Abbey VS, Donegal Town off to winning start in Mac Rory Cup with win over St Michael's

Abbey VS, Donegal Town got their Mac Rory Cup campaign off to a very good start with a convincing win over St Michael’s of Enniskillen on Wednesday afternoon.

The AVS boys were creating another piece of history by playing the first ever Mac Rory Cup game on Tirconaill Park, which held up well despite the recent heavy rain.

Pauric O’Donnell has taken over the reins from Stuart McFadden and AVS were minus some of their big stars from last year including Kevin Muldoon, Turlough Carr, Tiarnan McBride and Oisin Doherty, who have moved on to Third Level.

But others have stepped up to the plate and it was all looking so good after 20 minutes when Tomás Carr drilled home a penalty won by Thomas Lenihan to put Abbey 1-4 to 0-0 ahead.

Conor McCahill had opened their account with a two  pointer on two minutes and Gethain Mosby added two points in quick succession by the seventh minute.

The penalty goal was a little fortunate in some ways as Conor McCahill had lost possession but it bounced into the hands of Lenihan as he bore down on goal and he was upended.

St Michael’s hit back from the kick-out, again with a bit of fortune because the kick-out went straight to an Abbey player who fumbled it and touched it on the ground. For dissent the ball was moved on 50m and St Michael’s hit it long and it broke for Dan O’Connor to finish to the net.

Thomas Cathcart converted a free to cut the lead to four points but points from Abbey’s star players Tomás Carr and Conor McCahill had them comfortably ahead by 1-6 to 1-1 at the break.

Tomás Carr’s range of passes were a joy to watch throughout and he found Gethin Mosby on the restart but he was denied by the ‘keeper with a good save. The second half deadlock was broken by Conor McCahill on 39 minutes and Tomás Carr opened the gap to eight with a superb two pointer on 44 minutes.

St Michael’s enjoyed their best period at the start of the last quarter and they added points from Dan O'Connor, another Cathcart free and one from play from Oisin Morris.

In between Abbey substitute Finn Gillespie almost had a goal as his fisted effort for a point came back off the upright but he was then denied by the St Michael’s ‘keeper.

Abbey quickly stretched their lead in the final seven minutes with McCahill pointing from play and Lewis McCaughan hitting a two point free.

Dan O’Connor had St Michael’s last score in the 55th minute while Tomás Carr fired over and Finn Gillespie, after twice being denied by the woodwork, fielded a McCaughan ‘45’ to fire over the final score.

Apart from the excellent Carr and McCahill, Jack McGroarty, Ethan McCrea, Eoghan O’Neill, Patrick McGonigle and Thomas Lenihan were excellent for the winners, who now play South-West in the second group game. South-West’s opening game against Castleblayney was postponed on Tuesday.

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The all-Donegal Mac Rory Cup game will be played under lights at a Donegal venue, possibly the Donegal GAA Centre or Pearse Park, Ardara.

Scorers for Abbey VS: Tomás Carr 1-4,pen,1tp; Conor McCahill 0-5,1f,1tp; Gethin Mosby 0-2; Lewis McCaughan 0-2,tpf; Finn Gillespie 0-1.

St Michael’s scorers: Dan O’Connor 1-2; Tomas Cathcart 0-2,2f; Oisin Morris 0-1.

Abbey VS, Donegal: Lewis McCaughan; Jack McGroarty, Ethan McCrea, Oisin Ebbs; Aidan McHugh, Eoghan O’Neill, Cian Gavigan; Tomás Carr, Patrick McGonigle; Christian Laffey Ward, Jake Quinn, Callum Maskery; Conor McCahill, Gethin Mosby, Thomas Lenihan.

Subs: Finn Gillespie for Mosby (47); Jack Bennett for Maskery (55); Jack Glappa for Lenihan (59)

St Michael’s, Enniskillen: Patrick O’Sullivan; Rian Kennedy, Callum St Ledger, Emmett McGurn; Ben Palmer, Oisin Donohue, Niall Flynn; Calum McInnes, Conal Crudden; Cormac Burns, Naoise Harbinson, Lorcan McGrath; Tomas Cathcart, Oisin Morris, Dan O’Connor.

Subs: Michael Duffy for Harbinson (ht); Mark Gallagher for Donohoe (36); Ronan Prunty for L McGrath (42); Conor Simmons for Burns (45)

Referee: Cathal McCrory (Tyrone)

Abbey VS, Donegal Town