Derby spoils go the way of Killyclogher

Killyclogher  2-18  Omagh 1-17

FIRST of all, what a rollicking game of football. Much of the pre-match chit-chat on a sweltering Friday evening at Ballinamullan centred on the players who wouldn’t be participating – between injuries, travel, county commitments, and so on.

It certainly didn’t have any discernible impact on the quality on offer – this was a tub-thumping Division One contest between two big rivals played in a thoroughly sporting manner and when all was said and done it was Killyclogher who claimed two precious league points.

The game’s defining spell was the third quarter. Both teams had more or less gone score-for-score in the first-half (Omagh led 1-9 to 0-11 at the interval), but the homesters turned the screw in a ten-minute spell where they gobbled up absolutely everything in the middle sector and made hay with it. 1-5 without reply laid the foundations for their eventual victory, and a second goal further down the tracks – a ferocious finish that pinged off the underside of the crossbar by influential full-forward Matthew Howe – almost completely finished the job.

A resurgent Omagh made sure that wasn’t the case – the St Enda’s men scored five of the game’s final seven points – but in the end it wasn’t enough, but they too will take positives from what had been an invigorating affair.

Killyclogher started proceedings like men in a hurry, racing into a 0-3 to no score lead via Tiernan Cox, Nathan O’Neill and Matthew Howe, the last of which was particularly pleasing to the eye.

Omagh snuffed out their early lead in one fell swoop with a goal from Jason McAnulla, preceded by points at both ends of the pitch, Dan Haigney and Oran Toal, two lads who exerted a considerable influence on proceedings, getting their names on the scoresheet.

Killyclogher weren’t short in manpower at the back, but Omagh were able to carve opening scoring opportunities thanks to the guile of Eoghan McNamee, Ronan O’Neill, Barry Tierney and others, and they edged their noses in front following a trademark O’Neill score in the 15th minute.

The home side enjoyed another purple patch with Cormac McGettigan scoring twice in quick succession, but St Enda’s had found their rhythm up front and were popping over scores on the regular. McNamee, Ronan O’Neill, Dan Haigney and Eoghan McNamee – they were in their element in the closing stages in the first-half, though Killyclogher likewise looked threatening on their forays forward and points from Toal, Patrick Corcoran and Howe ensured they only trailed by a point going into the second-half.

While both teams enjoyed periods of supremacy in the first-half, it looked like neither could really sustain it.

But out of the blue Killyclogher seized the initiative– Tiernan McCann, Oran Toal, Nathan Donnelly and Jordan Barton taking control of the airskies and wiping out the Omagh kick-out for a good ten-minute spell, yielding a string of scores including a goal from Corcoran.

It was starting to look dicey from an Omagh perspective, but they settled themselves with points from Haigney and McAnulla before the concession of a second goal, this time from Matthew Howe.

That left it 2-16 to 1-13 in Killyclogher’s favour with a fraction under 10 minutes remaining, though there was still time, just about, for an Omagh comeback and they landed three points in the space of two minutes to keep the home side on their toes.

Killyclogher released the pressure valve with a point from Cox after a purposeful run from McCann, before the last points of the day courtesy of McAnulla (Omagh) and Howe (Killyclogher).

And when Omagh ghosted through for a late goal chance and Ciaran McLaughlin’s snap-shot crashed against the side-netting, that was basically that, Killyclogher had done enough.

Scorers

Killyclogher: Matthew Howe (1-4, 1f), Patrick Corcoran (1-2), Oran Toal (0-4, 2f), Tiernan Cox and Cormac McGettigan (0-2 each), Nathan Donnelly (2pt), Tiernan McCann and Nathan O’Neill (0-1 each)

Omagh: Jason McAnulla (1-3, 1 2pt), Dan Haigney (0-5), Ronan O’Neill (0-5, 1 2pt f), Eoghan McNamee (0-2), Barry Tierney and Eoin McAnulla (0-1 each)

Teams

Killyclogher: Tiernan McNamee, Daniel Gorman, Luke Murnaghan, Sean Broderick, Matthew Devlin, Jordan Barton, Nathan O’Neill, Tiernan McCann, Nathan Donnelly, Patrick Corcoran, Cormac McGettigan, Oran Toal, Tiernan Cox, Matthew Howe, Sean McGowan. Subs: Mattie Murnaghan for Corcoran, Simon O’Neill for Howe

Omagh: Aidan Groogan, Matthew Mallon, Cormac Corry, Jack McGuigan, Ben Groogan, Fionnbharr Taggart, Ciaran McLaughlin, Barry Tierney, Oisin Miller, Tom Donaghy, Cormac Taggart, Jason McAnulla, Dan Haigney, Ronan O’Neill, Eoghan McNamee. Subs: Eoin McAnulla for Donaghy, Sean Laird for C Taggart

Referee: Martin Conroy (Moy)