St Pius X, Magherafelt 1-15 Rathmore Grammar 2-11
(after extra-time)
A last-minute point from a free out on the wing from Cathal Scullion finally swung this quarter-final in favour of St Pius X.
They had trailed at half-time by a point, were three points behind with five minutes left in normal time, a point down again half-way through extra-time and then teetered on the brink of exiting the competition when they conceded a 30-metre free with just a minute left.
That free was pulled wide and the ball moved up the pitch for Scullion’s pressure kick to release the emotion and allow St Pius X to progress to next week’s semi-final against Dean Maguirc, Carrickmore.
Rathmore will obviously be disappointed as they matched their opponents throughout. They weathered the early pressure to go 0-3 to 0-1 ahead after 20 minutes with scores from Christopher Robb, Aodhán O’Hanlon and Joseph Logan.
Each time, Cathal Scullion closed the gap for St Pius X between then and half-time, the south Belfast side responded with a score and led 0-5 to 0-4 at the turnover.
Joseph Logan stretched that to two points on the re-start, but Joseph Connery (two) and Cody Rocks points edged the Magherafelt side ahead by the 45-minute mark. Logan fired over a couple of frees and with nine minutes left, the teams were tied on 0-9 each.
A couple of minutes later a move down the left involving the influential Aodhán O’Hanlon released Eoin Sherry to neatly side-step a couple of tackles and hit the net.
At the other end a high ball from the equally influential Emmet Spiers bounced over the bar. Oisín Doherty came off the bench to release Scullion for a point from a narrow angle and then, a minute and a half into added time, Spiers drove through from the left to shoot the equaliser off the outside of his right boot.
Although Oisín Doherty landed a free at the start of extra-time, good scores from Padraic O’Connell and Ronan Taylor edged Rathmore ahead again.
Pádraig Donaghy landed a beauty from distance a couple of minutes into the second half before Dualta Donnelly came off the bench to shoot a goal for St Pius X, his angled effort for a point dipping in at the far corner.
Rathmore pushed up for the last five minutes and it seemed to pay off when Pádraic O’Connell’s long free fell for Eoin Sherry to stab home his second goal.
All square now with time almost up, but enough left for ice-cool Scullion to nail the free and avoid penalties.
St Pius’ C Scullion 0-5 (0-4f); J Connery 0-4 (0-1f); D Donnelly 1-0; E Spiers & P Donaghy 0-2 each; C Rocks & O Doherty (f) 0-1 each
Rathmore E Sherry 2-0; J Logan 0-5 (0-4f); R Taylor 0-2; P O’Connell, I Robinson, A O’Hanlon & C Robb 0-1 each
Our Lady & St Patrick’s Knock, 0-8 Aquinas Grammar 2-5
AQUINAS recovered from a point down at the break and the loss of midfielder Pádhraig O’Hare to a black card at the start of the second half, to clinch a semi-final place in Woodlands yesterday.
Second-half goals from Joe Mulgrew and Jacko Wilson were the key scores in a low-scoring derby that sees the winners through to face Patrician at the end of next week.
O’Hare, who had been the key player for the Ravenhill Road side during the opening half, landed two points to add to one from Jack McConville.
However, they came up a point shy at the break. Liam Blaney was the star man for them with three scores, while Luke Doran also scored before half-time.
Knock pushed on after the re-start and points from Harry O’Neill and Blaney left them leading 0-6 to 0-3 with O’Hare still waiting to return to play.
Joe Mulgrew goaled in the 44th minute to tie the game, but again Blaney responded with a point, his fifth of the contest.
O’Hare, back in action, landed his third score in the 49th minute before Oisín O’Hare sent Jacko Wilson through to finish to the net.
Oisín O’Hare made the gap four entering the home straight and Knock could only offer a point from Conor Boyle in the time remaining.
Knock L Blaney 0-5 (0-1f); C Boyle, L Doran & H O’Neill 0-1 each
Aquinas J Mulgrew & J Watson 1-0 each; P O’Hare 0-3f; J McConville & O O’Hare 0-1 each
Patrician, Carrickmacross 2-14 St Malachy’s, Castlewellan 2-6
A GOAL within 60 seconds of the start of the second half was the game changer for Patrician in Corduff as they set up a semi-final with Aquinas.
Castlewellan, last year’s Danske Bank Markey Cup champions and All-Ireland finalists, produced an excellent first half to lead by 2-4 to 0-6 at the change of ends despite being stretched in the opening 10 minutes.
Points each from Shane O’Connor and Peter Connolly and two from Sean O’Brien put Patrician into an early lead of 0-4 to 0-1. Ruairí Madine, though, fired home a goal in the 14th minute to tie the teams and St Malachy’s grew in confidence.
Manus Middletown added a point from a free and then Madine was involved in the move that ended with Odhrán McCann hitting the net. When Callum Travers landed a 45 after 23 minutes, Castlewellan now had 2-3 and Carrickmacross still had to expand on those four early points.
St Malachy’s led by four at the break, but Carrick burst through for Conor Meehan to goal within a minute of the re-start and Peter Connolly quickly added a point to level the tie.
From then until the end Patrician looked the likelier winner, although it wasn’t until Joe O’Farrell’s goal in the 50th minute that they opened a gap and forced Castlewellan to go for broke.
With gaps left at the back though, Carrickmacross hit them hard on the counter attack and scored five unanswered points after the goal to reach the semi-finals.
Patrician C Meehan & J O’Farrell 1-0 each; P Connolly 0-5 (04f); H Reilly (1f), F McEneaney, S O’Connor & S O’ Brien 0-2 each; C Rafferty 0-1f
St Malachy’s R Madine & O McCann 1-0 each; C Travers (3f) & M Middleton (3f) 0-3 each
