Sigersons are squeezed out by the Eire Ogs

Strabane 0-11 Clogher 1-9

STRABANE Sigersons opened their Tyrone All County League Division 3A campaign at home on Friday night against a fine Clogher side who had already recorded two good wins over Augher and Drumragh.

The Eire Ogs are among the favourites to win the League title having just being relegated from Intermediate level last season, so they were always going to prove to be a difficult side to beat.

The visitors playing with the aid of a stiff breeze got off to a fantastic start with the impressive Marc McConnell hitting a brace of two pointers from open play in the first five minutes which were to prove crucial to the outcome of the contest.

Strabane soon got themselves settled and responded with points from play via Oran McGrath and Haydn McNamee. The sides then traded points with Ryan McCaughey from a free kick for Clogher with Haydn McNamee from play for Sigersons.

With the interval looming, Clogher hit two quick fire scores from play via the impressive Finbar McCaughey whilst Oran McGrath for Sigersons reduced the arrears to three on the stroke of half-time.

Sigersons opened the second half with a long-range point from play through Oran McGrath, but this was quickly cancelled out with a similar strike via Clogher midfielder Barry McKenna. Both sides were guilty of shooting several wides during this period then Strabane hit a purple patch hitting three points within five minutes to draw the game level.

Oran White fired over from play and then netminder Eoin Haire slotted over a forty-five-metre kick and Kelvin Nelson levelled matters with a point from play.

Just when it looked as though Strabane were in the ascendancy, Clogher broke away opening up the Strabane defence to allow Michael McCaughey to break free and score the only goal of the game on forty-seven minutes. Strabane refused to lie down and responded with points from play via Oran McGrath and Gavin Molloy to reduce the deficit to the minimum.

With seven minutes remaining, the industrious Finbar McCaughey fired over what proved to be a winning score for Clogher although Strabane did respond through the veteran Warner Mullen with a point from play. Sigersons did create another few late chances, but time ran out and they went down by the bare minimum.

Strabane will know that they didn’t play to their potential and still came so close to a side that will have a big bearing on where the Division 3A title will eventually rest, both sides had key players absent for this clash and will renew acquaintances later in the season. On the plus side, Strabane registered eleven scores as opposed to eight from Clogher, with their goal and a brace of two pointers proving crucial to the outcome.

Scorers

Strabane: Oran McGrath 0-4, Haydn McNamee 0-2, Kelvin Nelson 0-1, Eoin Haire 0-1, Gavin Molloy 0-1, Oran White 0-1, and Warner Mullen 0-1

Clogher: Marc McConnell (0-4) (2×2), Finbar McCaughey 0-3, Michael McCaughey 1-0, Ryan McCaughey (0-1), and Barry McKenna 0-1

Teams

Strabane: Eoin Haire, Ruairi White, Oran Sweeney, Jamie Hughes, Ronan McLaughlin, Ryan McElroy, Joe Bishop, Oran McGrath, and Gary Quigg, Kyle Morrison, Gavin Molloy, Mark Roarty, Kelvin Nelson, Oran White, Haydn McNamee. Subs used: Martin Mongan for Jamie Hughes, Adam Duffy for Gavin Molloy, Oisin McGillion for, Warner Mullen for Kelvin Nelson

Clogher: Aidan O’Hanlon, Ruairi McCaughey, Dominic McKernan, Sean McCaffrey, Conor Shields, Matthew Callaghan, Mark Bogue, Darragh Mellon and Barry McKenna, Michael McCaughey, Cillian Barkley, Eoin Mellon, Ryan McCaughey, Marc McConnell, Finbar McCaughey. Subs used: Gareth McKenna for Barry McKenna, Kuba Isbaner for Aidan O’Hanlon

Referee: Cathal Bell (Killeeshil)