Holy Trinity are back in the MacLarnon semis
February 09, 2018Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup quarter-final
Holy Trinity Cookstown 1-13 St Patrick’s Downpatrick 0-11
Last year’s beaten finalists Holy Trinity Cookstown are through to the Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup semi-finals following a five points’ win over St Patrick’s Downpatrick in a very entertaining match at Moortown yesterday evening.
The opening score was the key one in the match – a goal set up by Tiarnan Quinn for Kyran Robinson to send to the net in the fourth minute. It immediately settled Cookstown and they were never headed for the rest of the match, although Downpatrick closed in to a single point margin on a couple of occasions.
Quinn and Mark Devlin were very accurate from placed balls, while Robinson and Mark McKearney also put in big shifts.
After that opening goal, Mark Devlin added three points and Tiarnan Quinn another for the east Tyrone side to open up a 1-4 to 0-2 lead by the 10th minute.
However St Patrick’s managed to get themselves well back in contention with both wing backs, Ronan Murphy and Pearse Davidson, prominent in general play and Davidson tagging on four points from frees that left the Red High with a single point deficit at the break, 1-6 to 0-8.
The teams swopped points on two occasions during the third quarter, before Mark Devlin and Tiarnan Quinn from frees and Conor Donnelly from play edged Holy Trinity further ahead and into the semi-finals along with St Eunan’s Letterkenny and OL&SP Knock.
The other outstanding quarter-final, Our Lady’s Castleblaney v Scoileanna Inis Eoghain, fell victim to the weather yesterday. The semi-final draw will take place after the last Danske Bank MacRory quarter-final on Monday evening in the Athletic Grounds.
Holy Trinity : Conor Loane, Tiernan McNamee, Tarlach Quinn, Sean McKenna, Oran Mulgrew 0-1, Conor Donnelly 0-1, Mark McKearney, Eoin Gallagher, Pauric Lagan, Kyran Robinson 1-0, Eunan Devlin, Shane Murphy, Tiernan Quinn 0-4 frees, Tiarnan Mackle, Mark Devlin 0-7, 0-4 frees.
Subs : Patrick Quinn for S McKenna (10), Conor Quinn for K Robinson (40), Aaron Moore for T Mackle (46), Thomas Mackle for P Lagan (55), Daire Coyle for Tiarnan Quinn (60).
St Patrick’s : Tommy Connery, Jack Harbinson, Conor McCann, Caolan Bentham, Ronan Murphy, Callum Shields, Pearse Davidson 0-5 frees, Jamie Morgan, Daniel Napier, Tim Prenter, Rory Reilly 0-2, Rory Anderson 0-1 0-1, Fintan Canavan 0-2, 0-1 free, Ruairi O’Hare, Peter McMullan
Subs : Tom Smyth for R Reilly (45), Michael Lawson for C McCann (45), Niall Laverty for P McMullan (52), Brandon Boyd for D Napier (53)
Referee : Kevin Fallon (Armagh)