Carmen in command against Eglish

ALL-COUNTY LEAGUE DIVISION ONE ROUND-UP

Carrickmore 4-11 Eglish 0-7

CARRICKMORE fully justified their favourites tag at home to Eglish on Thursday evening as they eased to a sixteen point victory to stay well on course for a place in the league final.

It was a result that was never really in doubt after the St.Colmcilles hit 1-7 without reply in a blistering ten minute spell in the second quarter on their way to a 1-7 to 0-3 interval advantage. In the second half it was just a matter of keeping the scoreboard ticking over for the St.Colmcilles and they did that with the minimum fuss on their way to a sixteen point triumph that in no way flattered them.

The home side signalled their intentions from the off with Lorcan McGarrity splitting the posts after only seventeen seconds and while Ethan Jordan levelled matters with a neat point from distance in the fourt^th minute that was as good as it was to get for the visitors.

Man of the match Martin Penrose gave his side a lead that they were never to lose from a converted mark before the same player could have had a goal in the 12^th minute when a superb long pass from Sean Donnelly put him in behind the Eglish defence but he blasted over.

Ryan Donnelly responded for Eglish with a well worked team score before the home side enjoyed that purple patch that effectively won them the game. Penrose hit another trio of superb points before full forward Danny Fullerton got in on the act with a fine effort from out on the right wing. It was all Carrickmore at this stage and when Sean Donnelly broke up an Eglish attack he began a move that saw Penrose provide the pass for Fullerton to cut in from the right wing and drill the ball low to the net past Emmett McKenna.

It took nine minutes of the second period for the first score to arrive via McGarrity with Eglish going straight down the field for Matthew McGleenan to respond. Mark Donnelly then pointed with his first touch after coming off the bench before goal number two arrived in the 46^th minute. Good work from McGarrity saw him play the ball to Penrose whose exquisite pass picked out McGarrity who calmly finished to the net. Respective centre half forwards Rory Donnelly and Jordan exchanged points before Dan Muldoon capped a forty metre run with an Eglish score.

Moments later though McKenna was picking the ball out of his net for a third time when Ruairi Slane provided the assist for Donnelly to finish in style to the bottom right hand corner of the net. Substitute Aidan Fullerton tagged on a point before his younger brother Danny got goal number four after a strong run from Tiernan Murray.

Massive win for St.Malachys

Donaghmore 1-10 Edendork 1-13

This was a big game for both sides at Father Devlin Park and it was visitors Edendork who took the spoils with a late Niall Morgan goal proving to be the pivotal score.

The home side got off to a great start when a Dan Toner point was followed by a 5^th minute Thomas McGuigan goal. Donaghmore though only added another point to their tally as Edendork and in particular Darren McCurry took over, the Tyrone attacker with half a dozen points to leave his side 0-8 to 1-2 in front at the short whistle.

The visitors then moved five clear on the restart before Donaghmore enjoyed a good spell. Ronan Cassidy and Cormac McCann hit a brace each before McCurry sent a penalty over the bar. McCann, Cassidy and Noah Grimes all hit points as Donaghmore took the lead but Morgan scored that goal in the 57^th minute before McCurry made sure with his 8^th point.

Vital win for Greencastle

Galbally 1-10 Greencastle 1-13

Greencastle’s hopes of survival in the top flight received a shot in the arm at Pearse Park on Wednesday evening as they secured victory over a Galbally side who were losing for the third straight game.

The first half was a dull affair with both sides giving the ball away and in a low scoring period it was 0-4 each. Mark Donnelly and Barry Carberry had points for the home side with Cahir McCullagh and Mark Carson on target for Greencastle.

McCullagh and Liam Rafferty traded points in the third quarter before Conor Donaghy brought the sides level. McCullagh though took his personal haul to five as Greencastle led going into the last ten minutes. Christopher Morris then scored a Galbally goal and Marc Lennon added a point but substitute Enda Clarke scored 1-1 and Sean Warnock was also on target as the visitors claimed a vital victory.

Superb second half wins the day for St.Endas

Moortown 2-8 Omagh 0-16

This was another crucial contest in the lower half of the division one table on Wednesday night and it was Omagh who came out on top after a brilliant second half revival.

Moortown looked to be well on their way to what would have been a third successive win as goals from Blaine Ryan and Shea Lawn coupled with points from Ryan Kelly, Brian McLernon and Tarlach Quinn had them seven clear at the interval.

