Surprises as Rannafast reaches semis

Danske Bank Rannafast Cup quarter-finals
St Mary’s Magherafelt 5-12 Abbey CBS 5-10
St Colman’s Newry 3-9 St Patrick’s Cavan 2-10
St Michael’s Enniskillen 1-11 St Patrick’s Academy Dungannon 0-9
St Patrick’s Maghera 1-13 Omagh CBS 1-5

OMAGH CBS and St Patrick’s Cavan contested the Danske Bank Brock Cup last season, but both schools were surprisingly dismissed from the Danske Bank Rannafast Cup in a day of shock results.
Both Omagh and Cavan were well set up to progress during their ties with Maghera and St Colman’s, but the games each turned on a cleverly worked goal.
In the Maghera v Omagh game, the Tyrone side faced the breeze in the opening half and fell behind to three early points from Niall Duggan, Peter McCullagh and Cathal Chambers.
However a goal from Gavin Potter after 20 minutes left them in a good position and they were just a point in arrears, 0-8 to 1-4, when they turned to have the wind on their backs.
But they failed to kick on and at 0-9 to 1-4, Chambers played a quick 1-2 from a close in free and buried a goal that Omagh never recovered from and the Derry side dominated the last quarter to win 1-13 to 1-5 and set up a semi-final next week with St Colman’s.
The Newry side had an even more dramatic game with Cavan, scoring their third goal in added time to cross the line at 3-9 to 2-10.
Although Callum O’Neill hit the opening goal for St Colman’s, Conor Casey and Daragh Lovett each grabbed goals and Cavan led by 2-3 to 1-3 at half-time.
Two things helped St Colman’s on the re-start, they managed to shackle Lovett and the introduction of Michael Murdock who delivered four points.
A goal from Donal Scullion closed the gap to a single point, but James McBreen made that two as the game trundled into six minutes of added time – just enough time left for a lovely Newry move that ended with Cormac O’Reilly finding James Duggan at the far post and the Burren youngster palmed home.
St Michael’s Enniskillen also needed a late goal to turn St Patrick’s Academy over by 1-11 to 0-9. There was just a point in it and the game entering added time when Diarmuid King’s effort at a point dropped short and was fumbled into the Academy net be a defender.
There was a turnover from the kick out and Justin McDaid added the final point.
Two points each from King and Conor McGovern saw Enniskillen edge a close first half 0-7 to 0-5. The Academy stayed in touch and closed the game to a point midway through the second half with points from Ronan Cassidy.
The Academy then had claims for a goal turned down just before Enniskillen’s late smash and grab.
St Mary’s Magherafelt probably won their quarter-final with first half goals and led by 3-3 to 0-6, having faced into the stiff breeze. Niall O’Donnell and Conal Heron claimed the earlier strikes and Terry Devlin converted a penalty just before half time.
Abbey CBS played very well during the second half starting with a goal from Zach Murdock. But Devlin bagged his second goal, before goals from Adam Garvey and Gerard Mallie left it level at 4-5 to 3-8
However St Mary’s hit back with three points and Mallie goaled again to keep it level only for Ryan McEldowney to score a goal and Terry Devlin a point. That left Abbey with too much to do and they fell short despite a late penalty that Jamie Doran converted.
St Patrick’s Maghera : Cathal Chambers (1-2), Niall Duggan (0-4), Peter McCullagh (0-4), Jody McDermott (0-2), Luke Diamond (0-1).
Omagh CBS : Gavin Potter (1-0), Conor Gilligan (0-3), Conor Owens (0-1), Sean O’Donnell (0-1).
St Colman’s : Donal Scullion (1-0), Callum O’Neill (1-0), James Duggan (1-0), Michael Murdock (0-4), Darragh O’Neill (0-4), Feargal Kieran (0-1).
St Patrick’s Cavan: Darragh Lovett (1-3), Conor Casey (1-2), Emmanuel Sheku (0-2), Ben Monaghan (0-1), Mark McDermott (0-1), James McDaid (0-1).
St Michael’s : Diarmuid King (1-2), Conor McGovern (0-2), Cahir Leonard (0-1), Ultan O’Reill (0-1), Fionnán O’Brien (0-1), Michael Flannigan (0-1), James McCaffrey (0-1). Matthew Law (0-1), Justin McDaid (0-1).
St Patrick’s Academy : Ronan Cassidy (0-3), James Quinn (0-3), Cormac Devlin (0-2), Michael Burnett (0-1)
St Mary’s Magherafelt : Terry Devlin (2-3), Ryan McEldowney (1-3), Niall O’Donnell (1-2), Conal Heron (1-1), Conhur Johnston (0-2), Diarmuid Mulholland (0-1)
Abbey : Gerard Maillie (2-2), Zach Murdock (1-2), Adam Garvey (1-0), Jamie Doran (1-0), Eoin Loughran (0-4), Luke McKeever (0-1), Pearse Belssing (0-1)