Carmen and Ardboe Minors to meet in Championship decider

MINOR GRADE ONE CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINALS

Carrickmore 5-22 Cookstown 1-8

CARRICKMORE produced an outstanding second half display to comfortably get the better of reigning champions Cookstown at Derrytresk to set up a mouthwatering Grade 1 Minor Championship decider against Ardboe.

Nobody could have foreseen what was going to happen in the second period after the holders had recovered from a slow start to only trail by two at the break. Carrickmore though came back out and blitzed their opponents with 2-5 without reply before amazingly Cookstown got their only score of the second half.

The winners weren’t finished yet as they rounded off the game with another scoring burst that yielded them 3-5 without response to qualify for their second final of the campaign as they were already through to the league decider against Fintona.

The St.Colmcilles set their stall out from the word go as they established a foothold on proceedings. Vincent Gormley opened the scoring and Ryan Donaghy (2), Sean Donnelly, Phelim McCrory and Padraig Donaghy all added points, the latter two were two pointers, for a 0-8 to 0-0 lead.

Lorcan McMurray and Ryan Donaghy then exchanged points before the Father Rocks enjoyed their best spell of the game. McMurray hit 1-2 with Karol Wawrynkiewicz converting a two point free and Eoin Long also on target a they hit 1-5 without reply to level matters. Sean Donnelly, Ryan Donaghy and Gormley then all scored for the winners either side of another McMurray effort to leave it 0-12 to 1-7 at the interval.

By the time McMurray got Cookstown’s only second half score the game was over as a contest. Gormley got a goal in the opening moments of the second half and Carrickmore kicked on from there.

Gormley, Brayden McNally, McCrory, Shea Munroe and Cal McAleer all notched points either side of a goal from midfielder Michael McCallan as they scored 2-5 without response.

After McMurray’s score the winners then hit their third scoring spree of the game and this time it was 3-5 unanswered as they eased through to the final. Points came from McNally (2), Conal Loughran, Ryan Donaghy and Cathain Fox with McNally getting their third goal before Munroe rounded things of in style by grabbing two late goals.

Ardboe 3-15 Trillick 1-10

ARDBOE are back in their first grade one Minor Championship Final in nine years when they proved too strong for a gallant Trillick side at Pearse Park in Galbally on Wednesday evening.

It was a contest that the prematch favourites always had the upper hand in and after establishing a 1-5 to 0-2 lead by the 20^th minute they never looked back. They maintained that gap at the interval after bagging a further two goals and while Trillick played until the final whistle they had left themselves with too much ground to make up as Ardboe set up a final showdown with Carrickmore back at the same venue.

The winners had early points from Jamie Concannon and Darragh Devlin to settle into the game. Aodhan Corry and Tadgh Britton were among the marksmen for the St.Macartans before Ardboe struck for the opening goal through Dylan Devlin.

Trillick though wasted no time in responding with a goal of their own from Christy McGovern and with Ryan McGurren and Cathal Kelly also supplying points they were still in the hunt. Ardboe though got crucial goals with Peter Joe Quinn on target and Devlin then getting his second major to leave them leading 3-6 to 1-6 at the short whistle.

Trillick were very much in contention going into the second half but a key moment arrived when Ardboe keeper Shea McConville saved a penalty. Trillick did have second half points from Corry, his 3^rd of the night, McGurren with another brace and Matthew Garrity but they couldn’t get that goal that they badly needed to ignite a fightback.

Ardboe on the other hand defended well to keep their opponents at arms length while they also managed to pick off points to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Concannon and Darragh Devlin chipped in with further points with Ruairi O’Neill, Darragh Muldoon and defender Davin McKeown all getting their names on the scoresheet as well as they advanced to the decider.