An historic Mageean Cup win for the Red High

Planning the journey up from the Ards peninsula across town (Belfast) to the Queens playing fields, known as the Dub, one couldn’t help reflecting on Red High’s own journey to the final of the Mageean Cup. This was a well chartered course, taking their wins against notable counterparts such as Knock and St. Louis, Ballymena and an early round win against St. Patrick’s, Maghera meant that the Red High stood as favourites to win the Mageean Cup. Not a bad place to be on a still December night.

Mageean Cup 2021 St. Patrick’s GS, Downpatrick (MC – 1)

Mageean Cup 2021 St. Patrick’s GS, Maghera (MC – 2)

James Friel, Referee Colm McDonald and Deaglan Mallon (MC – 3)

Tonight’s final was very well attended and under the floodlights against the low level murmur of the city traffic, everyone respectfully reflected on the recent passing of referee and friend to many, Colin Murray and past Ulster Schools GAA Chairperson Brother Ennis, both contributing to Ulster Schools GAA from different perspectives.

One minute silence (MC – 4)

One minute silence (MC – 5)

As the time on referee Colm McDonald’s wrist watch struck 7:30pm, an obliging McDonald rolled the sliotar towards the stand, allowing the media to capture the throw-in on what some supporters hoped was going to be an historic night for Red High.

Mageean Cup throw-in by Colm McDonald (MC – 6)

The first quarter of the game had early missed opportunities for the Red High, as Tom McGrattan stepped in to take a free on Fearghal McManus, opting to go for goal but a keen Maghera defender dropped the sliotar out to safety and on the turnaround, Maghera’s Shea O’Neill took his score to open up the books for Maghera. Sean McCarthy received a ball near the half forward line and wasted no time in delivering a hand pass to a breaking Michael Dorrian but referee McDonald felt the pass wasn’t quite up to standard and blew for an infringement.

From a breaking ball, an accidental spin of a Maghera player around mid field resulted in Conor Shiels dropping in a free deep to Callum O’Kane, who wasted little time off loading to Cormac Mullan, but keeper Pearce Smyth managed to diffuse Mullan’s hot ball on target at close range, only to have Conor Murtagh pull on the loose ground ball for Maghera’s only goal of the game.

Pearce Smyth diffuses the hot incoming sliotar but… (MC – 7)

…Maghera’s Conor Murtagh sends it back into the net (MC – 8)

Red High’s scoreline would remain dormant up to the first water break, as Maghera’s Shea O’Neill nudged the scoreline up to Red High 0-0 Maghera 1-2, despite a rasping pull on goal from a Smyth free that dropped deep into the Maghera box, only to be saved by an alert James Friel.

The second quarter of the game was arguably where Red High made their comeback, although Maghera seized every opportunity to keep their own account fluid. Despite an early free from James Friel, Red High’s Oisin Coulter tapped down a Maghera ball and jab lifting the prize, dropped in a very tidy short puck to an advancing Sean McCarthy and off his natural left side, the sliotar scorched the roof of the net to bring the Red High supporters to their feet with delight.

Sean McCarthy fires the sliotar up into the roof of Maghera’s net (MC – 9)

The game advanced with a tit for tat point game, with both sides clocking up six points apiece but on closer inspection, Finn Turpin’s soaring point was book marked by Tom McGrattan’s 5 point contribution, a mixture of four frees and a point from play. McDonald’s whistle brought the game to half time with a scoreline Red High 1-6 Maghera 1-8.

At the start of the second half, Maghera appeared to take their foot off the pedal just a bit with an alert Ryan O’Neill intercepting a dangerous Maghera puck into the Red High’s half back line. O’Neill glanced up to play a well thought out cross pass to Tiernan Connelly, who launched a high ball dropping viciously behind distracted Keeper McElhinney’s head for a drop goal.

Tiernan Connolly sends in a high ball that dropped cleanly into Maghera’s goal (MC – 10)

Another series of nip and tuck scores from Friel, Turpin, McKeagney, McGrattan and a glorious sideline cut to the high hand of Peter McCullagh and tipped over the bar, would end the third quarter but not before Red High’s Michael Dorrian chalked up a point after picking up a clever long puck out from Red High keeper Smyth. Red High 2-09 Maghera 1-11.

Michael Dorrian sends the sliotar over the bar (MC – 11)

With everything to play for in the final quarter, Maghera continued to work hard on the back line with notable clearances from keeper McElhinney but a mid field infringement spotted by referee McDonald, put his opposite number into a scoring role as Smyth took his first point of the match.

Pearce Smyth keeps Red High’s score incrementing (MC – 12)

Maghera’s Peter McCullagh advanced his team another two points from play, the latter from a difficult tight angle. Although Callum O’Kane would close out Maghera’s account from a free, Red High’s McGrattan earned his stripes once again with three more pin point accurate frees that brought the final score on McDonald’s whistle to Red High 2-13 (19) Maghera 1-14 (17).

History now records St. Patrick’s Grammar School, Downpatrick as Mageean Cup winners 2021 and off the’ll go to chart another new course into an All Ireland scenario. We wish you the very best of luck on your new journey of experience, memories and hopefully more success. Commiserations to Maghera, you garnered in respect for your skilful display of hurling and dignified response to the final whistle.

Man of the match went to Red High’s Deaglan Mallon for his powerful contribution to Red High’s Mageean final as he switched from full back to half back to keep order in defence.

Maghera
Odhrán McElhinney; Conor Shiels, Adam McLaughlin, Senan Lockhart; Fionn McEldowney, James Friel (0-3f), Dara McGonigle; Shea McKenna, Eoin Scullion; Thomas McKeagney (0-2), Shea O’Neill (0-2), Cormac Mullan; Conor Murtagh (1-0), Callum O’Kane (0-3f), Peter McCullagh (0-4)

Subs: Niall Barton for Shea O’Neill, Oisin McNicholl for Thomas McKeagney

Red High
Pearce Smyth (0-1f); Jude Roddy, Ryan O’Neill, Dara Coulter; Sean Mageean, Deaglan Mallon, Conor Leneghan; Tiernan Connolly (1-0), Finn Turpin (0-2); Michael Dorrian (0-1), Luke McCabe, Tom McGrattan (0-9, 8f); Oisin Coulter, Fearghal MacManus, Sean McCarthy (1-0)

Subs: Adam Rogan for Sean McCarthy, Fearghal Casey for Luke McCabe