Patrician impress in MacLarnon semi
DANSKE BANK MACLARNON CUP SEMI FINAL
Patrician High Carrickmacross 2-11 St Louis Ballymena 0-8
Last year’s beaten finalists Patrician High Carrickmacross are back in the Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup final after a comprehensive nine point victory over St Louis Ballymena on Saturday.
Mid-fielder Ronan McDonald pointed in the opening minute and went on to have big influence on Carrick’s game-plan.
Patrician tagged on four of the next five points over the next nine minutes with St Louis’ only response a pointed from Eamon Fyfe.
It was 0-6 to 0-3 by the 23rd minute when Karl McMenamin was fouled for a penalty. Shane Duffy confidently converted the spot kick but it sparked off Ballymena’s best spell in the match with three points in a row from Fyfe, Keelan Molloy and sub Ronan Kelly who had just come in for Michael O’Connell.
Alan Kieran responded with his second point and Carrickmacross went in with a 1-7 to 0-6 half time advantage.
Although Molloy pointed a free on the re-start, there was to be only one more point from the Antrim side as Patrician pulled away with three frees during the third quarter.
Both teams were guilty of bad shooting before substitute Andrew Woods blasted a late goal to ensure his side lines out in the final on St Patrick’s Day against Holy Trinity College Cookstown.
Patrician: Stephen Finnegan, Shane Woods, Ciaran Rowe, Gavin McAneany, Alan Kieran (0-2), Dean Connolly, Ryan O’Connor, Ronan McDonald (0-2), Ciaran McNulty, Fergal Hannerty (0-3 0-2f), Damien Rudden, David Garland, Shane Duffy (1-3 1-0 pen, 0-2 f), Karl McMenamin, Edward Walsh (0-1).
Subs : Cillian Marron, Sean McEneany, Sean Russell, Thomas Marron, Killian Hand, Caolan Martin, Daniel Leegan, Jack Kirk, Aidan Woods, Fionn O’Callaghan, Liam Og Murray, Andrew Woods (1-0), Sean Burns, Kieran Slavin and Seamus Kindlon.
St Louis team and scorers: Owen Marquess, Ryan McGarry, Daniel Martin, Michael Laverty, Conor Kinsella, Conal Cunning, Connell Lemon (0-1), Darren McCormick, James McNaughton, Eoin Campbell, Keelan Molloy (0-4 (0-2f), Sean Duffin, Josh Henry, Michael O’Connell, Eamon Fyfe (0-2 f).
Subs : Ciaran McAteer for Connell Lemon injured (20), Ronan Kelly (0-1) for O’Connell (28), Connell Lemon for Eoin Campbell (43), John Eddie Convery for James McNaughton (48), James McNaughton for Darren McCormick (black card 54), Colm Griffin for Ronan Kelly (57).
Referee: Kevin Falloon (Armagh)
Photograph from Paddy McIlwaine (Ballymena)
