MacRory Cup final: Cavan win battle of the Pats

March 17, 2015

Daniel Kerr of Academy and St. Patricks' Thomas Galligan during the MacRory Cup final ©INPHO/Presseye/Russell Pritchard

St Patricks, Cavan defeated St Patricks, Dungannon by ten points in today's MacRory Cup final at the Athletic Grounds - 2-12 to 0-8.

Fr Kevin Fay's men were on top from start to finish and had Thomas Edward Donohoe to thank for a brilliant brace of final-quarter goals as the famous Cavan nursery collected its twelfth Ulster senior colleges title and first in 43 years.

The winners led by two points at the break, 0-6 to 0-4, with Paul Leddy firing over the final score of the half from play deep into injury time to double their advantage. Apart from points from Mark Donnelly and Fintan McClure (free), Ciaran Gourley's charges were outplayed in the first 25 minutes and trailed by 0-5 to 0-2 with five minutes remaining in the opening period. Daniel Kerr and Cormac O'Hagan (free) narrowed the gap but Leddy had the last say before the short whistle.

Darragh Kennedy had opened Cavan's account from distance to make it 0-1 apiece and Thomas Edward Donohoe's free made it two each after 15 minutes. Despite losing Ben Conaty to injury, Pats of Cavan then kicked on with three successive scores from substitute Ryan Bradley, influential midfielder Thomas Galligan and Mattie McKenna.

Dungannon were level within five minutes of the restart thanks to points from Kerr and O'Hagan (free) but back came Cavan with scores from Brendan Argue, Pierce Smith (free), Donohoe (two frees) and Kennedy to lead by five.

When O'Hagan pulled back a point from a free, Donohoe settled the match as a contest when he got on the end of a sweeping Cavan move initiated by Paddy O'Reilly to finish to the net and make it 1-11 to 0-7 with ten minutes left. Amazingly, four minutes later Donohoe planted the ball in the net again for his second three-pointer before Ryan Coleman (free) and Man of the Match Galligan traded late points.


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