Dromore to meet Clonoe in Jim Devlin Cup Final

TRILLICK 1-7 DROMORE 0-12

DROMORE will take on Clonoe this Wednesday night in the final of the relaunched Jim Devlin Cup competition after getting the better of their neighbours Trillick at Donnelly Park on Friday.

While the Rahillys were seeing off Omagh in the other high-scoring semi-final ( 2-14 to 1-12) this was an altogether more cagey affair with defences in control for the most part.

In the main St Dympna’s controlled things, with Emmet O’Neill, Ryan McCusker, Niall Sludden and Declan McNulty showing their maturity and composure throughout.

Missing around half a dozen mainstays of their line-up, the Reds battled gamely, with the Brennan brothers and Niall Donnelly spearheading their challenge, but they were to come up just short.

Oran Sludden and Ryan Gray traded early scores, before attacker Padraig Dillon then banged over a go-ahead ‘mark’ for the visitors.

Both teams were methodically pushing and probing for openings, St Dympna’s deploying Ruairi Sludden as an effective ‘sweeper-keeper, as he regularly ventured up around the halfway line looking to instigate attacks.

Lee Brennan knocked over an equalising free for Trillick in the 13^th minute but that was to be their final score of the half, as Dromore wrested a firm grip on the tie.

A razor sharp exchange between McNulty and McCusker culminated with the former rifling over a point, before Dillon slotted over a couple of frees. Then Ronan McNabb jnr pierced the Trillick defence, cutting in from the right to drill over a score, helping his side establish a 0-6 to 0-2 half-time advantage.

Two Brennan pointed frees saw the Reds halve the deficit when play resumed, but a trademark conversion with the outside of the foot by former county star Niall Sludden put St Dympna’s three in front again, before McNulty tagged on a free.

However just when Dromore thought they had matters firmly in hand, a defensive lapse was capitalised upon by Simon Garrity who fired crisply into the net to leave one between the sides. An excellent score by Brennan, floated in off the far post, restored parity at 1-5 to 0-8 with a quarter of an hour to go.

Two further pointed frees from the reliable McNulty eased Dromore clear again, and while Brennan cut in to slot over, a Tiarnan Sludden fisted effort and another McNulty free, gave the visitors significant breathing space to see it out, despite a late superb score from Ryan Gray.

The Scorers

Trillick

Simon Garrity (1-0), Lee Brennan (0-5,3f), Ryan Gray (0-2)

Dromore

Declan McNulty (0-5,4f), Padraig Dillon (0-3,2f), Niall Sludden, Tiarnan Sludden, Oran Sludden, Ronan McNabb jnr (0-1 each)

The Teams

Trillick

Joe Maguire, Stephen O’Donnell, Peter McCaughey, Rory Burns, Gavin McCarron, Colm Garrity, Daire Gallagher, Rory Brennan, Charlie Donnelly, Daniel McDonnell, Niall Donnelly, Eoin Farry, Ryan Gray. Subs used: Daley Tunney for G McCarron (h-time), Ruairi King for E Farry (33), Oisin McGoldrick for D McDonnell (40)

Dromore

Ruairi Sludden, Skye Heung, Tomas McCarron, Conor Colton, Emmet O’Neill, Cathal Colton, Conor O’Hara, Ryan McCusker, Tiarnan Sludden, Niall Sludden, Oran Sludden, Colm MacRory, Ronan McNabb jnr, Padraig Dillon, Declan McNulty. Subs used: Peter Teague for T McCarron (40), Ronan McNabb for P Dillon (49), Ciaran McCoy for E O’Neill (49)

Referee: Sean Hurson (Galbally)