his marker, catching the ball and firing over on his left foot for the Donegal Town school.

Eoghan Gallagher pointed next after driving forward from the right, while Lorcan McMurray got the Academy off the mark as his effort just about sneaked over with the help of the crossbar.

Abbey hit their first three pointer on six minutes as Patrick McGonagle played a great high ball in towards the goalkeeper and with Darragh Griffin and Tomás Carr both reaching to flick it in, Griffin got the touch that took it beyond St Pat’s ‘keeper Ronan Donnelly.

McMurray replied with a free but a quick break from the kick out saw Turlough Carr point from range.

St Pat’s enjoyed a good spell after this as their captain Luke Neeson pointed from play just before Eoin Long converted a free that was brought forward.

Those points came within a minute of each other and two more followed in the next two minutes, first as McMurray used his pace along the end line to fist over before Odhran Scully won the kick out and played in McMurray who was one-on-one but he blasted over for a point when he really should have found the net.

That levelled the game up, but not for long as Oisin Doherty converted two frees from a central position before they hit two goals in as many minutes.

The next goal came in similar fashion to the earlier one as this time Turlough Carr played in a super ball and the physical Tiarnan McBride, with his back to goal, got a flick on the ball from a couple of yards out to direct it into the net.

From the short kick out, Eoghan Gallagher picked up possession on the right and as he tore towards goal, he got a shot off under pressure that trickled nicely into the far corner.

Straight away at the other end the ball was in the net as St Pat’s tried the long ball tactic and Liam McGeary’s effort was punched in by Eoin Long to reduce the deficit to five.

Both sides then had a few wasteful efforts and St Pat’s were unlucky not to have a second goal when McGeary’s effort almost dipped in but it came off the crossbar, while Michael Hughes’ super pass into corner back Enda Cush was put over for a point from close range.

Just before half-time, Abbey hit the net again when a kick out went out for a side line ball on the right.

Griffin took it quickly and McCahill caught it superbly before firing low towards the near post and in, making it 4-5 to 1-7 at the break.

After the restart, Liam McGeary squeezed over a point from the left, but a pair of Oisin Doherty frees kept the Abbey men motoring.

Substitute Charlie Maguire kicked over for St Pat’s but McCahill responded with a free of his own, while Griffin was fortunate to pick up possession after Gallagher’s shot was blocked into his path and he fired directly over the black spot.

The Tyrone boys had another good spell soon after with a few points in quick succession through a Long free and an effort from range from Davin McKeown.

McMurray used his pace again down the line to get in to fist over, while a quick 1-2 between Tomás Carr and Oisin Brogan gave the former space to get Abbey their first point in ten minutes.

St Pat’s hit the net again after a debatable free was given in the ‘D’ and as McKeown took it quickly, he found the net from range with the Abbey players unhappy with the decision to allow it taken so quickly.

But they responded well through a McCahill free and a point from play by McBride after a super run from Cian Gavigan.

McKeown again powered over a point at the other end but McBride won the resulting kick out, found Doherty who responded superbly.

And just into added time, McCahill kicked a brilliant point off his weaker foot to make it 4-14 to 2-13 at full-time and a deserving win for the Donegal men.

Teams & Scorers

St Patrick’s Dungannon: Ronan Donnelly; Enda Cush (0-1), Darragh McHugh, Declan Cullen; Davin McKeown (1-2, 1-0f), Odhran Scully, Caolan Hughes; Luke Neeson (0-1), James Mulgrew; Diarmaid Quinn, Liam McGeary (0-1), Michael Hughes; Rory McGee, Lorcan McMurray (0-5, 1f), Eoin Long (1-2, 0-2fs). Subs: Eoghan O’Neill for McHugh (30 mins), Charlie Maguire (0-1) for Quinn (half-time), Conor Holmes for M Hughes (49 mins).

Abbey Vocational School: Lewis McCaughan; Eoghan O’Neill, Aidan Quinn, Alan McHugh; Cian Gavigan, Patrick McGonagle, Oisin Brogan; Tiarnan McBride (1-1), Theo Colhoun; Tomás Carr (0-1), Turlough Carr (0-1), Darragh Griffin (1-1); Conor McCahill (1-4, 2fs), Oisin Doherty (0-5, 4fs), Eoghan Gallagher (1-1). Subs: Terence McGovern and Thomas Lenihan for Brogan and Gallagher (53 mins), Kevin Rose for Griffin (57 mins).

Defeats for two other Tyrone schools

Meanwhile Holy Trinity Cookstown lost their first group game against Southwest Donegal 2-6 to 0-4 last week. A first-half goal from Liam Bhreathnach enabled the winners to lead 1-4 to 0-2 at the break and when Shane Callaghan got an early second-half major it was all over bar the shouting.

Holy Trinity struggled in front of the posts and all they had to show for their first half efforts was a point from Conor Mallon. Southwest Donegal were out of the traps the quicker after the break to effectively end the game. Campbell lofted over a point before a log range shot from Callaghan sailed all the way to the net.

Concannon scored from distance for Holy Trinity but they then went a further 20 minutes without registering. Brown pointed for the winners before defender Karol Wawkryniewicz knocked over a late free for Cookstown.

St Joseph’s Donaghmore also lost their MacRory Cup opener to St Mary’s Magherafelt 1-12 to 0-6 in Galbally.

Grant and Darragh Donaghy traded early points before Daire Devlin put St Joseph’s in front with a fine score.

A superb move from corner-back Dara McKenna saw him level matters and after Eamon Young had edged Magherafelt in front, Ultan Quinn replied.

Donaghmore were keeping their opponents at bay, although Ronan Doherty and Grant did get in for points, before Oisin Cullen had the final say of the half for Donaghmore to leave it 0-5 to 0-4.

Grant opened the second-half scoring as well but that was cancelled out by a fine effort from Eoghan O’Neill. Gradually though, James Sargent and Cathair McBride got on top in midfield with the latter splitting the posts before a Dara McGuckin goal proved to be the decisive score for the Derry lads.