Maghera make final after a low-scoring game
January 26, 2025
St Patrick’s, Maghera, will play fellow north-westerns Abbey Vocational School in the MacRory Cup final after winning against St Pat’s, Armagh in Derrylaughan
MacRory Cup Semi-Final
St Patrick’s, Maghera 0-5 St Patrick’s, Armagh 1-0
IN THE battle of the St Patrick’s, it was Maghera who came out on top in dreadful conditions at Derrylaughan this afternoon.
The Derry lads dug deep to edge this war of attrition as they kept the Armagh boys scoreless in the second half.
With the wind at their backs, they led at the break by the narrowest of margins when Turlough Muldoon fired home the Armagh goal on the stroke of halftime.
That looked to be a crucial score, knowing they were coming back out with the elements at their backs in the second half, but Maghera turned in a stunning display to run out deserved winners.
Maghera opened the scoring six minutes in with a superbly struck free by Cormac Og McCloskey. However, they were struggling to break down a solid and well-organised Armagh defence and only led by three by the 19th minute, with Odhran Doherty and the hard-working Gabhan McIvor adding the points.
On the back foot, Armagh had a glorious goal chance on 22 minutes when cornerback Tiernan Moore was found unmarked in front of goal but his effort was superbly blocked as defenders threw their bodies in front of him and Jack McCloy gathered the loose ball.
McCloskey struck over a beauty from play to move the Derry college four clear. Then in the final minute of the half, Michael McSorley fielded Conall McCann’s kickout and his long delivery into space set up a race between Turlough Muldoon and Rian Collins, with Muldoon shrugging off the Maghera man before firing low to the net.
Re-emerging for the second half, it looked like Armagh carried all the aces, but Maghera stood firm and dug deep and indeed dominated possession-wise.
They had the ball in the net inside the opening exchanges only for it to be ruled out for a square ball.
McCloskey did land a free to move his side two clear, but this was to be their only score of the half with still 20 minutes remaining.
Padraig Haran, Darach McGonigle, Turlough McHugh and McIvor were all outstanding in the second half for the winners.
Armagh could find no way through a superbly organised Maghera side who were very comfortable in holding possession and passing it around in the difficult conditions.
St Patrick’s Maghera: C Og McCloskey 0-3 (2f), O Doherty and G McIvor 0-1 each
St Patrick’s Armagh: T Muldoon 1-0
By Louise Gunn published in The Irish News January 26, 2025
