Maghera and St Killian’s in repeat of 2015 MacNamee final

Danske Bank MacNamee Cup semi-finals

St Killian’s Garron Tower 3-12 Our Lady’s & St Patrick’s Knock 4-6

St Patrick’s Maghera 9-13 St Mary’s CBGS Belfast 4-3

There will be a repeat of last season’s Danske Bank MacNamee Cup final with St Patrick’s Maghera and holders St Killian’s winning contrasting semi-finals in Ballymena yesterday.

The Tower boys were pressed to the pin of their collar by Our Lady’s & St Patrick’s Knock in the first game and found themselves behind by 2-4 to 0-6 at the break with James Clarke, Peter McAreavey, Niall O’Connor and Eoin Pucci all causing problems.

Pucci and full-forward Jarlath McCollum scored the goals and Knock seemed to be in control at the break.

However that was to change inside 60 seconds of the re-start. Colm McKeegan, who had moved from central defence into full-forward grabbed a ball hit in from the throw-in and fired low to the net.

From the puck-out substitute John V Morgan also scored a goal to put St Killian’s into the lead.

McKeegan scored their third goal from a penalty but Knock kept pressing and another goal from Pucci and one from substitute Shea Doran narrowed the gap to a single point with five minutes remaining.

However St Killian’s substitute Conor McAuley won two frees and Colm McKeegan popped them over to see their team back in the decider.

Meanwhile St Patrick’s Maghera played with wind assistance in the first half and pinned St Mary’s Belfast back in their own half.

In a rare attack, Pearse Short scored a goal for the Belfast school, but Maghera ran up 8 goals and 8 points before the break with midfielder Jody McDermott, Peter McCullough and Callum Downey taking some impressive scores.

St Mary’s gave a much better account of themselves during the second half with Conor Boyle and Niall Fallon working hard.

Paul Donnelly scored two goals and Boyle added a third, but Maghera hit back with a goal from McDermott and will now be hot favourites to win back the title from St Killian’s.

St Patrick’s : J McDermott 3-6, P McCullough 2-3, C Downey 1-4, C Murray 1-1, N Dougan 1-0, C O’Kane 1-0, C McCloskey 0-1.

St Mary’s P Donnelly 2-2, C Boyle 1-1, P Short 1-0.

St Killian’s : C McKeegan 2-3, JV Morgan 1-0, P McKillop 0-3, S McIntosh 0-2, N McGarrell 0-2, S McKenna 0-1, B O’Connor 0-1.

Knock : E Pucci 2-2, J McCollum 1-0, S Doran 1-0, N O’Connor 0-2, J Clarke 0-1, R Corcoran 0-1.