Cookstown send Clogher down after thrilling Div 2 playoff

Cookstown 2-16  Clogher 1-19
(Cookstown won 4-3 on penalties AET)

AFTER 80 minutes of scintillating football there was absolutely nothing to separate the two sides in this Divsion Two relegation play-off thriller on a mild Saturday afternoon in Cookstown.

It took penalties to find a winner in this back and forth classic and it was Fr Rocks who prevailed with keeper Oisin Mac Nia making two brilliant penalty saves to ensure the home side will get a chance to secure safety against the Division Three playoff winners in a number of weeks time.

It was a game that neither side really deserved to lose. Heading into the final seconds Clogher looked destined to be facing the drop, a point down and looking out of ideas, but Eire Og’s midfielder Conor Shields kicked a magnificent long range outside of theboot point to force extra time.

The away side would then establish a four point lead in extra time through a Conor Shields goal but Cookstown never gave up and an instant response goal through Fr Rocks substitute Conor Donnelly and then a point from goalkeeper Oisin Mac Nia deep into injury time meant this game went to penalties.

Cookstown got the first score of the afternoon in what really should have been a goal, John Gilmore caught a high ball turned well but miskicked his shot when one on one with the Clogher keeper. The ball was then recycled to Fr Rocks Niall McMurray who kicked a nice score.

Clogher were level moments later as Michael McCaughey found space and kicked a point. Both teams would then trade points, through Danny McElhatton and Ciaran Bogue, two points apiece after 11 minutes. Both defences were definitely on top early on, Dominic McKernan and Sean McCaffrey impressing for Eire Ogs and Matthew McNeill and Tiernan Toner for Fr Rocks.

Clogher took the lead for the first time in the match from an acute point by Michael McCaughey but the away side would only hold the advantage for a few minutes as, in the thirteenth minute, a high ball into the Clogher square wasn’t dealt with.

Michael McElhatton latched onto the ball but was denied by a superb save by Eire Ogs goalkeeper Rory McElroy but the rebound fell to Luke Neeson who half volleyed the ball to the empty net.

Clogher’s response was fantastic scoring 1-1 in a minute, Finbar McCaughey pointing and then a truly remarkable run from Ciaran Bogue whose pace saw him jink past five Fr Rock defenders before blasting the ball to the net.

It was Cookstown’s turn now to respond kicking the next two scores to leave the sides level yet again, Matthew Carberry converting two frees. Both teams kicked another two scores each, meaning it was 1-6 apiece
at the interval.

The home side made the stronger start to the second half, outscoring Clogher seven points to three over the first 20 minutes of the second period to establish a four point advantage heading into the final ten minutes.

Fr Rocks points came from both the forward and back line, Niall McMurray kicking two brilliant points both wing half back Keegan Dempsey and full back Matthew McNeil making good runs and scoring points and the other three points coming from the influential Michael McElhatton who was causing the away side serious problems with his pace and direct running as he scored a mark and two frees.

All Clogher’s points in that period came through Ryan McCaughey who scored two frees and a mark. This left the score line at 1-13-1-09 heading into the last ten minutes.

But this game was far from over as Clogher showed great fight by scoring five of the last six points of normal time. The fantastic Ciaran Bogue got Clogher’s first score in over ten minutes playing a one two with the goalkeeper
before curling a brilliant point.

Eire Ogs were pressing up on the Cookstown kick out and a Marc McConnell point and a Ciaran Bogue free left just a point between the sides heading into stoppage time. Fr Rocks would re-establish a two point lead with their first score in 12 minutes, Niall McMurray turning and shooting a 40m long range point. Ciaran Bogue reduced the deficit to a point moments later.

Clogher won the resulting kick out and with only seconds remaining captain Conor Shields stepped up and kick a 45m outside of the boot equalising point to save his side from relegation. We were set for another 20 minutes of scintillating football.

The first half of extra time was low scoring with Clogher outscoring Cookstown two to one, Marc McConnell kicking both of Eire Ogs points.

The second half of extra time saw the game come to life again. Cooktown equalised straight away through another Michael McElhatton free, but a mix up between the Fr Rocks keeper and defender allowed Eire Ogs Mark Bogue to steal the ball and chip it to the net to leave three points between the sides.

Yet again the home side responded with two points coming from Michael McElhatton and a superb curling point from substitute Nathan Connelly to leave the minimum in the game.

Fr Rocks were pushing everyone up the field in search of an equaliser but a turnover left them exposed as Conor Shields ran straight through before finding Eoin Mellon who despite having an empty net dropped the ball. However he found Conor Shields who smashed the ball to top corner of the net.

Surely Cookstown couldn’t come back but they did, less than a minute after conceding their third goal, they had the ball in the net.

A high ball fell to Conor Donnelly who sneaked the ball under the Eire Og keeper to leave a point between the sides and with the last kick of the match the most unlikely man scored; Fr Rocks keeper Oisin Mac Nia somehow found space to kick the equalising score.

Now it was down to penalties. Fr Rocks missed their first penalty from Callan Kelly but Ryan McCaughey also missed for Clogher. Cookstown converted their next four penalties with their keeper Oisin Mac Nia saving Eire Ogs fifth penalty to win the game for the home side.

THE SCORERS
Cookstown
Michael McElhatton (0-7, 5F, 1M), Niall McMurray (0-4), Luke Neeson (1-0), Conor Donnelly (1-0), Matthew Carberry (0-2, 2F), Nathan Connelly (0-1), Oisin MacNia (0-1), Matthew McNeill (0-1), Keegan Hampsey (0-1), Luke Cullen (0-1), Danny McElhatton (0-1).

Clogher
Ciaran Bogue (1-6, 2F), Conor Shields (1-2), Ryan McCaughey (0-3, 2F, 1M), Mark Bogue (1-0), Marc McConnell (0-3), Finbar McCaughey (0-1), Michael McCaughey (0-1).