Brothers pip Patrician to tee up all-Tyrone decider

OMAGH CBS 0-11 PATRICIAN HS 0-10

TYRONE students have emerged as top of the class in this season’s MacRory Cup, with Omagh CBS setting up an all Red Hand showdown to decide the destination of the famous old schools trophy on Saturday afternoon.

Just hours after Holy Trinity Cookstown edged out neighbours, St Pat’s Dungannon, by a single point, Omagh secured a similar margin of victory in the second semi-final against a teak-tough Patrician side to book their passage into the final.

As was the case in the previous round against St Colman’s, the Brothers held their opponents scoreless in the final twenty-minutes, turning a 0-10 to 0-7 deficit into a narrow advantage by the time referee Paul Faloon blew his final whistle in Monaghan.

Conor Owens emerged as the last gasp hero for Omagh, planting a sweet score in the first minute of injury time for what proved to be the winning point.

The Beragh lad chipped in with four points in total, while Ruairi McCullagh also tagged on three scores, but much of the credit for this triumph has to go to a resilient and tight-knit CBS defence, which put the clampers on the Carrickmacross side after the break.

Nathan Farry, Caolan Donnelly, Callum Daly and Tomas Haigney all bombed forward with great intent and purpose, starving their markers of possession in the process. Midfielders Eoin Donaghy and Charlie Donnelly also got through a trojan amount of work, while the bustling runs of team captain Eoin McElholm were a constant source of danger for Patrician.

It was Charlie Donnelly who banged over a quality opener for Omagh in the third minute, after linking up with his midfield colleague, but on a heavy pitch at Duffy Park, the Brothers knew they were in for a turgid battle against determined and physically imposing opponents.

Three points in quick succession had Patrician out in front. Kian Duffy knocked over a close range free, before the lively James Maguire latched onto Matthew Carolan’s pass to split the posts, and Carolan himself then registered a point, coming round on the shoulder of colleague Dualta Honney to confidently fire over.

McElholm injected some much needed life into the Omagh attack when he marauded through before teeing up Loughmacrory clubmate Ruairi McCullagh for a sweet strike on the left foot, and Owens then levelled matters banging over a free from out on the right sideline.

It was nip and tuck throughout the course of an engaging first half, with little daylight between two evenly matched sides. Maguire’s free for Patrician was quickly cancelled out when Ruairi McCullagh landed a quality effort, after half-back Caolan Donnelly carried out the spadework.

Goal chances had been at a premium but Lorcan McCullagh was released towards the Patrician square when brilliantly picked out by Nathan Farry’s crossfield pass, however he was content to fist over to ease Omagh 0-5 to 0-4 in front.

By the 20 minute mark the teams were tied up again as Carrick midfielder Darragh Mee arrowed a shot just inside the near post. Owens replied at the other end with a crisp strike over the top from McElholm’s quickly taken free, but another Maguire free and super score from out the left flank by defender Packie Dougan handed Patrician a narrow 0-7 to 0-6 interval lead. Indeed the gap could have been wider but in injury time CBS keeper Conor McAneney got an outstretched boot to Maguire’s low drive to keep his net intact.

Omagh endured a tardy start to the second period as the Monaghan side asserted some early control, taking advantage of some sloppy defending from their opponents. Maguire was given room to swivel in around the large square and tuck over, and from the kick-out Honney pounced to swing over a score in some style to make it 0-9 to 0-6.

Despite a delightful point from Tomas Haigney, Omagh were struggling to make inroads as Carrick scavanged and hounded with gusto, looking to keep shooting opportunities at a minimum.

They then sought to counter-attack at speed when in transition, and this ploy paid off when Doogan was given acres of room to slot over his second score.

However that 36th minute effort was to prove to be Patrician’s final score of the contest as they were pegged more and more on the backfoot the remainder of the way.

Omagh struggled to translate their dominance into scores, although a Ruairi McCullagh free and well crafted McElholm attempt left just one in it.

Just past the three quarter mark a sweeping Omagh move culminated in Owens bombing through onto Callum Donnelly’s delivery to hoist over the equaliser and set up a grandstand finish.

Owens then turned creator when he darted in from the left endline and fed Ruairi McCuallgh but his punched attempt for goal cannoned back off the crossbar.

Patrician looked out on their feet as they defended for their lives but with extra-time looming it was Owens who stepped up to the mark with a superb winning strike in the 61st minute.

The Scorers