Maghera edge through in MacNamee thriller

Danske Bank MacNamee Cup

St Patrick’s Maghera 3-4 Divis Schools 3-3

It took a late free from Conal O’Kane to see Maghera over the line in a very competitive Danske Bank MacNamee Cup quarter-final yesterday.

Although Lorcan Phillips scored an early point for Divis, Eamon Cassidy hit back with a Maghera goal after 8 minutes.

However Divis, playing with a strong breeze pushed on and goals from Phillips and Conal McGuigan put them into a 2-3 to 1-1 lead approaching half-time.

Cassidy then scored two quick goals to put Maghera ahead 3-1 to 2-3 at the break.

In the second half, Matthew Currie’s goal edged Divis ahead by a point, only for O’Kane to rescue Maghera with two fine pressure frees in the last 10 minutes.

Maghera will now play St Killian’s Garron Tower in next week’s semi-final. The last quarter-final between Cross and Passion Ballycastle and St Mary’s CBGS fell victim to the weather with St Louis Ballymena needing to wait until the start of the week to find out their semi-final opponents.

St Patrick’s : Eamon Cassidy 3-0, Conal O’Kane 0-4 frees.

Divis : Lorcan Phillips 1-1, Conal mcGuigan 1-1, Matthew Currie 1-0, Thomas Duff 0-1.