By 
ULSTER SCHOOLS MACRORY CUP PLAYOFF
St Patrick’s Academy Dungannon 2-13 Southwest Donegal 0-14
ST PATRICK’S Academy progressed into the last eight of the MacRory Cup as a brace of second half goals helped them to overcome a battling Southwest Donegal in their last 16 clash in Stewartstown on Wednesday afternoon.
A brilliant two-pointer from midfielder Joey Coll reduced the deficit to 0-8 to 0-6 early in the second half to hand the Donegal team renewed belief after they played second fiddle to Dungannon for much of the first period but a fancied Academy side didn’t panic and goals from Liam McGeary and Darragh Devlin helped put the issue beyond any doubt.
It was always going to be a tough task for Southwest who struggled during the group phase against the Acadeny who in marked contrast had been unbeaten in their campaign up till now.
Despite playing against the wind the winners registered the opening five points all from different players as James Mulgrew, Devlin, Aodhan Quinn, Charlie Maguire and Michael Hughes each found the range.
A Shane Sweeney free opened Southwest’s account and after the same player had added a point from play Stephen McDevitt scored from a placed ball as well.
Eoin Long converted a Dungannon free before a seventh different player for the Tyrone School hit the target, Jonah Feeney the marksman. Gavin Sweeney responded for Southwest but they had lost McDevitt to a black card by that stage and they were fortunate to survive a late scare in the half as Quinn rattled their bar to leave it 0-7 to 0-4 at the break.
Long opened the second half scoring from a free but then came that brilliant effort from the previously black carded Coll McDevitt. He split the posts to leave only the minimum between the two sides. It was anybody’s game at that stage but a couple of wides blunted the Southwest challenge.
Dungannon on the other hand grew in stature as they began to run at the Southwest defence. All Ireland Minor winning midfielder Mulgrew drove through for a point before Long tagged on another point from a free. In the 38th minute the first goal arrived as Dungannon carved open the Donegal defence with a flowing move that finished with Mulgrew exchanging passes with Long before setting up Liam McGeary for a palmed goal.
At the end of the third quarter it was effectively game over when Devlin fired low to the net to leave the difference double scores, 2-10 to 0-8. Long and team Captain Davin McKeown both added points as Dungannon turned the screw.
To their credit Southwest Donegal kept battling away with McDevitt and Gavin Sweeney both raising white flags. With the last kick of the game Shane Sweeney raised an orange flag from a well struck free into the wind but their spirited challenge came up short and it’s the Acadeny who can look forward to quarter-final action in the new year.
Teams & Scorers
St Patrick’s Academy, Dungannon: Ronan Donnelly; Charlie Mulligan, Dara O’Hagan, Paddy Park; Colm Diver, Ross Daly, Davin McKeown (0-1); James Mulgrew (0-2), Michael Hughes (0-1); Darragh Devlin (1-1), Aodhan Quinn (0-1), Jonah Feeney (0-1); Charlie Maguire (0-1), Jack Long (0-5, 4fs), Liam McGeary (1-0).
Southwest Donegal: Cian McConnell; Niall Roarty, Enda Gallagher, Leon Gallagher McDyre; Christopher O’Donnell, Daithi Molloy, Conor Farrell; Cathal MacAoidh, Joey Coll (0-2, 1tp); Lewis Cunnea, Stephen McDevitt (0-3, 1tp), Daniel Breslin; Daniel Byrne, Shane Sweeney (0-6, 1tp, 1tpf, 1f), Gavin Sweeney (0-3, 3fs).