Omagh looked to be in big trouble but they were a transformed side after the break. Ronan O’Neill led by example with seven points on the night with Conan Grugan and substitute Callum Daly getting a brace each with Conor O’Donnell and Daniel McCrossan also on target as their recent run of form continued.

Leaders win again

Dromore 0-13 Loughmacrory 0-7

Leaders Dromore took another step towards a possible league final when they made home advantage count against Loughmacrory on Friday evening.

Scores proved difficult to come by in the first half with both defences on top. Points from Niall Sludden (2), Declan McNulty (2) and Aodhan O’Donnell saw the St.Dympnas lead 0-5 to 0-3 at the interval, Cathal Donaghy with a brace for the St.Theresas with Caothair Gallagher also on target.

Gallagher reduced the deficit to the minimum on the restart but that was to be as good as it got for Loughmacrory. McNulty, Niall Sludden, Caolan McCrossan and Oran Sludden all landed points for the home side and while the visitors responded through Donaghy and keeper Oisin O’Kane it wasn’t enough.

Late O’Donnell strike wins the day

Trillick 0-10 Dungannon 0-9

Sean O’Donnell proved to be the Trillick hero at Donnelly Park on Friday evening as he split the posts in the last attack of the game to give Trillick victory over Dungannon.

As expected Lee Brennan and Paul Donaghy were to the forefront in the scoring stakes for their respective sides in a contest that the St.Macartans led 0-7 to 0-4 at the break.

Ryan Gray was also on target for the home side with Brennan finishing up with 0-8 to his name. The Clarkes had trailed most of the game but with Donaghy hitting half a dozen points and James Quinn getting the other three they had managed to get back on level terms late on before O’Donnell struck.

Killyclogher stay in contention

Killyclogher 0-10 Coalisland 0-5

This was a crucial game for both sides for completely different reasons and it was Killyclogher who came out on top to continue their push for a place in the league final and leave Coalisland in trouble at the opposite end of the table.

A Tiernan Quinn free opened the scoring in the 8^th minute but that proved to be the Fianna’s only score of the first half. Conal McCann hit a brace with Tiernan McCann, Darragh Hayes, Odhran Potter and Mattie Murnaghan all raising white flags as well as Killyclogher established a 0-6 to 0-1 lead.

Cormac O’Hagan opened the second half scoring but a run of three points from Potter and the McCann brothers Conal and Oisin left Killyclogher in the comfort zone. O’Hagan and Quinn registered further points for Coalisland on a night when they failed to score from play but Killyclogher closed the game out.

Errigal blown off course

Ardboe 0-15 Errigal Ciaran 0-11

EVEN with most of the big guns all back to bolster their ranks, Errigal Ciaran slipped to defeat at the hands of a pumped-up Ardboe on Thursday.

The home side underlined their intentions with an impressive opening assault, full-back Oisin Devlin banging over a leveller, before Mulgrew and Conan Devlin also registered quality scores.

A brilliant block by Cassidy to divert aside Padraig McGirr’s goalbound effort epitomised the zest and intensity with which Ardboe went about their business on the night, though they were relieved to see a Darragh Canavan piledriver graze the outside of the post with the keeper Conal Quinn beaten.

Shea McGuigan (free) and Eugene Teague split the posts to move the home side four clear, before Robinson and Mulgrew traded quality efforts to maintain that gap.

Errigal were lacking their usual sharpness inside scoring range, though in mitigation the swirling wind didn’t make life easy for the shooters. Cassidy showed how it should be done with a wonderful conversion from wide out on the right, but Robinson responded with another top notch attempt from distance at the other end.

Scores came thick and fast in the run up to the interval. Errigal keeper Darragh McAnenly had to react sharply to tip Kyle Coney’s looping shot over the bar and McGuigan capped a powerful run by fisting over.

Errigal were also keeping the scoreboard ticking over courtesy of a Tommy Canavan free, fisted Padraig McGirr point, and sharply taken Darragh Canavan effort which closed the gap to three at the turnaround.

That deficit was quickly dwindled down to the bare minimum as Ruairi and Tommy Canavan (free) both raised white flags, but Errigal spurned other opportunities during this dominant spell to jump ahead.

Ardboe battened down the hatches and rattled off four points on the spin to give themselves something of a cushion. Michael O’Neill surged through to convert, as did Teague soon after, while keeper Quinn and Coney both knocked over frees.

Errigal huffed and puffed but despite points through Tommy Canavan (after Darragh’s initial attempt was blocked down by Conal Devlin) and Robinson again, there was no way back for them.

Conal Devlin and Mulgrew steered over tidy scores on the counter-attack to see the hosts across the line.