Clinical Clogher sink Sigersons dreams of glory

JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINAL

Clogher 3-17 Strabane 4-4

CLINICAL Clogher sunk Strabane’s dreams of a first Junior Championship Final appearance in 34 years despite the concession of four goals in barely over half an hour of free flowing football at Garvaghey on Monday night.

The Sigersons raised a quartet of green flags in the opening 32 minutes to repeatedly galvanise their challenge, but after the last of those (a rocket dispatched high to the net by defender Kyle Morrison just after the interval) they were outscored 1-6 to 0-2 across the remainder of the contest as the Eire Ogs eventually coasted through to the Pat Darcy Cup decider.

Team captain Conor Shields and lethal marksman Ciaran Bogue (with 1-10 to his name) were outstanding for the victors throughout, while Ruairi McCaughey, Barry McKenna, Ryan McCaughey and Marc McConnell also put in solid shifts.

The likes of Ryan McElroy, Joe Bishop, Dan McHaghney and Oran McGrath stuck diligently to their task for the Sigersons over the hour, and special kudos also has to go to keeper Eoin Haire who thwarted the Eire Ogs on several occasions. The fact he was forced to work overtime however tells its own tale.

With Bogue dragging a goal chance into the side netting inside the first minute, the pattern for the night was set- both sets of defenders were going to be stretched.

Clogher had the wind at their backs in the first half but after Michael McCaughey slotted the opener, Strabane restored parity when Haydn McNamee slipped in behind to split the posts.

Ryan McCaughey and Bogue (free) restored the edge for the Eire Ogs but they were rocked in the 12th minute when Kelvin Nelson netted on the rebound for Strabane, after McGrath’s attempt for a point had dropped initially off the post into the grasp of Jamie Hughes.

The response from Clogher was emphatic. Straight from Rory McElroy’s resultant kick-out, Ryan McCaughey fielded possession and quickly transferred a pass inside to Marc McConnell who trickled a low shot beyond Haire.

Bogue (free) and the adventurous Bogue stretched Clogher’s lead to 1-5 to 1-1 with assured strikes, but Strabane swooped again for another goal in the 17th minute, McGrath’s attempt from 20m range looping over McElroy into the net.

To their credit the Eire Ogs maintained their poise and purpose to reel off a devastating 1-5 scoring blitz in the run-up to the interval. Bogue hoisted over a couple of sublime scores (one a two pointer), while McConnell and McCaughey (free) also got on the board.

Then in the 27th minute they widened their advantage to nine points (2-10 to 2-1), Shields rocketing up the middle, from Eoin Mellon’s deft lay off and beating Haire.

However Sigersons had no intentions of slinking into the night and after McGrath knocked over a free, Oran White then dispatched a penalty goal with the last kick of the half after McNamee’s burst in from the left was illegally checked by Mellon. (Half-time Clogher 2-10 Strabane 3-2)

And moments after Bogue had lofted over another quality Clogher score, their net was breached again, Morrison embarking on a barnstorming run and applying a super finish. Was the upset on the cards?

That man Bogue had other ideas as he twice more slotted efforts over the black spot, though McNamee replied with a cool conversion to keep the Sigersons just about in the hunt, trailing 2-13 to 4-3.

With Haire brilliantly denying both Bogue and Shields after they cut down the spine of the Sigersons rearguard to close in on goal, Strabane were just about clinging on. Bogue (free) and McNamee swapped white flags leaving the gap still at four, but it was the Eire Ogs who finished with a real flourish.

Inevitably that late attacking onslaught was spearheaded by Bogue and Shields who both added to their tally, and right at the death Bogue marauded through again to stick away another goal.

Scorers

Clogher: Ciaran Bogue (1-10, 1tp, 5f), Conor Shields (1-2), Marc McConnell (1-1), Ryan McCaughey (0-3,1f), Michael McCaughey (0-1)

Strabane: Oran McGrath (1-2,1f), Oran White (1-0), Kyle Morrison (1-0), Kelvin Nelson (1-0), Haydn McNamee (0-2),

Teams

Clogher: Rory McElroy, Sean McCaffrey, Dominic McKernan, Ruairi McCaughey, Conor Shields, Matty Callaghan, Mark Bogue, Barry McKenna, Eoin Mellon, Sean Bogue, Ciaran Bogue, Michael McCaughey, Ryan McCaughey, Marc McConnell, Vincent Lowry, Subs used: Jamie Callaghan for M Callaghan (21mins), Cillian Barkley for V Lowry (h-time), Eoin McCarron for E Mellon (38), Finbar McCaughey for S Bogue (58)

Strabane: Eoin Haire, Ruairi White, Ryan McElroy, Kyle Morrison, Ronan McLaughlin, Joe Bishop, Jamie Hughes, Martin Mongan, Dan McHaghney, Kelvin Nelson, Oisin McGillion, Oran White, Oran McGrath, Conal Crawford, Haydn McNamee. Subs used: Cadhla McCrossan for O White (47mins), Conall Flanagan for J Hughes (58), Adam Duffy for D McHaghney (58)

Referee: Niall Conlan (Moortown)