Masita Paddy Buggy Cup semi-final
Cross & Passion, Ballycastle 2-23 Clonmel CBS 1-17
THE ten minutes prior to half time were key to Cross & Passion returning to their first Paddy Buggy final in a decade.
During that spell, the north Antrim school hit a goal and seven points, while conceding just 0-2, to lead at the break in UCD by 1-13 to 0-6.
Ten minutes from time, Clonmel CBS pulled the game back to five points with a goal from Harry Lawlor, but the Danske Bank Mageean Cup champions held their nerve and in the 57th minute Oisín McCallin flicked the sliotar off a stick, flicked it again over his opponent’s head and finished to an empty net.
CPC showed from the off that they were up for this game. Liam Glackin was a huge presence at half-back, Cian Beaudant comfortable in his return to the team at full-back, while everyone up front caused some kind of problem for their direct opponent.
Clonmel had very good players in captain David McSweeney and forwards Mikey McGuire and Aaron Cagney, but their opponents were a better-balanced outfit and deserved to progress to a final on March 15 against Calasanctus College, Oranmore, the Galway college beating Enniscorthy CBS by 1-22 to 2-17 in the other semi-final.
CPC started well with points from Roan McGarry, Conor Donnelly and Páidí Martin in the first five minutes. Their Tipperary opponents closed the gap through free-taker McGuire and it was 0-6 each at the end of the first quarter.
McGuire’s first from play in the 18th minute edged his side ahead, but the second quarter belonged to the Ulster champions. McCallin hit two in a row to give them the lead.
Although McGuire picked off his seventh score in reply, Roan McGarry cut in along the end-line and found the net from an acute angle. Two frees from Martin, two from play for McCallin and one from Conor Donnelly gave CPC an imposing advantage at the interval.
Ballycastle pushed on with the opening four scores of the second half, two from McGarry and one each from Cadhan Crawford and Ronan Fitzgerald.
Although Clonmel came back with the next four scores, CPC hit three in three minutes midway through the half.
A goal from Harry Lawlor briefly closed the gap to 1-20 to 1-15. But McGarry quickly posted three points while McCallin slammed the door shut with his skilful goal four minutes from time.
CPC R McGarry 1-8 (0-2f); O McCallin 1-5; P Martin 0-4 (0-2f); C Donnelly 0-3; C Crawford 0-2, R Fitzgerald 0-1
Clonmel M McGuire 0-12 (0-10f); H Lawlor 1-2; B Roche 0-2 (0-1f); M Bates 0-1
Masita Michael Cusack Cup semi-final
SMÍ, Newcastlewest 3-24 St Patrick’s, Keady 1-6
THIS game was well out of the reach of St Patrick’s by half-time with the Munster champions ahead by 3-12 to 0-2. Full-forward Gavin Dorgan fired home 2-5 in that opening half, while Keady’s two points in reply came from Jack Loughran.
At the start of the second half, Tom Fox hit two points for Keady and Louhran converted a penalty, but Newcastlewest simply upped the ante for a comfortable win.
Masita Niall McInerney Cup semi-final
Pobalscoil, Roscrea 0-26 St Patrick’s, Dungiven 1-6
St Patrick’s, Dungiven fared marginally better in their first-ever Masita Niall McInerney Cup semi-final. They were 0-13 to 0-5 down at the break with Ryan McGilligan on target three times for them.
Although Kevin McCaul goaled two minutes into the second half and McGilligan pointed two minutes later to narrow the gap to six, those were the Derry side’s last scores as Pobalscoil Roscrea added 11 more points without reply.