Carrickmore in Seventh Heaven

Danske Bank Paddy O’Hara Cup Final
Dean Maguirc Carrickmore 7-11 Loreto Coleraine 0-11
From Kevin Kelly in Ballinascreen
The old adage that goals win games was certainly true at Ballinascreen yesterday afternoon when an impressive Dean Maguirc Carrickmore claimed the Danske Bank O’Hara Cup at the expense of a gallant Loreto Coleraine side.
There was little between the sides in the first half but crucially the winners got in for an injury time goal to give them a 2-5 to 0-6 advantage despite having played against the wind.
The Derry lads were always up against it after that and when the winners bagged two goals within ten minutes of the restart there was no doubt about the outcome.
Midfielder Sean Conneely opened the scoring for the winners with an excellent point from out on the right wing before two frees from full forward Lorcan McGarrity left it 0-3 to 0-0 with nine minutes gone.
Felix Kilmartin then opened Loreto’s account but superb centre half back Patrick Quinn soon cancelled that score out at the other end of the field. In the 18th minute Dean Maguirc struck for their first goal when Oran Toal brilliantly chipped keeper Piaras McGarry.
Loreto though rolled up their sleeves to enjoy a purple patch. Conn Kilmartin and Michael óg McKeown had points and while Quinn landed an outstanding effort into the wind the Derry lads had played their way into the game.
Wing half back Emmett Morrison joined the attack to split the posts before Conn Kilmartin made it a two-point game. With the first half in injury time James Donaghy demonstrated wonderful composure to round keeper McGarry and plant the ball into the net for a 2-5 to 0-6 lead.
McKeown and Michael McCann traded points on the re-start before Donaghy capitalised on a mistake in the Coleraine defence to get the winners third goal. That knocked the stuffing out of the Derry lads and when McGarry failed to holds a long range free from Conneely the ball broke to McGarrity who made no mistake from close range.
Donaghy and Morrison traded points before Dean keeper Daniel McCrory denied Conn Kilmartin a goal. The winners came straight down the field from that save for Toal to finish low to the bottom left hand corner of the net to leave it 5-7 to 0-9.
McGarrity and Toal tagged on points before the former brilliantly lobbed the ball over the head of keeper McGarry for goal number six. Conn Kilmartin and Conor Cuddy exchanged points before Zak Devine got in on the act with goal number seven for the worthy winners.
Dean Maguirc Carrickmore: D McCrory, C Kelly, C Cuddy (0-1), C McAnespie, C Meenagh, P Quinn (0-2), T Teague, S Conneely (0-1), M McCann (0-1), J Donaghy (2-1), O Toal (2-1), Z Devine (1-0), D Morris, L McGarrity (2-4), M Rafferty.
Subs: R Dobbs for Morris, M McElduff for Rafferty
Loreto Coleraine: P McGarry, N Moloney, S Scullion, C Coyle, E Morrison (0-2), C Mullan, R Close, F Calvert, C McCloskey, C Kilmartin (0-3), P McGonigle (0-2), M Og McKeown (0-3), T Mailey, K Papachristopoulos, F Kilmartin (0-1).
Sub: D McGarry for Mailey
Referee: M McGeehan