GAA: St Mary's Magherafelt are top of the class to lift Danske Bank MacRory Cup
St Mary's Magherafelt 2-9 Holy Trinity Cookstown 0-8
Two early goals proved key for St Mary's Magherafelt as they saw off the challenge of Holy Trinity Cookstown in the Danske Bank MacRory Cup Final.
Early strikes from Man of the Match Niall O'Donnell and Cahir Quinn set the tone for the game as John McElholm's side followed up their 2017 win with a second MacRory title.
For first-time finalists Holy Trinity, it just wasn't their day as they never truly got going and were always playing catch-up following the concession of those two early maximums.
St Mary's got off to the best possible start with the opening goal of the game after just three minutes.
It came when O'Donnell burst through to slot home a low right-foot drive past Holy Trinity goalkeeper Rian Smith. Ryan McEldowney added a point from the left three minutes later to put the Derry school in charge.
But Cookstown eased their way into the tie and opened their account in the 11th minute courtesy of a Shea Quinn free, which was quickly followed up by a fine effort from Ryan Quinn wide on the right
But just as it looked like the Tyrone side were getting a foothold in the game, St Mary's grabbed their second goal on 13 minutes. It arrived through a slick more that saw goalscorer O'Donnell tee up Cahir Quinn for a cool finish from close range.
That made it 2-1 to 0-2, but it was Holy Trinity who notched the final two scores of the half, courtesy of a good Shea Quinn score from 35 metres and Ruairi McHugh's fine effort from play to leave it 2-1 to 0-4 at the break.
Magherafelt's Tom Shivers got the opening score of the second period from a free two minutes in. Ruairi Forbes then added a sumptuous effort from distance in the 38th minute to put his side 2-3 to 0-4 ahead.
Things got even better for St Mary's just two minutes later with John Lavery pointing pointing from wide on the right as the side in sky blue began to assert their authority on the game.
Sub Joshua Cassidy scored with his first touch after coming on as a sub to edge Magherafelt further in front, 2-5 to 0-4. When O'Donnell added a point to his earlier goal as the match entered the final quarter, it looked for all intents and purposes that St Mary's Magherafelt had on hand on the trophy.
Holy Trinity did eventually trouble the scoreboard in the second half when Shea Lawn curled over a fine free from wide on the right on 46 minutes, before the same player repeated the feat from an even tighter angle a couple of minutes later.
In between those scores, St Mary's could have killed the tie off with a third goal.
Firstly, Cassidy saw his palmed effort come back off the post before Cookstown keeper Rian Smith made a fine stop to deny O'Donnell's follow-up.
Dungannnon Swifts player Terry Devlin closed the gap to five - 2-6 to 0-7 - with a 52nd-minute point, but almost instantly, St Mary's replied though Lorcan Convery. When O'Donnell raced through to bring his personal tally to 1-2, it was all but over.
McHugh knocked over his second of the day in response but with five minutes left and two goals between the sides, it was scant consolation for the Tyrone school.
O'Donnell almost powered through for a third St Mary's goal two minutes from time, only to see Smith deflected his effort over the bar for a point to make it 2-9 to 0-8.
MATCH STATS
St Mary's Magherafelt: James Gribbin; Conall Herron, Niall Rafferty, Simon Matterson; Ronan Walls, Eoin McEvoy, Ruairi Forbes (0-1); Lorcan Convery (0-1), Ryan McEldowney (0-1); Benen Kelly, Conhuir Johnston, John Lavery (0-1); Cahir Quinn (1-0), Tom Shivers (0-1, free), Niall O'Donnell (1-3)
Subs: Joshua Cassidy (0-1) for Quinn (40mins), Lorcan Bradley for Lavery (60+1mins)
Holy Trinity Cookstown: Rian Smith; Sean O'Hare, Callan Kelly, Luke Cullen; Michael Oscar Devlin, Brian Hampsey, Conan Devlin; Ruairi McHugh (0-2), Blaine Ryan; Odhran O'Driscoll, Shea Quinn (0-2, 1f), Jack Martin; Shea Lawn (0-2, both frees), Peter Loughran, Ryan Quinn (0-1)
Subs: Terry Devlin (0-1) for O'Driscoll (13mins), Shane Hughes for Michael Oscar Devlin (41mins) , Michael McElhatton for Loughran (41mins), Ryan Nelis for Quinn (55mins), Keegan Hampsey for Cullen (60mins)
Referee: Paul Falloon (Down)
Attendance: 6, 127