Abbey Vocational School open MacRory Cup campaign with victory over St Pat’s Academy

The Abbey Vocational School got their first ever MacRory campaign off to a brilliant start as they led from start to finish in what ended in a seven-point win for Stuart McFadden’s side against St Patrick’s Academy, Dungannon, on Tuesday afternoon in Trillick. 

With a large crop of last season’s Abbey players now gone from the school, there was always going to be a cloud of doubt as to how the reigning All-Ireland B champions would cope in a competition that hasn’t been favourable to Donegal teams in the past. 

But with a new season, it produces new leaders, with the likes of Turlough Carr, Conor McCahill, and Eoghan Gallagher leading the way for the Abbey who kept enough of a comfortable distance to calmly see the game out for the victory as darkness fell in Tyrone. 

McCahill and Gallagher led the way from the front as they caused untold bother in the full-forward line, finding pockets of space to run into and fire over two early points from distance. 

But the Dungannon side also had star men up top, not least Lorcan McMurray, who powered through the Abbey’s defence after James Mulgrew sent in a long ball to the county player who fired over for his team’s first score before hitting over a free minutes later. 

But then came the first of six goals in the game. With space to attack, Patrick McGonagle opted to fire along ball into the St Patrick’s square with Darragh Griffin and McCahill both competing for it, but the former was the one to palm the ball to the net for the first green flag to be raised. 

The Tyrone school had goal chances and were unfortunate not to capitalise with Liam McGeary dropping his first shot short into Lewis McCaughan’s hands, McMurray’s chance was blasted over the bar for a point, while McGeary again missed his chance when his chipped shot hit off the post. 

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Meanwhile, when the chance came for the Abbey, they capitalised. Their second goal arrived on the 18th minute when Turlough Carr replicated the first goal by sending a long ball into Tiarnan McBride who punched the ball to the net on the edge of the box. 

The following attack saw Gallagher win possession and punch his way through the opposition's defence for a super goal that by-passed three defenders to roll into the net. 

But St Pat’s were able to reply immediately and replicate the Abbey’s first two goals when McMurray fired a high ball into Eoin Long who punched the ball past McCaughan. 

The Dungannon school looked like they were coming back with some sweet attacks ending in scores for McMurray and a fisted point from Enda Cush, but the Donegal school had another goal in them, when Griffin fired a long ball into McCahill on the 26th minute, who, unmarked, took one look at the goalmouth before firing into the corner for his side’s fourth. 

The Abbey led 4-5 to 1-7 at the break and despite St Pat’s hitting a purple patch, Oisin Doherty was able to cool matters with two points from frees to keep his team in front. 

By the end of the third quarter, the Dungannon side took a small bit of control with McGeary, Charlie Maguire, Eoin Long, and Davin McKeown all finding range, but Tomas Carr was able to get his side back to scoring ways on the 50th minute when he burst through the defensive wall to kick over. 

The Abbey felt hard done by when McKeown received a short free inside the opposition’s half and blasted to the net, despite the referee having not blown the whistle to continue the game, but still allowing the goal to stand. 

But it still refused to irk McFadden’s team, with McCahill, McBride, and Doherty landing the final three scores to walk out of Trillick worthy winners on the day. 

Abbey Vocational School scorers: Conor McCahill 1-4, 2fs; Oisin Doherty 0-5, 4fs; Darragh Griffin, Eoghan Gallagher, and Tiarnan McBride 1-1 each; Turlough Carr and Tomas Carr 0-1 each. 
St Patrick’s Academy, Dungannon scorers: Eoin Long 1-2, 2fs; Davin McKeown 1-2; Lorcan McMurray 0-4, 1f; Luke Neeson, Enda Cush, Liam McGeary, and Charlie Maguire 0-1 each. 

Abbey Vocational School: Lewis McCaughan; Eoghan O’Neill, Aidan Quinn, Alan McHugh; Cian Gavigan, Patrick McGonagle, Oisin Brogan; Tiarnan McBride, Theo Colhoun; Tomas Carr, Turlough Carr, Darragh Griffin; Conor McCahill, Oisin Doherty, Eoghan Gallagher. Subs: Terence McGovern and Thomas Lenehan for Brogan and Gallagher (both 53); Kevin Rose for Griffin (57).  

St Patrick’s Academy, Dungannon: Ronan Donnelly; Enda Cush, Darragh McHugh, Declan Cullen; Davin McKeown, Odhran Scully, Caolan Hughes; Luke Neeson, James Mulgrew; Diarmaid Quinn, Liam McGeary, Michael Hughes; Rory McGee, Lorcan McMurray, Eoin Long. Subs: Eoghan O’Neill for McHugh (28); Charlie Maguire for Quinn (HT); Conor Holmes for Hughes (49).

Referee: Paul Gallagher (Tyrone)