Armagh goals claim opening MacRory Points

Danske Bank MacRory Cup
St Patrick’s Armagh 3-11 St Paul’s Bessbrook 1-3
Three goals between the 38th and 43rd minutes decided the destination of the points in the first game of the 2018 Danske Bank MacRory Cup played in Pearse Óg ground Armagh yesterday.
A couple of minutes before the first of those goals, Dylan O’Hare scored a goal for St Paul’s Bessbrook to reel in a half-time lead of 0-8 to 0-3, but Player of the Match Michael Conroy found the net for the first of Armagh’s three goals.
Eglish’s Dillon Horsfield grabbed the second a minute later and then there was a four minute gap before a high ball that looked to be going wide was fisted to the net by James Birt.
Bessbrook failed to score after that triple body blow, and Armagh were only able to add two points from Conroy, bringing his personal tally to 1-8.
Conroy scored the first four points for St Patrick’s, but St Paul’s were keeping in touch with three of their own, the pick of them a great effort from Eoghan Woods.
However Armagh got away from Bessbrook in the three minutes before the break when Conor Lavery, Conroy and Tom Weir all found the range.
Oisin Hughes and Michael McGleenan were a dominant pair at midfield for Armagh with good work in defence from Oliver Garry and Conor Toner while Conroy was the key man up front.
Apart from the late points before half-time and the three quick goals, Bessbrook competed well and Padraig Wilson, Jack Cunningham and Lee Rice had good outings.
St Patrick’s : Michael Conroy (1-8, 0-3 frees), Dillon Horsfield (1-1), James Birt (1-0), Conor Lavery (0-1), Tom Weir (0-1).
St Paul’s : Dylan O’Hare (1-0), Odhran Kieran (0-1 free), Eoghan Woods (0-1), Ryan Connolly (0-1).