Goals take Armagh through in MacRory

Danske Bank MacRory Cup Round 2 play-off
St Patrick’s Armagh 2-12 Abbey CBS 2-8

DESPITE going a goal down inside 20 seconds and then conceding the next three scores yesterday in Páirc Esler, St Patrick’s Armagh came back to clinch a quarter-final spot next Wednesday with Omagh CBS
Abbey started well. A good move from the throw in finished with Drew McVerry hitting the Armagh net and Dara O’Callaghan quickly added three points, two from frees all inside the first six minutes of this Danske Bank MacRory Cup Round Two Eliminator.

It was a whirlwind start, but the boys from Cathedral Hill gradually worked their way back into the game with a series of points and were just one adrift at the break, 1-4 to 0-6.

Mark McKeever fired over three points, Michael McGleenan two and Oisin Conaty drew the teams level before Niall Toner got Abbey back on track with a point a few minutes to half-time.

Significantly John McGovern picked up an injury just before that last point and when he went off it allowed the Armagh defence to re-organise and they took control as the second half developed, despite the efforts of Sean Campbell, Rory Kearney and Dara O’Callaghan.

Eoin Reel, who came on as a sub for McGovern, opened the second half scoring, but McKeever pointed before there was a break for Abbey with a quick move opening up the space and David Mallie palmed home from close range.

However, Armagh hit back with two points before they were awarded a penalty which Oisin Conaty stroked home and a couple of minutes later sub Mattie Lennon fired in a second Armagh goal to make it 2-9 to 2-5 entering the last quarter.

Abbey managed to pull the gap back to two points with scores from McVerry, Sean Conlan and Eoin Loughran, but St Patrick’s finished strongly with McGleenan scores to book a place in the quarter-final in the Athletic Grounds next Wednesday evening.

St Patrick’s : C McKee, O Guy, L Camara, K McCann, S Quigley, C Toner, A Harney, S Donaghy, J Hughes, O Conaty (1-1), R Bradley (0-1), J Walsh (0-1), M McKeever (0-4), M McGleenan (0-5), K Robinson.
Subs: L McKenna for A Harney, M Lennon (1-0) for K Robinson, G Duffy for J Walsh, C Agnew for O Guy.

Abbey CBS : A Furlong, R Kearney, P Mccarthy, J Ruddy, D Mallie (1-0), R Magill, E McKernan, S Campbell, O Murdock, D O’Callaghan (0-3), J McGovern, S Conlan (0-1), L McManus, D McVerry (1-1), N Toner (0-1).
Subs : E Reel (0-1) for J McGovern, S Rock for L McManus, E Loughran (0-1) for S Campbell.
Referee : M McNally (Monaghan)