CPC into Mageean final

Danske Bank Mageean Cup semi-final
Cross and Passion Ballycastle 3-17 St Killian’s Garron Tower 3-12
ALTHOUGH Cross and Passion Ballycastle never looked in danger of not making it into next Friday’s Danske Bank Mageean Cup final, they were pushed all the way by neighbours St Killian’s in the first semi-final in Glenarrife yesterday afternoon.
Fiontán McQuillan opened the scoring for St Killian’s, but Odhrán McGrath got the first goal at the other end and Christy McGarry and free-taker Michael O’Boyle added points to put CPC into control of the game.
However with Aidan Scullion and Donal Kearney in defiant mood at the back and midfielders Callum Kilgore and Cathal Hynds putting in a good shift, the Tower stuck to their task and they trailed by a goal, 1-8 to 0-8, at the break with two points each from Ronan McAteer and Fiontan McQuillan.
McQuillan again opened the second half scoring, but Rian McMullan’s influence was growing in the Ballycastle forward line and he replied with two points, Michael O’Boyle added a free and the Odhrán McGrath fired low to the net for a lead of eight points.
At the other end Oliver Kearney was beginning to cause problems and he pulled a goal back. Although McMullan responded with two points, Kearney placed Ciaran Magill for a second Tower goal in the 41st minute.
However Rian McMullan hit back with a goal for Ballycastle, flicking the sliotar over the goalie and tapping into an empty net in the 47th minute. Six minutes later Kearney batted home from close range after Magill’s shot was saved and the gap was back down to four points.
However that was still enough to see CPC home although Fiontan McQuillan brought a good save from Tiernan Smyth before Rian McMullan brought the scoring to a close with his seventh point from play.
The second semi-final between St Mary’s CBGS and St Louis Ballymena is this (THURSDAY) afternoon at Dunsilly with a 2.30pm throw-in.
Cross and Passion : T Smyth, R McClean, E óg McGarry, R Laerty, C McGlynn, J McAlister, C McKinley, S McAuley, S Brogan, J McToal, F McKiernan, M O’Boyle (0-6, 0-5 frees), R McMullan (1-7), O McGrath (2-1), C McGarry (0-3).
Subs : C O’Connor for F McKiernan, S McDonnell for J McToal, D Devlin for C McKinley, C Mullan for C O’Connor.
St Killian’s : Daniel Kearney, O Gillan, M Emerson, S McKenna, A Scullion, Donal Kearney, D Mort, C Kilgore, C Hynds (0-1), R McAteer (0-3), A Ritson, F McQuillan (0-4, 0-3 frees), C Magill (1-2), O Kearney (2-2), P McKillop.
Sub: S O’Boyle for S McKenna.
Referee : O Elliot (Ballymena)