By 
RALL-IRELAND JUNIOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTER-FINAL
ALL-IRELAND JUNIOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTER-FINAL
Clogher 2-11 Tara 1-13
BATTLING Clogher eventual doused the ‘Great Fire’ brought by London champions Tara to drizzly Stewartstown on Saturday evening to progress into the semi-finals of the All-Ireland Junior Championship.
A winning point by Sean Bogue deep (real deep!) into injury time helped the relieved Eire Ogs pip the British champions to cap off an unforgettable 2025 season on a winning note, and ensure their fairy-tale journey is carried into the new year.
This proved to be a real scrap for the Tyrone side and worrying injuries to key defenders Ruairi McCaughey and Matty Callaghan (the latter stretchered off in the closing stages) meant they had plenty of obstacles to overcome, not to mention surmounting real obdurate opposition in the shape of the visiting Exiles.
Fortunately for the Eire Ogs several key players rose to the challenge, not the least of them being attacker Marc McConnell who was immense throughout hitting five points, while scoring one goal and setting up the other for Ciaran Bogue. His contribution was invaluable, though the likes of Sean McCaffrey, Mark Bogue, Sean Bogue and captain Conor Shields are also worthy of mention.
Tara’s own Number 14 Shay Rafter likewise had a brilliant outing (registering seven points) while Shaun McCready and raiding half-back Conor Redican also caught the eye. In terms of effort and commitment the London boys could not be faulted.
Ciaran Bogue (free) and McCready traded early scores, before Clogher then swooped for a tenth minute goal. McConnell collected a pass inside, showed his marker Daniel Henry a clean pair of heels and finished coolly past keeper Colm McCarthy.
Soon after the Eire Ogs hot-shot latched onto a precise delivery from Shields to loft over another score as his side jumped into a 1-2 to 0-1 lead.
The London visitors though quickly showed this wasn’t a pre-Christmas jaunt back home they were intent on as they hit Clogher with an impressive 1-4 scoring spree in a ten minute period.
Rafter was at the hub of it. He tagged on a brace of frees and also rifled an effort into the opposition side-netting, as a physically imposing Tara side began to wrest a grip around the middle sector.
The Eire Ogs were under the cosh a bit defensively and enjoyed another reprieve when Dylan McManus darted through and struck the base of the post after his initial attempt was parried by keeper Rory McElroy.
The Clogher goal though was eventually breached in the 21st minute, Shaun McCready with the crisp finish after Rafter did the spadework with a sharp turn and driving run towards the small square.
Rafter muscled his way through again soon after to split the posts, and when he also converted a free, the London side had eased three in front, 1-5 to 1-2.
Clogher however found their mojo again in the run-up to the interval, recording three points on the spin to restore parity at the break. Inevitably McConnell spearheaded the fightback, hoisting over a wonderful score from out on the left wing; while Cillian Barkey also notched up a quality point. And a foul on Ciaran Bogue as he surged up the middle allowed him to tap over the equalising free before the half-time whistle.
It was Tara who grabbed the initiative again on the restart. McCready steered over a fine point and Conor Redican made inroads from his wing-back berth to rifle an effort over the black spot.
McConnell replied with his latest skilful conversion at the other end, though Ciaran Bogue was denied a goal when keeper McCarthy pulled off an athletic block.
Another excellent Rafter score maintained Tara’s cushion, and while a free from Ryan McCaughey halved the deficit, Clogher were struggling for the most part to gain a foothold.
Further scores from McCready and Redican signalled Tara’s growing belief and helped them into a 1-10 to 1-7 advantage approaching the midway stage of the half.
Clogher were in need of a fillip and not for the first time in this epic Championship run, two of their star men delivered. An astute handpass from McConnell put Ciaran Bogue in the clear and he slipped a shot low past McCarthy in nets to level the scores.
That paved the way for a frantic and nervy closing stretch with each side repeatedly coughing up possession in the wet conditions. As the match ticked towards injury time McConnell handed Clogher the lead again, but Rafter wasn’t finished either at the other end and he tied things up with a lovely effort.
The same two marksmen were going at it tit for tat as they traded further points (Rafter with a free) as the clock ticked past the 65th minute.
Skipper Conor Shields, not for the first time, looked like he might have clinched it when he capped some patient Clogher approach work with a score, but a magnificent effort from around the 40m arc by Redican set up the prospect of extra-time.
There was still sufficient time on the clock though for Clogher to mount one final decisive attack and it was Sean Bogue who was the man in the right place at the right time to plant the winner.
Scorers
Clogher: Marc McConnell (1-5), Ciaran Bogue (1-2,2f), Conor Shields, Cillian Barkey, Sean Bogue (0-1 each), Ryan McCaughey (0-1,f)
Tara: Shay Rafter (0-7,4f), Shaun McCready (1-3), Conor Redican (0-3)
Teams
Clogher: Rory McElroy, Sean McCaffrey, Eoin Mellon, Ruairi McCaughey, Conor Shields, Matty Callaghan, Mark Bogue, Barry McKenna, Darragh Mellon, Sean Bogue, Ciaran Bogue, Jamie Callaghan, Ryan McCaughey, Marc McConnell, Cillian Barkey. Subs used: Dominic McKernan for R McCaughey (12mins), Vincent Lowry for E Mellon (38), Finbarr McCaughey for C Barkey (45), Eoin McCarron for B McKenna (52), Gareth McKenna for M Callaghan (54)
Tara: Colm McCarthy, Jack Power, Daniel Gallagher-Henry, Stephen Finnegan, Eoin McGivney, Kieran Harte, Conor Redican, Sean McCabe, Dylan McManus, Shaun McCready, Niall McGivney, Terry Gallagher, Luke Morahan, Shay Rafter, Sean Howley. Subs used: Margen Dyrwishi, Paul McDermott for L Morahan (60)
Referee: Chris Ryan (Galway)