Maghera survive in Foresters’ thriller

Danske Bank Foresters’ Cup quarter-final
St Patrick’s Maghera 4-8 St Louis Ballymena 4-7
A very late point from Eoghan MacOscair took St Patrick’s Maghera through to the Danske Bank Foresters’ Cup semi-final after a terrific quarter-final in Glen yesterday.
St Louis went into an early lead with a Colla McDonnell goal and could have been well in control had they taken a couple of easier goal chances in the opening 10 minutes.
Maghera got up and running with a goal from Cahair Higgins goal and two points each from Fintan McGrath and Paddy Quinn put them 1-5 to 1-1 ahead before the teams swopped green flags.
Then just before half-time Colla McDonnell fired home his second goal and the teams went in level at 3-2 to 2-5.
Maghera had the better of the third quarter with Quinn and Higgins stretching their lead before goals from Quinn and PJ McAleese seemed to leave tehm in a comfortable seven points lead.
However St Louis fought back with some excellent points and with time almost up grabbed their fourth goal through Player of the Match Paudie McGilligan.
However Maghera were not to be denied and MacOscair’s injury-time effort puts them into a semi-final against holders Cross and Passion Ballycastle tomorrow (FRIDAY).
Before that however St Killian’s Garron Tower will take on St Mary’s Belfast in the first semi-final today (THURSDAY), 12pm in Allen Park, Antrim. Garron Tower comfortably disposed of Divis Schools last week, but will be up against a different obstacle here.
St Killian’s depend a lot on their Leonard Cup team that recently lost that final by a point to Ballycastle. It is supplemented by the likes of Ruairí Óg trio of John McAllister, Ronan McAteer and Daniel Kearney.
St Mary’s have been energised by that win over Maghera and they will come into the game as favourites. They will look to Liam McCluskey and Caolan McKernan in defence and Dannan McKeogh and Ronan Crossan up front, while Daniel Churchill and Daniel Murray form a strong midfield.
St Patrick’s : Paddy Quinn 1-3, Fintan McGrath 1-3, Cahair Higgins 1-1, PJ McAleese 1-0, Eoghan MacOscair 0-1
St Louis : Colla McDonnell 2-2, Shane O’Boyle 1-2, Paudie McGilligan 1-2, DJ Crawley 1-0, Darragh Donaghy 0-1