Galbally push Dromore all the way

Dromore 1-8   Galbally 2-3

DROMORE dug deep in the second-half to grind out a narrow victory against challengers Galbally at a wet and blustery Carrickmore on Sunday evening in the first round of the Tyrone Senior Championship.

The Pearses looked poised for an upset at half-time having pounced for two goals in the first-half against the breeze, but Dromore showed all their know-how after the break to set up a quarter-final clash against Dungannon last weekend.

It was a day for the umbrellas and the waterproofs and scores were at a premium throughout, but all that mattered for the teams was the final outcome so Dromore will be delighted to have come through a potential banana skin unscathed.

Dromore had a significant wind advantage in the first-half and Niall Sludden opened the scoring after 20 seconds. The very same man boomed over another point 20 seconds later.

The pre-match favourites compounded their advantage as their captain Conor O’Hara got his name on the scoreboard, and kept on top of things down the other end with Nathan McCarron and Peter Teague forcing a number of early turnovers.

Galbally were on the back foot and found themselves six points in arrears when Declan McNulty palmed into an empty net after the ball was laid on a plate by Sludden.

The howling breeze was – in theory – a major impediment to the Pearses and forays into the Dromore half of the pitch were understandably few and far between in the early exchanges.

But against the run of play they stitched together a well-worked goal finished off by half-back John Hetherington midway through the first half. In the conditions, it was worth arguably more than the three points on offer.

And wouldn’t you know it they got another a couple of minutes later. Showing commendable adventure in attack the ball was played across goal and the alert Marc Lennon rose highest to leave the scoreboard all square with 20 minutes on the clock.

In theory, Dromore should have been knocked back on their heels but they responded brilliantly with three quickfire points, two from Peter Teague and one from Tiarnan Sludden.

Galbally had found their feet and kept on coming though with Daniel Kerr forcing a superb stop from Mark McGale. They tagged on a free from Kerr and it’s fair to say the Pearses had grown into the contest even if they trailed 1-6 to 2-1 as half-time approached.

That’s how it remained as the whistle blew for half-time and you don’t have to be a mind-reader to figure out that Galbally will have been delighted to be only two points in arrears. The breeze had been considerable in the first-half and they were right in the hunt against the 2021 Senior Champions.

Tiarnan Sludden almost got a goal early doors after a free dropped short but the Galbally defenders were alert to his effort. Subsequently, Dromore probed for an opening but the Pearses were sound at the back, albeit they would’ve liked to threaten more in an attacking sense.

Dromore spurned a few good opportunities to extend their advantage with the scores drying up at both ends. Galbally got the first score of the half with 40 minutes gone, Joseph Corrigan with a lovely strike, reducing the deficit to a single point.

Centre-half back Ryan McCusker was having a good half for Dromore with his driving runs and he teed up Niall Sludden for a crucial score.

Dromore led by two points heading into the final quarter, a not especially comforting lead, but they did some excellent work keeping the door shut at the back.

There was a mad scramble as the clock ticked into injury time with Galbally through on goal. The ball eventually spilled out for a ‘45’ and Conor Donaghy nailed it. Could Galbally get an equaliser? It made for a frantic finale but Dromore held on with the final point of the game from Oran Sludden, and credit to both teams for a stirring contest.