McCluskey and Higgins fire favourites Magherafelt past Steelstown

Favourites Magherafelt proved too good for Steelstown in a low key, bloodless Sunday afternoon encounter. Played by two sides well aware that their safety net was still in place and a welcome cushion to soften a fall, this game lacked any real championship intensity. In fairness the Brian Og’s more than played their part throughout, but ultimately it was Magherafelt’s clinical finishing in front of goal that separated the two combatants in a fairly lifeless bout.

The thoroughbred Eoin McEvoy excelled again at centre field for the winners, while James Murray enjoyed a fine tussle with Steelstown talisman Cahir McMonagle, while Conall Higgins top scored with 1-4. Aidan McCluskey banged home two Rossa goals, and looked lively throughout.

McMonagle and Ryan Devine hit a couple of two pointers for Steelstown in a losing cause.

Magherafelt boasted a double score lead at half-time, but only trailing 2-4 to 1-2 Steelstown had more than enough skin in the game given the powerful wind they played into in the opening half. Indeed, had it not been for half a dozen wides the city men could and should have been a lot closer to threaten a big surprise.

However that second McCluskey major polished up a Magherafelt scorecard to see the Rossas five up at half-time, leading by five points.

Almost six minutes elapsed before Aidan McCluskey first moved the Owenbeg scoreboard when he rattled a rasper into the top left hand corner of Marty Dunne’s net. Cormac Murphy pointed before Cahir McMonagle scored Steelstown’s opening point courtesy of a Magherafelt breach.

Eoin McEvoy, producing another Rolls Royce of a display, fisted over a second Magherafelt point after a trademark lung-bursting run.

Plagued by a plethora of wides, Ryan Devine showed all his leadership skills pointing the Brian Og’s second of the contest.

But when Aidan McCluskey poked home a second goal from close range it stretched out a Rossa lead that their opponents never really looked like reeling in.

Two Conal Higgins points stretched that advantage to 2-4 to 0-2. However, Steelstown would have a dramatic last say in the first half when Conor McCluskey impeded Ben McCarron in the box. Cahir McMonagle made no mistake with the penalty drilling the spot kick into the top of Odhran Lynch’s net.

Rapid fire points from Rory Small and Shea McGuckin suggested this contest might already slip into dead rubber territory. But Cahir McMonagle’s free and, better still, his two pointer which followed kept Steelstown with a decent grip on Magherafelt’s coat-tails, just 2-6 to 1-5 behind.

That said, an unanswered 1-4 by the Rossas all but snuffed out Steelstown’s resistance. Conal Higgins was at the very heart of the scoring spree, converting his frees before producing a sublime run and finish which resulted in Magherafelt’s third and game-winning goal.

A Dan Higgins point left his side 3-10 to 1-5 up and all but home and hosed.

Lawrence Strain’s men continued to battle on as time rapidly ran out on their hopes. Callum Deery, quiet for once, hit his first of the game in the 57th minute before further two pointers from Devine and McMonagle wiped a little blood off the scoreboard for Steelstown. Steelstown’s scores all coming from the boots of those two players, bar that single Deery white flag, ultimately tells the tale of this tie.

Scorers: Magherafelt: C Higgins 1-4 (3f), A McCluskey 2-0, S McGuckin 0-2, R Small 0-1, D Higgins 0-1, E McEvoy 0-1, C Murphy 0-1

Steelstown: C McMonagle 0-6 (2f, 2tps), R Devine 0-3 (1tp), C Deery 0-1

Magherafelt: Odhran Lynch, Turlough Cartin, James Murray, Conal Heron, Conor McCluskey, Johnny McErlain, Rory Small, Dan Higgins, Eoin McEvoy, Aidan McCluskey, Cahir Spiers, Paddy McLarnon, Conall Higgins, Shea McGuckin, Cormac Murphy

Subs: C Quinn for C Spiers (HT), S Heavron for S McGuckin (43), C Crozier for J McErlain (51), C Higgins for C Murphy (56)

Steelstown: Marty Dunne, Eoghan Concannon, Aidan McLaughlin, Eoin Canavan, Diarmuid Baker, Odhran Campbell, Ronan Canavan, Donncha Gilmore, Ryan Devine, Corey McGuinness, Ben McCarron, Dan McAteer, Neil Forester, Cahir McMonagle, Callum Deery

Subs: K Doherty for D Gilmore (55),