Carrickmore U-16s lose out to Denn in Paul McGirr Championship

Carrickmore 2-8  Denn 3-11

FIRST time Cavan champions Denn caused the shock of the first round when a power packed 15 minute spell after half time saw them progress into the last four of the Paul McGirr Ulster U16 Club Championship at the expense of Tyrone champions Carrickmore.

Played at a slippery and gusty Gardrum Park before a large and enthusiastic crowd, there was little to separate the teams in the first half before the Breffni lads showed their class in the second period, led by a great display of accuracy by the MFC Sports man of the match Nathan Quigley who amassed a personal tally of 2-07.

Playing with the aid of a strong breeze, it was the Tyrone champions who were quickest to settle with points from midfielder Sean Donnelly and centre forward Padraig Donaghey. Swapped frees from Quigley and Ryan Donaghy followed before Denn had a period of dominance resulting in a 1-02 salvo from Quigley, the goal a converted penalty to put his side three ahead.

Momentum then swung the other way as Donnelly and the towering Phelim McCrory gained a foothold in the middle.
A sweeping counter attack saw the ball quickly moved through the hands and Carmen’s talisman Padraig Donaghy was on the end to convert for a fantastic team goal. The goal however came at a cost as Donaghy was injured in the process.

Full forward Ryan Donaghy converted a penalty to put Carmen ahead but the score of the match followed when Denn’s wing forward Mark Reilly gathered the ball sixty yards out before embarking on a mazy run ending with a sensational finish to the bottom corner from twenty yards.

A late Donnelly point from a mark gave Carrickmore the slenderest of leads going into the half time break. This was as good as it got for the Tyrone champions as Denn took the game by the scruff of the neck on the restart, Conor McCabe, Finian Smith, Mark Reilly, Senan Smith and Quigley in particular stamped their authority on the game and Carrickmore struggled to stem the tide.

Quigley found the back of the net following another penetrating run by Reilly and points from himself and Finian Smith gave their side an advantage they were never to surrender.

McCrory with a great effort against the wind got one back for Carrickmore and another from Vincent Gormley, who was double marked throughout, were cancelled out by two each from Quigley and Senan Smith who had swapped positions.

In typical Carrickmore style they never gave up the ghost and scores from Gormley, Ryan Donaghy and sub Finbar Donaghy gave them hope in the dying minutes but they failed to get through the packed Denn defence to get the goal they required.

It was an absorbing contest in tough conditions well refereed by James Lewis and the Cavan boys were deserving winners as they progress to meet the winners of Dromintee and Burren in the semi final.

Teams and Scorers
Carrickmore: Conor McPhillips, Ruairi Daly, Oisin Conlan, Caolan McGarrity, Rory Woods, Cal McAleer, Conor McElhone, Sean Donnelly (0-2), Michael McCallan, Conal Loughran, Padraig Donaghy (1-1), Patrick Haughey, Phelim McCrory (0-1), Ryan Donaghy (1-2, 1f, 1 Pen), Vincent Gormley (0-2, 2F) Subs: Finbar Donaghy for Donaghy (0-1), Niall Morris for Daly, Lochlann Giller for Woods, Padraig Loughran for Haughey, Ruairi McElduff for Gormley

Denn: Marc Libanza, Christian Ashfield, Daniel Galligan, Oran Smith, Adam McManus, Conor McCabe, Rian Brady, Finian Smith (0-1), Ronan Tierney, Mark Reilly (1-0), Senan Smith (0-2), Oisin Smith (0-1), Oisin Baker, Nathan Quigley (2-7, 4F, 1 Pen), Aaron Farrelly. Subs: Eoghan Galligan for Farrelly, Rian Tobin for McManus