Carmen Minors see off Omagh on penalties

CARRICKMORE 1-17 OMAGH 0-20

(after extra-time, Carrickmore won 4-3 on pens)

CARRICKMORE clinched the Tyrone Minor Grade One Championship in dramatic fashion at Clanabogan Park on Saturday afternoon, courtesy of a penalty shoot out victory over a distraught Omagh side.

This delayed 2020 County youth decider more than lived up to its billing with the momentum toing and froing throughout an absorbing eighty minutes of action.

Daniel Fullerton top scored for the victors hitting 1-8, his goal arriving in the 20^th minute when he rifled a shot to the top corner of the Omagh net.

That score ensured that Carmen led 1-5 to 0-6 at half-time, but driven on by the likes of Enda McCaffrey, Oisin Miller and Ronan Strain, St Enda’s were in the ascendancy for much of the second period.

They led by two, 0-13 to 1-8 as the match headed into injury time before Conor Cuddy and the impressive James Donaghy slotted over Carrickmore points to set up extra-time.

While the breathless nature of the contest took its toll physically on the players, with many suffering from cramp, there was no let up in the quality. Neither side however was able to establish a vice-like grip which meant that they were still even at the end setting up spotkicks.

Nothing could separate them still after the first five kicks, with three conversions each, but Fullerton dispatched the decisive penalty and Carmen keeper Colm Eccles pulled off a subsequent save to ensure the Kevin McCartan Cup was heading to the green, white and gold camp.