The most important thing coming here this evening was to get the win - Pauric O’Donnell

Abbey Vocational School are on the march again following Friday evening’s six point quarter-final MacRory Cup win over St Mary’s, Magherafelt, in Convoy.

Beaten finalists in last year’s MacRory Cup decider  in their first entry into the blue riband competition of Ulster Second Level Schools,  Abbey are now turning their attention to a last four meeting with either St Patrick’s Academy, Dungannon or Our Lady’s, Castleblayney. 

They meet tonight (Saturday) in Stewartstown. 

It is a measure of Abbey’s ambition and standing in the prestigious MacRory Cup that team manager Pauric O’Donnell was emphasising afterwards the most important thing about the result was that Abbey had won and we were still in the championship.

The days of glorious defeats and gallant losers are no longer in the Abbey vocabulary. A first MacRory title for the Donegal Town nursery and for Donegal is very much on the agenda of O’Donnell and his talented squad  of players. 

“We may not have played well in the first half in particular, but the important thing coming here this evening was to get the win and move on to the next round,” said the Abbey boss speaking afterwards. 

“We just never got going in the first half. I don’t know what it was but we seemed to be standing off them and not getting stuck in though we did get more into the game in the latter stages of the half.

“Our defence played well and turned them over a number of times in the first half. The problem was up front. 

“We enjoyed loads of possession but they were well set up defensively and we simply could not break them down.”


Cian Gavigan surrounded by Magherafelt players in Convoy. Picture: Thomas Gallagher

St Mary’s led 0-6 to 0-3 at half-time. Thomas Lenihan, Eoghan Gallagher and Conor McCahill scored Abbey’s first half points. 

O’Donnell may not have been happy with the opening 30 minutes of play from his side, but he certainly had no complaints about the second 30 as Abbey outscored St Mary’s 1-10 to 1-1 in a swash-buckling second half performance. 

Thomas Lenihan scored the goal and also posted four points, Lewis McCaughan landed two monstrous two pointer frees and Cian Gavigan posted a point in a tour de force second half performance from Abbey.

“We went out in the second half and we took the game to them and the goal  was a big score and Lewis McCaughan’s point blank save shortly afterwards was also a big moment in the game.

“Lewis’ save was huge and his two pointer frees were also huge scores. He has been doing it all season for us. He plays senior football with Four Masters and has loads of experience and is a key player in the team.  

“Thomas took the goal after a well worked move and he also kicked a couple of two point scores. He is a brilliant young footballer and has been brilliant for us all year. 

“They played the football they are capable of playing in the second half and it is a matter of now getting back to focussing on the semi-final and we will know who were playing in the semi-final after tomorrow night.” 

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Abbey VS lost last year’s MacRory final by a point going down to St Pat’s Maghera on a 0-12 to 2-5 scoreline. Abbey fielded ten of the players that featured in that final in Friday night’s quarter-final win over St Mary’s, Magherafelt.