Determined Donaghmore Minors make the last four

DONAGHMORE 1-12

SCOTSTOWN 1-9

TYRONE double winners Donaghmore took their first tentative steps onto the Ulster stage in style on Saturday night when they got the better of Monaghan side Scotstown in the opening round of the St Paul’s Minor Football Tournament.

A flurry of converted frees in the closing quarter from Noah Grimes helped St Patrick’s edge to victory, despite being reduced to fourteen men when full-forward Ronan Molloy was given his marching orders in the 42nd minute.

On a bitterly cold West Belfast evening the match was able to go ahead on the 3G playing surface at Colaiste Feirste on the Falls Road, with a fine turn-out of supporters from both clubs defying the elements to make the trip.

The Tyrone side adopted better to the conditions early on even though Sean Og McElwain knocked over a second minute free for Scotstown. Within moments the ball was in the net at the other end. Conall Herron dropped in a high ball which was spilt by the keeper Domhnaill Moyna and the alert Cormac Drayne was on hand to finish crisply to the net from a narrow angle.

Buoyed by this the St Patrick’s seized the initiative playing the more composed and cohesive football. Molloy knocked over a 45m free after he himself was fouled, and with Scotstown losing their influential midfielder Sahill Arya to a black card, Donaghmore took full advantage.

James McCann latched onto a Conor O’Neill pass to surge through and rifle over a score, before Grimes then slotted over a 40m free; and Aodhan Molloy found the target from an audacious angle out on the right wing, his effort clipping the top of the crossbar and going over.

Six points in arrears, Scotstown looked in trouble, but to their immense credit they regrouped and began to work themselves methodically back into contention, puncturing holes in the Donaghmore rearguard with their purposeful running game.

McElwain slipped over three successive frees, punishing some ragged Donaghmore tackling, to narrow the gap to three points.

Lively half-back Rory McGee responded with a fantastic score for Donaghmore after being picked out in space out right by Drayne, but Max Maguire planted Scotstown’s first point from open play in injury time, to leave the score at the break 1-5 to 0-5.

The Farney boys were presented with a golden opportunity to draw level moments after the resumption when midfielder Reuban Sheridan was fouled by a posse of defenders inside the large square, but Tommy Mallen drove the subsequent penalty wide of the target.

In fairness to him he didn’t allow his head to drop and darted through in double quick succession to drill over two points, capping some polished approach work from his side.

Grimes helped to steady Donaghmore with a superb catch and conversion under pressure at the other end but in the 42nd minute the tie seemed to swing decisively in Scotstown’s favour. A high ball in from Finlay Foy caused confusion between the Donaghmore keeper Conan McGarvey and his defence, and the grateful Adam Monahan was on hand to tap into the empty net.

This provided the Monaghan side with the lead, and they maintained that one point advantage as Grimes (free) and McElwain exchanged scores.

With Ronan Molloy red carded after an off the ball altercation with Nicky Sherlock, Donaghmore had it all to do, but they finished like champions with some of their key men rising to the challenge and upping their intensity levels.

They outscored their opponents 0-5 to 0-1 in the home straight, their direct running style forcing Scotstown into committing a series of costly fouls. Grimes made them pay as he knocked four dead balls over the bar, those coming on the back of a superb score from defender Joey Clarke.

All Scotstown could muster in response was a fine point from Foy and it was Donaghmore who booked their passage into the semi-finals.

at lunchtime on Boxing Day against Four Masters.