Augher left stunned by Glenelly fightback

GLENELLY 1-13  AUGHER 0-13

A LESSON in perseverance. For long stretches of this contest it looked like Darragh Kavanagh was going to win the game virtually on his own for Augher, but Glenelly never gave up and eventually kicked the door down on the home straight of Saturday’s Junior Championship preliminary round contest at Tattyreagh.

Glenelly rattled off 1-5 from the 55th minute onwards with Augher only mustering a meagre point in reply. And while there was an air of fortune about Garrett O’Neill’s goal – the ball ricocheted back off his face after his initial shot was parried – you make your own luck at times and Glenelly reaped the rewards of a spirited second-half display.

Augher will feel bitterly disappointed that they didn’t seal the deal when they had the opportunity. Midway through the second-half they led by 0-10 to 0-5 and it looked like they had weathered the storm against a Glenelly side that had made improvements after a poor first-half display. Darragh Kavanagh was in his pomp – the former Tyrone U21 winner with Tyrone gave an exhibition of attacking football, scoring 11 points, five from play, linking up brilliantly with their playmaker Raymond McElroy.

There was a cagey start to proceedings with neither side troubling the scoreboard until Eoghan McConnell landed a neat point in the ninth minute. But it soon became apparent that Augher had a trump card in the form of Kavanagh, who started to piece the scores together for the south Tyrone side.

His movement and guile was hugely impressive throughout, and by contrast Glenelly looked a little static up front with Garrett O’Neill left isolated in the inside forward line. Their only score for the remainder of the half was a free from their goalkeeper Conor McAneney, and they were also a little too charitable in defence with late starter Eoghan Keenan permitted to run through the centre unheeded at times with their attention focused elsewhere.

Augher led by 0-6 to 0-2 at the break with Kavanagh weighing in with all six points. Glenelly had to up the ante big time and from early on in the second-half it was evident that they were going to throw everything into staying in this year’s championship. Half-back Cormac McBride popped up here, there and everywhere while sub Ronan O’Kane helped change the dynamic of the game as he lent a hand to the impressive Garrett O’Neill close to the Augher goal.

But Augher dug their heels in and when Raymond McElroy popped over a nice score in the 43rd minute (the first non-Kavanagh point of the day) they moved into a 0-10 to 0-5 lead and it looked like they were going to push for victory.

But obviously, that didn’t transpire and they were outscored by 1-8 to 0-5 for the rest of the contest. Eoghan McConnell, Cormac McConnell and Cormac McBride kept Glenelly’s hopes alives and the really critical moment came as the clock ticked into stoppage time with Garrett O’Neill nabbing a goal.

Glenelly led for the first time all game and while Augher responded with an Aidan McElroy equaliser, Glenelly’s tails were up and they landed three late points via O’Neill, Eoghan McConnell and Ronan O’Kane to snatch what had looked an unlikely looking victory.