Abbey VS storm home in the second half to reach the MacRory Cup quarter final

Abbey Vocational School’s impressive second half performance ensured their spot in the MacRory Cup quarter-final with an eleven point win over Cathair Doire in Owenbeg.

The Derry amalgamation played with the wind advantage in the first half and while Liam Meenan (free) and Christopher McCullagh kicked two pointers, they only led by 0-5 to 0-4 at the break.

And once Abbey got level on 40 minutes, they soared clear with the help of goals courtesy of Eoghan Gallagher and Conor McCahill.

Cathair Doire tried to battle back but only mustered up four points in the second half, while Tomás Carr’s two pointer and a late goal from substitute Jay Cullen ensured that the Donegal Town school will be playing MacRory Cup football after Christmas, where they will meet the winners of St Mary’s, Magherafelt, or St Michael’s, Enniskillen.

With the game scheduled for Tuesday in Convoy, it was called off due to the red weather warning and moved to the Derry Centre of Excellence. 

But the visitors got off to a quick start as Tomás Carr won possession high up and found Conor McCahill, who pointed inside a minute. 

Cillian Ferguson responded for the host, wearing the Derry strip, after a lot of possession, but Carr put his side back in front. 

Liam Meenan kicked a two point free with the aid of a strong breeze, while Lewis McCaughan couldn’t repeat the trick at the other end against the elements, but Eoghan Gallagher levelled the game. 

Christopher McCullagh then split the posts from outside the arc on the left with a curling effort, before two attempts from Meenan dropped short, the second a ‘45.

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McCahill got a second score for his side from close range on that trusty left foot, while Thomas Lenehan had a shot from off the ground held easily by Charlie Green as the Donegal Town men trailed by 0-5 to 0-4 at the break.

They would have been happy with that at the interval against the breeze, but as McCullagh won the throw-in and got a free high up, Meenan put the lead to two from the free, and Oran Donnelly hit the side netting from a tight angle. 

But two good moves from Pauric O’Donnell’s men levelled the game, Gethin Mosby kicking over from a tight angle before Thomas Lenehan made it 0-6 apiece on 40 minutes. 

And Abbey dominated after this, a super goal from Eoghan Gallagher from inside the ‘D’, finding the bottom left corner to get the momentum going. 

Meenan responded with a free, but a quick break from that saw McCahill point. 

Substitute Callum Maskery kicked over from the right, and as Abbey won the kick out, Patrick McGonagle found Conor McCahill, who found the roof of the net with a brilliant goal. 

McCaughan kicked a ‘45 after, while McCullagh responded from just inside the arc, but a Carr effort from outside the arc bounced on the astro for a two pointer. 

Cathair Doire sub Oisin Molloy got a point back, but Abbey’s subs then combined as Jay Cullen played a neat 1-2 with Maskery with very little space, but he poked in to the top corner with a minute to play to bring the scoring to an end. 

Cathair Doire scorers: Liam Meenan 0-4,1tpf,2f; Christopher McCullagh 0-3,1tp; Cillian Ferguson and Oisin Molloy 0-1 each. 

Abbey VS scorers: Conor McCahill 1-3; Eoghan Gallagher 1-1; Jay Cullen 1-0; Tomás Carr 0-3,1tp; Gethin Mosby, Thomas Lenehan,  Callum Maskery and Lewis McCaughan (‘45) 0-1 each. 

Cathair Doire: Charlie Green; Fionn McGilloway, Joe Bryson, Ronan Canavan; Benjamin Storey, Conaill Campbell, Thomas Dobbins; Christopher McCullagh, Matthew James; Oisin McElhinney, Oran Donnelly, Cillian Ferguson; Cathal McNicholl, Liam Meenan, Ollie Deery.

Subs: Oisin Molloy for McElhinney (23), Rossa Fleming for Deery (ht), John Paul McCafferty for Ferguson (60)

Abbey Vocational School: Lewis McCaughan; Jack McGroarty, Eoghan O’Neill, Ethan Wasson; Aidan Quinn, Ethan McCrea, Cian Gavigan; Tomás Carr, Patrick McGonagle; Jake Quinn, Conor McCahill, Christian Laffan Ward; Eoghan Gallagher, Gethin Mosby, Thomas Lenehan.

Subs: Callum Maskery for J Quinn (ht), Finn Gillepsie for Mosby (50), Jay Cullen for Lenehan (52), Oisin Ebbs for Wasson (54), Thomas McHugh for Gallagher (57).

Referee: Cathal McCrory.