By 
ULSTER SCHOOLS RANNAFAST CUP SEMI-FINAL
Omagh CBS 4-14 St Mary’s Magherafelt 0-13
OMAGH CBS are only sixty minutes away from retaining the Rannafast Cup after a strong second half display saw the get the better of St Mary’s Magherafelt at Donnelly Park in Trillick.
In the end thirteen points separated the two sides but that doesn’t tell the tale of the game as there was only two between them at the break with the holders grabbing all four of their goals in the second period.
Their reward is a final meeting with St Pat’s Maghera this Wednesday in what is a repeat of this season’s Oisin McGrath decider which Omagh CBS won narrowly.
It was St Mary’s Magherafelt who were quickest out of the blocks as Gabriel Gormley and Joey Dallot both registered points inside the opening five minutes.
Conal Loughran then opened Omagh’s account and after Tom Gallen had levelled from a “45” Conor Fyffe put the Brothers in front.
Tomas O’Kane then sent over the equaliser and at the end of the opening quarter it was the Derry school who held a narrow advantage after Tomas Devlin had converted a free.
Omagh CBS midfielder Gallen levelled matters before he gave his side an advantage that they were never to lose as he raised an orange flag and that was followed by points from Matthew Garrity and Cormac Darcy.
Magherafelt though were giving as good as they got at this stage and after midfielder Gormley had scored again Devlin converted a brace of frees to close the gap to the minimum.
It was Omagh CBS though who had the final say of the first half through Dara Burns to give them a narrow 0-9 to 0-7 advantage.
Devlin had the opening score of the second half but proved as good as it got for St.Mary’s Magherafelt.
Despite playing against the breeze Omagh CBS began to get on top and the scores flowed. Burns pointed from play and Aodhan Corry then got on the scoresheet from a free before a poor kickout saw the same player score from play.
The winners now had their tails up and the first goal of the game arrived when good work from Gallen saw him find Caolan McKinney for a good finish to the net.
Dallot and Devlin responded with points for Magherafelt but going into the final quarter Omagh CBS substitute Michael McMahon got their second goal to open up a 2-12 to 0-10 lead.
Corner forward Devlin just about kept Magherafelt in the game with another two successful frees but Omagh CBS weren’t to be denied.
Garrity got in for two well taken goals and he added a point for good measure before Leyton Cassidy got St Mary’s last score of the game.
It was Omagh though who completed the scoring via corner back James McGarvey as he became his side’s tenth different marksman of the day as a very impressive second half display helped ease them into that final with St Pat’s Maghera.
Scorers
Omagh CBS: Matthew Garrity 2-2, Tom Gallen 0-4 Caolan McKinney 1-0, Michael McMahon 1-0, Aodhan Corry 0-2, Dara Burns 0-2, Conal Loughran 0-1, Conor Fyffe 0-1, Cormac Darcy 0-1, James McGarvey 0-1
St Mary’s Magherafelt: Tomas Devlin 0-7, Gabriel Gormley 0-2, Joey Dallot 0-2, Tomas O’Kane 0-1, Leyton Cassidy 0-1.
