St Columb’s complete MacLarnon quarters

Danske Bank McLarnon Cup Qualifier Round Two

St Columb’s College 2-9 St Joesph’s Donaghmore 1-8

This one was certainly a game of two halves as St Columb’s College Derry eventually booked their place in the quarter-final of the Danske Bank McLarnon Cup.

The Derry school led by ten at the break with their Tyrone opponents only registering a solitary score in the opening stanza.

In the second half, the argument could have been made that St Columb’s already had one eye on that last eight with South Derry counterparts, St Pius X Magherafelt.

It was in this period that Donaghmore outscored the Oakleafers ten points to four with the ‘College’ failing to register a score for 18 minutes.

Shea Browne, part of last year’s Tyrone minor team opened the scoring for the Derry men two minutes in with a fine long range effort.

Caolan Hargan and Cahir McMonagle added scores before Tim Grimes opened the St Joesph’s account on 11 minutes, their only score of the half.

Jack Boyce, Hargan and Browne continued to add scores before a killer blow was struck.

Liam Connolly won the ball out in front of his man slipping the pass inside to Caolan Hargan,. His effort was blocked falling in the path of Michael Lynch who fired into the back of the net.

The Derry team was very much in the ascendancy, 1-8 to 0-1 at half time.

Donaghmore looked a different side in the second half with Cormac Heron and James Feron adding scores.

Conor Cush and Hugh Cunningham added further scores to reduce the gap to five before Tiarnan O’Connor’s pointed effort dropped short only to be spilled by Cormac McCartan in the St Joesph’s goal.

Claudy man Liam Connolly made no mistake, showing a real poacher’s instinct to fire into the empty net, their first score in 18 minutes of play.

The drama didn’t end there as Daniel Muldoon converted a late penalty after James Feron was fouled but it was all too little too late.

St Columb’s: A Harrigan, R McCloskey, N Ó Mianáin, P Nelis, M McGilligan, M Lynch (1-0), K O’Kane, S McElhinney, J Moore, T O’Connor, C McMonagle (0-4 ,1f), J Boyce (0-1), C Hargan (0-2), S Browne (0-2), L Connolly (1-0).

St Joseph’s: C McCartan, O Devlin, S Sweeney, M McCallan, C McKenna, D Skeffington, M Donaghy, J Feron (0-1), Conor Cush (0-1 1f), Tom Grimes (0-1), J Muldoon, C Lagan, C Hughes (0-4 2f), H Cunningham (0-1), D Muldoon (1-0 1pen).