Loreto complete MacLarnon line-up

Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup Eliminator
Loreto Coleraine 3-12 St Malachy’s Castlewellan 2-6 From Michael McMullan in MUSA A LATE goal from Lorcán McMullan sealed victory for Loreto Coleraine in a keenly contested Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup Round 1 Eliminator at MUSA yesterday.
Loreto had been the dominant team in the opening half and led by double-scores at the break, 2-6 to 1-3.
Although St Malachy’s opened the scoring with a Caolán Burns free, Loreto took control when Passmore’s long delivery found Dara Mooney who linked with Kosta Papachristopolous for Odhran McLarnon to slip a low shot to the net.
Points from McKeown, Mooney and McMullan then opened a gap of six points before Peter O’Hare netted for Castlewellan in the 12th minute.
But Lorcan McMullan responded five minutes later, finishing a length of the field move with a goal and a lead of 2-5 to 1-1 and the surprise was that Coleraine were not able convert possession into more scores although Ben Dillon had a penalty saved Mícheál McVeigh.
At the start of the second half, St Malachy’s sprang into life and fine points for Jamie McKee and Ciarán Lundy were followed by a close-range goal from Eoin McEvoy.
However Dara Mooney and Lorcan McMullan responded for Loreto and the Down team’s momentum was broken, to be followed by a sin-bin offence for Lundy in the 48th minute. Mooney pointed the resultant free and McMullan’s goal ended the contest a few minutes later.
LORETO: Leo Passmore; Cathair McCloskey, Charlie Dempsey, Eoghan Gormley; Connor Mullan, Eoin McKeever, Ronan Close; Cillian Calvert, Kosta Papachristopolpous; Emmett Morrison, Odhran McLarnon (1-2), Michael Óg McKeown (0-1); Dara Mooney (0-6, 5f), Lorcan McMullen (2-1), Ben Dillon (0-1).
SUBS: Conn Kilmartin (0-1) for C Calvert (38), Sean Scullion for B Dillon (62), Cathal Bradley for R Close (62).
CASTLEWELLAN: Miceal McVeigh; Cailum Madine, Oran McCrickard, Patrick Kelly-McEvoy; Ryan Tumilty, Gareth Fitzpatrick, Peter O’Hare (1-0); Joseph O’Boyle, Oisin Doran; Ciaran Lundy (0-1), Jamie McKee (0-3, 1f), Conor Mathews; Caolán Burns (0-2, 1f), Eoin McEvoy (1-0), Ryan Morgan.
SUBS: Reece Doyle for R Tumilty (38), Morgan Croskery for C Mathews (46), Tiarnan Devlin (55), Jerome Travers for P Kelly-McEvoy (65)
REF: Martin Conroy (Moy).

This completes the line-ups for the Round 2 qualifiers in a fortnight’s time with Loreto Coleraine now paired with Aquinas Grammar, while St Columb’s Derry take on St Joseph’s Donaghmore, St Paul’s Bessbrook will play Abbey Vocational from Donegal with the holders St Patrick’s Downpatrick taking on another Donegal outfit Carndonagh Community School.
The four teams that topped their groups to play in this week’s Danske Bank Irish News Cup semi-finals – Loreto Milford, Our Lady’s & St Patrick’s Knock, Our Lady’s Castleblayney and St Pius X Magherafelt – re-join the MacLarnon Cup at the quarter-final stage, each paired against a winner from the Round 2 Eliminators in the second week of February.
The pairings will be determined by a draw that will take place after the last of the Eliminators.

Round 2 Eliminator on Fri 31st Jan / Sat 1st Feb/ Sun 2nd Feb
St Paul’s Bessbrook v Abbey Vocational Donegal
Carndonagh CS v St Patrick’s Downpatrick
Aquinas Grammar v Loreto Coleraine
St Columb’s Derry v St Joseph’s Donaghmore