St Patrick’s Maghera 2:05 – St Paul’s Bessbrook 0-10
A PAIR of first-half goals proved enough for Saint Patrick’s Maghera to clinch a narrow one-point win and their thirteenth MacRory Cup title.
The Derry side held off a late charge from gallant MacRory final debutants St Paul’s Bessbrook in an enthralling Athletic Grounds encounter.
Two goals in five minutes from Conor Carville and Stephen O’Hara helped Maghera to a 2-1 to 0-3 half-time lead and despite a battling second-half performance, Bessbrook, led by the impressive Ciaran O’Hanlon, fell to the narrowest of defeats.
It took a superb late save by Maghera ‘keeper Ciaran McCloy to deny Paddy Nugent as last year’s McLarnon Cup winners pushed to get themselves back into the game.
But the Derry boys held on to secure the win and deny the Armagh side the chance to become the first team to win the two Ulster Colleges’ titles in consecutive years.
There was happier scenes for another Armagh school in action today, however, as St Michael’s Lurgan were crowned MacLarnon Cup champions after a 1-6 to 1-4 defeat of St Louis Kilkeel.
Lurgan controlled large periods of the game and the Down side, despite a late Daithi Young goal, failed to hold on to a two-point half-time lead.
St Michael’s Grammar School, Lurgan celebrate winning the Danske Bank MacLarnon Cup after defeating St Louis Grammar School, Kilkeel at the Athletic Grounds on Monday afternoon. Picture: Conor Greenan
