Donaghmore and Eglish to meet in Minor Championship Final

DONAGHMORE and Eglish will meet in the Tyrone Grade One Minor Championship Final this week – in a repeat of the recent League decider- after each came through their respective semi-finals against Loughmacrory and Omagh on Wednesday night.

Donaghmore are one game away from completing back to back doubles after they overcame Loughmacrory by double scores 2-16 to 1-8 at Father Devlin Park.

Cormac Drayne and midfielder Johnny McKenna had early points for Donaghmore before Aodhan Molloy bagged an early goal. Ronan Molloy then added a point from a mark as holders Donaghmore signalled their intent. Loughmacrory opened their account in the nin^th minute with a neat left footed point from full forward Ruairi McCullagh before Eoin McElholm got on the scoresheet at the end of the opening quarter.

Ronan Molloy and McCullagh exchanged points before the latter was on target again in the 18^th minute to narrow the gap. Donaghmore though then enjoyed a purple patch that yielded them seven points in as many minutes to leave them well in control. McKenna and Ronan Molloy both had a brace each with James McCann, Aodhan Molloy and Drayne on target as well before Loughmacrory had the final say of the half via McCullagh.

Loughmacrory had it all to do in the second half and while it took them eight minutes to open the scoring through McCullagh it was the beginning of a good spell for them. McElholm split the posts before a shot from McCullagh took a deflection on its way to the net past Donaghmore keeper Conan McGarvey. Loughmacrory now had their tails up and it was all to play for when McCullagh left just three between the sides in the 43^rd minute.

That was as good as it got for the visitors though as Donaghmore took the game by the scruff of the neck from then until the final whistle. Drayne and Noah Grimes had points before McCann found the net at the second attempt after his 48^th minute penalty had been saved by McElholm. It was all Donaghmore at this stage and they closed the game out with points from Grimes, McGarvey and Drayne.

Meanwhile Eglish held off a tough challenge from Omagh at Connolly Park before squeezing home 0-12 to 0-10.

Centre half forward Turlough Muldoon got the Eglish challenge up and running with their opening score with Ryan Donnelly knocking over a free and Ross Daly fisting a point. Omagh had scores from centre half back Callum Daly, Tomas Haigney and Cormac McGinn. With so much at stake scores continued to be at a premium and at the break it was 0-6 apiece after Ronan Bradley, Nathan Horsfield and Donnelly had scored for Eglish with Senan Doyle, Haigney and Daly on target for the St.Endas.

Eglish had a couple of early second half wides and it was Omagh who took advantage with both midfielders Joe Miller and Paul Murphy on target as they moved two points clear of the hosts.

Two frees from Horsfield brought Eglish level and they had a couple of chances to get their noses in front but their wides tally began to mount. Donnelly converted a free with Lorcan Hegarty on target from play before they kicked another couple of wides. Omagh stayed in touch with a score from Ryan McGarvey and as we got into the closing stages nerves began to show. Daly got his third of the night for Omagh but Eglish just about dome enough to edge the verdict with Hegarty and Donnelly getting their last two scores.