St Killian’s GarronTower 1-12 St Mary’s CBGS Belfast 0-13 aet
Holders St Killian’s GarronTower had to really dig deep to hold on to their Danske Bank Foresters’ Cup title in Ballymena yesterday afternoon.
Although there was really little between the teams, St Mary’s seemed to have a slight edge on the score-board throughout, leading by a point at half-time and also approaching the final whistle.
Christy McNaughton, who finished with 0-9 for the Tower, pointed late in the game to push the tie to extra-time and again St Mary’s took the initiative with John Darragh pointing a long range free and Déaglán Murphy adding to it.
However McNaughton levelled the tie yet again in the opening minute of extra time and Conor Magee from play and McNaughton from a free shot the scores to see GarronTower through to the final with St Patrick’s Maghera this Friday afternoon.
This was a tigerish performance from both sides with defences to the fore. Gerard McGreevey and John Darragh were excellent for St Mary’s, but the star man was St Killian’s goalie Patrick Abram who brought off 3 superb stops.
His Glenarm team-mates, the McKillop twins and Hugh Pat McNeill, also stepped up to the mark as did Dylan McLaughlin further afield while McNaughton’s accuracy was a key to the win – although Gerard Walsh and Déaglán Murphy almost saw St Mary’s through.
Walsh (2) and Murphy (3) accounted for all St Mary’s scores in the opening half with McNaughton shooting 3 of St Killian’s 4 points.
Darragh Rocks edged St Mary’s ahead during the second half, but Matthew Devine squeezed the sliotar into the corner of the St Mary’s net after 44 minutes to open up a 2 points lead for the Tower.
St Mary’s dominated the last quarter and Walsh and Murphy with 2 points each meant that McNaughton’s nerve was tested to bring the sides to extra time.
St Killian’s : Matthew Devine 1-0, Christy McNaughton 0-9 frees, Ryan Delargy 0-1, Corey Beggs 0-1, Conor Magee 0-1.
St Mary’s : Déaglán Murphy 0-6, 0-2 frees, Gerard Walsh 0-4, 0-2 frees, Conor McCarron 0-1, Darragh Rocks 0-1, John Darragh 0-1 free.