Dankse Bank MacRory Cup final replay: Abbey CBS 0-12 St.Patrick’s Academy Dungannon 0-8
Abbey CBS bridged a 20-year gap at the Box-IT Athletic Grounds in Armagh last night to lift their 6th Danske Bank MacRory Cup title when they emerged worthy winners over St. Patrick’s Academy, Dungannon.
They were the better side throughout the contest and after taking the lead in the 18th minute, they were always ahead.
Dungannon failed to play the football that they are capable off but a lot of credit has to go to Abbey for that as they once again controlled midfield but the major stat was that they held a much vaunted Academy full forward line to only two points from play over the course of the 60-odd minutes.
As it happened: the Abbey secure a first MacRory Cup title in 20 years after a dominant display in the replay
It was Abbey who had come back from the death in the original game and they picked up were they had left off here by establishing a 0-6 to 0-2 and they were full value for that advantage despite the fact that their opponents had hit half a dozen wides.
Abbey CBS have waited 20 years for their sixth MacRory Cup victory and the celebrations showed what it meant to the school and wider community PICTURE: Oliver McVeigh
It was the Academy who were quickest out of the traps as Jonah Feeney opened the scoring after only twelve seconds, before Liam McGeary doubled their advantage from a free.
That 4th-minute score though proved to be their last of the opening period as the Newry lads began to throw the ball about.
As expected their team Captain Diarmaid O’Rourke was to the fore as they settled into the game. He opened their account from play before levelling matters from a 9th-minute free.
In the 12th minute, Abbey almost got in for a goal when Charlie McGrath released Daniel McKernan but the left half forward was denied by an outstanding save from Dungannon keeper Ronan Donnelly at the expense of a 45′ that came to nothing.
“I know he’s with us tonight”
Abbey CBS captain Diarmuid O’Rourke spoke about the impact that Jody Gormley had on him and his teammates.
The Dromintee clubman scored six for his side and was awarded man of the match after the Newry school secured their sixth MacRory Cup title pic.twitter.com/52wT110Axl
— Irish News Sport (@irishnewssport) February 13, 2026
O’Rourke swived to split the posts for an 18th-minute lead but in the next attack, Abbey had their keeper James McBennett to thank for a superb save to deny Aodhan Quinn.
O’Rourke then knocked over another free for his, and Abbey’s fourth score of the night and in the 23rd minute they moved further in front with an excellent two-pointer from the boot of McKernan, which was helped over the bar by keeper Donnelly.
Dungannon were struggling to get going and it said it all when you consider that their full forward line hit 1-10 from play in the first half in the drawn game but this time they only managed a single score and that was from a placed ball.
Both sides missed chances and in first half injury time Dungannon went close to a goal when their Captain Davin McKeown was thwarted by keeper McBennett and when he won possession from the rebound he went to ground but referee Joe McQullian waved penalty appeals away.
Dungannon came out for the second half fired up and forced an early turnover that saw Eoin Long convert a free before midfielder Michael Hughes closed the gap to two in the 33rd minute after a shot for a two-pointer from Davin McKeown, who had come back off the post.
That was as close as Dungannon were to get as they managed just another four points in the remainder of the contest.
McKernan scored from an advanced mark and after man of the match O’Rourke had converted a free Oisin Byrne fisted over the bar.
Abbey were dominant throughout the field but going into the final quarter, McGeary got them a much-needed point.
That man O’Rourke though responded at the other end of the field before Charlie McGrath left six between them with six minutes left to play.
To their credit, Dungannon hit back with a free from Long and a fine individual score from McGeary before McKeown drilled over the bar to leave just a score between the sides.
Abbey CBS though weren’t to be denied with McKernan fisting the insurance point in injury time.
Abbey scorers: D O’Rourke 0-6 (3F), D McKernan 0-4 (1 x 2pt, 1M), O Byrne 0-1, C McGrath 0-1
Dungannon scorers: L McGeary 0-3 (1M), E Long 0-2 (2F), D McKeown 0-1, J Feeney 0-1, M Hughes 0-1
Referee: J McQullian, Cavan