Sigersons Reserves edge Tatts to triumph

Junior Reserve Championship Final

Strabane 2-14 Tattyreagh 0-19

By Aodhán Harkin

STRABANE Sigersons claimed their first Junior Reserve Football Championship title in three decades when they narrowly defeated a gritty Tattyreagh side at Páirc Naomh Eoghain, Newtownstewart on Friday night past in front of a large crowd.

It was a marvellous advert for Junior Reserve Football played at great pace and loads of scores with the game in the balance right until deep into injury time when Strabane’s teenage full forward Oran White won it with a converted close-range free kick.

Played in excellent conditions on an immaculate pitch, it was Strabane who were the early pacesetters with netminder Tom McDermott landing two fine two pointers both coming from free kicks in the opening six minutes. Tattyreagh responded with a two pointer of their own with Eoghan McGrath getting their opening score on eleven minutes from open play.

Gareth Mimnagh then landed a brace of points, one from play and another from a free kick to tie the game.

Both sides created opportunities before Strabane landed the first goal of the game in the twenty-first minute with the talented Oran White finding the Tattyreagh net after clever work by Gary Rouse. He also added a point from play before Tattyreagh responded with points from Andrew Allen and the impressive Gareth Mimnagh.

Prior to the interval the sides traded points with Oran White on target for Strabane whilst Mimnagh hit two for Tattyreagh.

As the game went into time added on, Strabane took advantage with Oran White hitting his second goal following fine approach play via Dylan Arnold and Gary Rouse. He also landed a point from play as did the veteran Martin Mongan.

Tattyreagh came out for the second half six points adrift and immediately made their mark with Mimnagh on target from play as did Joe Cartin. Strabane substitute Mickey Logue responded for Sigersons, but Tattyreagh hit a fairly dominant spell during which they hit 0-7 without reply.

Once again it was Gareth Mimnagh who led the way with two excellently struck two pointers from free kicks and two points from play while Stephen Girvan also weighed in with a point.

It took Strabane until the forty-eighth minute to register another point, and it came from the boot of Stefan Conway. Gary Rouse then levelled matters with a point from play as the game entered the closing stages.

It was Tattyreagh who seized the initiative and that man Mimnagh could do no wrong landing two points from free kicks to edge Tattyreagh into the lead as injury time loomed. Strabane were also dealt a big blow with a black card issued to Dylan Arnold.

With sixty minutes on the clock up stepped goalkeeper Tom McDermott to land a majestic two pointer from a free kick and it looked as though the game was heading for extra time when the referee moved a free kick from away out on the sideline into an easy scoring position for Strabane following dissent.

The unnerving Oran White planted the ball between the posts for the winning score much to the delight of the Strabane players, management team and large crowd of supporters.

This was a pulsating affair and both sides deserve great credit for their contribution over the hour, and a bit played.

Scorers

Strabane: Oran White 2-4, Tom McDermott 0-6 (3×2), Mickey Logue 0-1, Stefan Conway 0-1, Gary Rouse 0-1, and Martin Mongan 0-1

Tattyreagh: Gareth Mimnagh 0-14, Eoghan McGrath 0-2 (1×2), Andrew Allen 0-1, Joe Cartin (0-1), and Stephen Girvan 0-1

Teams

Strabane: Tom McDermott, Niall Duddy (Captain), Niall McGinty, Rian Coyle, Conall Flanagan, Adam Duffy, Ross Tourish, Martin Mongan, and Charlie Thompson, Luke Coyle, Gary Rouse, Stefan Conway, Dylan Arnold, Oran White, Cadhla McCrossan Subs: Cahir Grimley for Conall Flanagan, Mickey Logue for Luke Coyle, Josh Breslin for Cadhla McCrossan, Conor McLaughlin for Adam Duffy

Tattyreagh: Conor Cartin, Jason Harkin, Ciaran Mullan, Jack McCroary, Ryan Starrs, Declan Gallagher, Andrew Allen, Dan McGloin, and Niall Murray, Eoghan McGrath, Stephen Girvan, Joe Cartin, Sean Mitchell, Luke Devlin, Gareth Mimnagh. Subs: Enda Mulryan for Stephen Girvan

Referee: Odhran Gallen (Castlederg)