St Michael's lose to St Patrick's in second MacRory game

St Michael’s suffered an agonising late defeat to St Patrick’s Cavan in their second MacRory Cup outing on Wednesday.

Peter Teague’s side lined out against the royal blue outfit on a dewy early afternoon fixture with fog lurking around St Molaise’s Park in Irvinestown.

Mattie McDermott’s first-half penalty and his free kick on the stroke of halftime saw the teams go in level.

Another close second half saw the sides head into injury time all square with St Pats’ Fiachra Brady and Nathan Quigley hitting late points to win the game.

It leaves St Michael’s still searching for their first points in the group ahead of their final clash with St Ronan’s Lurgan.

The game’s opening score was a goal from St Pats’ Charlie Fallon after Conor Tyan’s shot from range dropped short and goalkeeper Tommy Watson lunged across his goal to push the ball out but it fell for Fallon who rebounded it into the roof of the net.

Quigley then curled over a brilliant mark off his left foot and Watson was called into action again to fist away a high ball dropped in from Fallon.

Michael Duffy went close to hitting a goal at the other end after he cut inside but his shot pinged off the underside of the crossbar with a key touch from goalkeeper Cian McConnell.

Seconds later, a turnover allowed Kian Prior to turn and get St Michael’s off the mark with a point. Fallon then pointed again before midfielder Dara Cathcart sold his man a dummy and put his laces through the ball to see it arrow over.

Dan O’Connor scored a mark and Quigley knocked over a free that was brought forward.

St Michael’s were growing into the game the longer it went on and O’Connor would put just two between the teams when regathered a dropped ball and spun to clip over, 1-03 to 0-04. The Erne school then took the lead just past the 20-minute mark.

Mattie McDermott’s free, from just outside the 45, dropped into the square and O’Connor’s shot from the loose ball was deemed to have been stopped by a foot block and a penalty was awarded.

McDermott stepped up to slot into the right-hand side of the net and send the goalkeeper the wrong way.

Quigley and Fallon responded for St Pats with two points and McDermott converted a close free on the referee’s whistle as the teams went in level at 1-05 apiece.

Teague’s side hit two points in the opening moment of the second half O’Connor and Prior on target.

Quigley hit the Cavan side’s first of the half and they went close to a second goal when Tadhg Sheils ghosted in from the left-hand side but his shot dragged across goal and wide of the post.

Duffy hit another point with Conor Doyle then being pulled down by James Tierney at the other end and the referee awarded a penalty to St Pats.

Watson went the right way but Darragh Noonan’s strike nestled into the bottom right corner, 2-06 to 1-08. Sheils tagged on another St Pats point in between scored frees from McDermott and Prior.

From the kick-out, the ball was pushed into the hand of Noonan who had open space ahead of him and he made yards before placing a shot over the bar, with just over ten minutes remaining.

Substitute Cormac Burns and Ultan O'Reilly exchanged points and Conor Mulligan then went on one of his many forays forward and sliced over to tie the game again.

St Michael’s had their chances to go in front but couldn’t apply the killer touch as O’Connor ran onto a ball in front of goal but his shot was saved by the feet of McConnell.

Prior put the 45 wide and then caught the mishit goal kick but, as he attempted to lob the goalkeeper, it dropped into the grateful hands of McConnell.

After Fiachra Brady’s dagger put St Pats ahead in injury time, Quigley turned over the ball from the kick-out and looped over another left-footed point to seal the game.