Carrickmore and Kilkeel through in Markey

Danske Bank Markey Cup quarter-final
Dean Maguirc Carrickmore 3-9 Rathmore Grammar 2-7
(replay) St Louis Kilkeel 4-9 Rosses CS 2-6
DEAN Maguirc College Carrickmore recovered from a poor start in Lurgan against Rathmore Grammar to secure a Danske Bank Markey Cup semi-final tie with Virginia College from Cavan.
After just 12 minutes of play the Tyrone side found themselves eight points in arrears, yet spectacularly hauled themselves back into pole position with a one point lead at the break.
Fergal Henry slotted over two early points for Rathmore before sending Marcus Lynch through for the opening goal in the fifth minute. A couple of minutes later Henry hit the net as well and the west Belfast school were off to a flyer.
However Carickmore hauled themselves off the floor, helped by a penalty that Stephen Grogan converted. Three points from Grogan and two from Sean Conneely were followed by a second goal in the 29th minute and the Tyrone side were ahead 2-5 to 2-4 at the short whistle.
However there was a set-back just a minute into the second half when they were reduced to 14 with Micheal McCann picking up a second yellow card.
Henry converted the free awarded and Lynch edged Rathmore ahead. But Carrickmore midfielder Oisin McCann slipped a neat pass to Mickey McCallan for his second goal and Dean Maguirc pressed on to comfortably secure their semi-final spot.
Meanwhile the other Tyrone side left in the competition, St Ciaran’s Ballygawley, found out their semi-final opponents when St Louis Kilkeel pulled away from Rosses Community School to win their replay by 4-9 to 2-6.
Daragh McKay had converted a last minute penalty to earn the replay and he gave an assured performance to control the game for Kilkeel who led by 1-5 to 1-1 at the break, the goal coming from Tom O’Neill.
Dylan Boyle had scored the goal for the Donegal school after 11 minutes and they closed the gap to 1-5 to 1-4 after nine minutes of the second half. However Kilkeel goals from O’Neill, Caolan Merrion and McKay soon opened a nine points’ gap and Dara Gallagher’s late strike made little difference.
Dean Maguirc: Michael McCallan (2-1), Stephen Grogan (1-5), Sean Conneely (0-2), Tiernan McGarrity (0-1).
Rathmore : Fergal Henry (1-4), Marcus Lynch (1-2), Liam Mitchell (0-1)
St Louis : Tom O’Neill (2-2), Darragh McKay (1-2), Caolan Merrion (1-0), Ryan Mackey (0-2, frees), Niall Sloan (0-1), Mathew Cunningham (0-1, free), Thomas Burns (0-1)
Rosses : Dylan Boyle (1-0), Dara Galalgher (0-1), Eoin Martin (0-4, 3 frees), Damian Duddy (0-1), Adam McCaffrey (0-1).

Danske Bank Markey Cup semi-finals (Week beginning Monday, 27th January 2020)
Dean Maguirc Carrickmore v Virginia College
St Louis Kilkeel v St Ciaran’s Ballygawley