Cookstown fend off Augher fightback to make last four

JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTER-FINAL

Cookstown 3-17  Augher 2-11

By Niall Gartland

COOKSTOWN were expected by all and sundry to plot a comfortable path into the semi-finals, but they were given one almighty fright by Augher on Friday night at Healy Park.

The double-chasing Fr Rocks had made mincemeat of Augher in their two league meetings this year (5-23 to 1-7 and 4-28 to 1-4) and at half-time it looked like they were on course for another facile victory. A fait accompli, even.

Fr Rocks held a 2-9 to 0-5 advantage on the scorecard on a pleasant evening in Omagh and deservedly so – they’d completely bossed the midfield exchanges and had scored almost at their leisure, but there was one glimmer of hope from an Augher perspective; late in the half they’d stitched together a few useful attacking moves and that was something.

But still, what happened next bordered on the unbelievable. The momentum of the game swung entirely in Augher’s favour for a full 20 minutes. Tommy Bloomer’s side cast off the shackles like there’s no tomorrow in an attacking frenzy yielding two goals, a succession of cracking points, and to say that Cookstown were wobbling would be an understatement.

It wasn’t the last sting of a dying wasp: this was sustained dominance for a prolonged spell and with five minutes remaining, Cookstown led by a single, solitary point. 2-12 to 2-11, it was anybody’s game.

All-Ireland U20 winner Conall Sheehy was cool as a cucumber amid the maelstrom. He embarked on a lengthy run forward and could easily have tapped the ball over the bar for a handy score, but he elected to play a quick one-two before hammering the ball to the net.

It took the wind out of Augher’s sails and Cookstown never looked back. The siege had been lifted and they rattled off five points on the spin to record a 3-17 to 2-11 victory, an outcome that will no doubt come as a considerable source of relief. And when has a team ever navigated the Tyrone Club championships without surviving a scare or two?

Anyway, they’d played some really good stuff in the first-half. Michael McElhatton, who was excellent, got their account up and running with a point, before laying the ball on a plate for Nathan Connolly for an early goal.

Cookstown captain Matthew McNeill and Niall McMurray were lording the skies and the scores began to flow. Sheehy sauntered through the middle for a fine point from play, while McNeill made it 2-3 to no score with a calmly applied finish to the net in the 10th minute. Already, the signs were ominous from an Augher perspective.

Their opponents got their first score of the day from Declan Connolly, but Cookstown were in the ascendancy and kept the ball rolling with an array of scores from McMurray, Karol McGuigan and Matthew Carberry. Their attacking play was razorsharp, though Augher almost plundered a goal when Ronan McElroy’s shot was tipped over the bar.

While Cookstown remained in a commanding position, Augher did finish the half reasonably well with a two-point free from Darragh Kavanagh and a well-worked score from Finnbar McElroy, while Declan Connolly was looking really lively in possession.

Trailing by 10 points at the break didn’t exactly bode well for their chances, but Augher came out like men possessed and Connolly had the ball in the back of the net mere seconds after the restart with Dara Donnelly and Darragh Kavanagh involved in the build-up.

Sheehy responded for Cookstown, though Augher plundered another goal when Jarlath McNamee reacted quickest to a spilled possession, leaving a much more manageable five-point deficit. Down the other end, Augher goalkeeer Conan McGovern was having a stormer, making his second excellent save of the evening.

Cookstown’s McElhatton fired over a lovely point to momentarily stem the tide, but Augher’s tails were up and kept on chipping away. They were attacking in waves with corner-back Liam McKenna playing his heart out, and two successive two-point frees from Kavanagh left only a point between the teams. They were nearly there.

Fr Rocks responded with a McElhatton free, but Augher were still going strong and Tiernan McElroy kept the pressure on with a fine score. We were deep into the final ten minutes and the upset was well and truly on.

But ultimately, Cookstown weren’t to be denied. Sheehy’s goal in the 55th minute released the pressure valve and after that, Cookstown didn’t look back with a flurry of late scores.

Raymond McElroy (straight red) and McElhatton (second yellow) were dismissed late on, and while there were eight minutes of injury time, it had been a sporting contest with little in the way of niggle until late on. Cookstown had done enough, but they were certainly made to dig deep against an Augher side that can be very proud of their efforts on the night.

Scorers

Cookstown: Michael McElhatton (0-9. 6f, 1 ‘45’), Conall Sheehy (1-2), Nathan Connolly (1-1), Matthew McNeill (1-0), Matthew Carberry (0-2, 1f), Niall McMurray, Karol McGuigan, Karol Wawrynkiewicz (0-1 each)

Augher: Darragh Kavanagh (0-7, 3 2pt f, 1f), Declan Connolly (1-1),  Jarlath McNamee (1-0), Ronan McElroy, Finnbar McElroy and Tiernan McElroy (0-1 each)

Teams

Cookstown: Danny McElhatton, Ronan Donnelly, Conor Donnelly, Callan Kelly, Michael Oscar Devlin, Luke Neeson, Darragh McHugh, Conall Sheehy, Matthew McNeill, Niall McMurray, Karol Wawrynkiewicz, Michael McElhatton, Nathan Connolly, Matthew Carberry, Karol McGuigan. Subs: Eoghan Donnelly for Devlin, John McIvor for McNeill, Luke Cullen for McHugh, Seamus Glackin for McGuigan

Augher: Conan McGovern, Liam McKenna, Emmett Neeson, Niall McCaughey, Martin McElhatton, Jody Kelly, Finnbar McElroy, Eoghan Keenan, Cathal McKenna, Ronan McElroy, Dara Donnelly, Jarlath McNamee, Darragh Kavanagh, Raymond McElroy, Declan Connolly. Subs: Tiernan McElroy for R McElroy, Aiden McElroy for McNamee, Jarlath McCaughey for E Keenan, Ben McMenamin for Kelly

Referee: Mark Nugent (Donaghmore)