Armagh Beat Colmans in MacRory Round 1
October 24, 2024
St Colman’s lose out to St Patrick’s Armagh in MacRory Cup Round One
Danske Bank MacRory Cup Group A Round 1: St Patrick’s Grammar School Armagh 2-7 St Colman’s College Newry 0-6
Two late goals proved decisive as St Colman’s College Newry were defeated by St Patrick’s Grammar School Armagh in the MacRory Cup opener.
Played in front of a good crowd at Pearse Ogs, St Pat’s were quickest off the mark with Cathaoir Hughes opening the game’s scoring.
Their lead was pushed out further when Michael McSorley’s shot dropped short, but was plucked from the sky and converted by James Daly, before a good curled score from Daniel Cullen put three between the sides.
St Colman’s – who are managed by Clan na Gael boss Ronan McMahon – got up and running when Crossmaglen man Aaron Haughey bombed over a free from 50 metres out.
The Armagh side stayed on top however, with Cullen grabbing his second of the game to restore their three-point advantage at 0-4 to 0-1.
St Colman’s responded in kind with a 0-4 to 0-1 run of their own, with Culloville’s Aaron Garvey nailing a super score from near the 45-metre line, before Tomas Olarte Wade finished off a good move by receiving Harry Fearon’s dinked pass on the left wing and slotting over on his right.
Haughey levelled the game with another thundering score from long range, before wing back Eoin Braniff gave the Newry side the lead for the first time in the game.
The lead was short lived however, as St Pat’s grabbed an equaliser via Darragh Jordan to see the teams go in all square at the break.
After an entertaining first half, strangely it took 20 minutes for the first score to occur of the second period.
Both sides had a goal chance in that time, with St Colman’s man Caolan McGinley seeing his effort blocked by a St Pat’s defender, before St Pat’s full forward Daly tried a soccer-style shot at the other end, but his effort flashed wide of the far post.
However, with 10 minutes to go St Pat’s found their spark when Turlough Muldoon’s long ball found McSorley in behind the Newry defence, and he finished coolly into the bottom corner to give his side a three-point advatange.
St Colman’s answered back via Cory Clerkin, but they ran out of steam down the stretch, as St Pat’s tagged on further points from Muldoon and corner back Ryan Dynes.
With St Colman’s pushing everybody forward late in stoppage time in the hopes of a comeback, they were caught on the counter attack. St Pat’s worked the ball forward to Ryan McGahan, he carried it half the length of the field, rounded the goalkeeper and slotted the ball into the empty net to seal the win.
MATCH STATS
St Patrick’s scorers: Michael McSorley (1-0), Ryan McGahan (1-0), Daniel Cullen (0-2), Cathaoir Hughes (0-1), James Daly (0-1), Darragh Jordan (0-1), Turlough Muldoon (0-1), Ryan Dynes (0-1).
St Colman’s scorers: Aaron Haughey (0-2, 1f), Aaron Garvey (0-1), Tomas Olarte Wade (0-1), Eoin Braniff (0-1), Cory Clerkin (0-1).
By Kieran Lynch published in The Newry Reporter 22nd October 2024
