Drumragh Juveniles take the league title after thrilling contest

Drumragh 2-8 Urney 2-6

DRUMRAGH annexed the Grade Three Under-16 League title on Saturday when they overcame a gallant Urney side in an entertaining decider at Newtownstewart.

It was a contest that was close throughout with an early second half goal from the Sarsfields ultimately proving to be the difference between the two sides in the end.

Both sides deserve credit for the displays that they served up with Matthew Barrett giving a man of the match performance or the winners with Oisin Walsh, Tiernan O’Donell, Shea Mullin, Joe Taggart and Conor Fyffe others to catch the eye.

Urney more than played their part on the day but unfortunately for them they came up just short again having lost narrowly to Moy in the championship Final.

Matt Gallagher opened the scoring from a free for Drumragh inside sixty seconds before Niall Gormley doubled their advantage from play. It took Urney six minutes to open their account but it was a goal from Jack Langan and in the next attack he found the net again.

It was a great boost for the St.Columbas and the same player saw a free from distance bounce over the bar to put them five clear. Drumragh looked to be in bother but they didn’t panic as they reeled off the next three points from Gallagher (2) and Ryan Baxter.

Langan responded from a free for Urney but in the 20th minute Drumragh struck for their opening goal when Dara Cox, Conor Fyffe and Lorcan Starrs combined for the latter to shoot and when it dropped short Taggart got on the end of it to send to the net.

It was a score that visibly lifted Drumragh and they got their noses in front thanks to a superb effort from Taggart into the wind following a good build up involving Connor McLaughlin and Starrs.

It was Urney though who had the final say of the opening period with a quality effort from Langan leaving it all square, 1-6 to 2-3.

The second half was only thirty seconds old when Drumragh got their second goal to give them an advantage that they were never to lose. McLaughlin played the ball to Baxter whose shot was dropping short but James Fyffe got on the end of it to punch the ball to the net.

O’Donnell then provided a good ball to Shea Mullin who placed Baxter for a point to leave four between the sides.

Jude Burns and Langan then both registered for Urney to halve the deficit before Gormley and O’Donnell combined for James Fyffe to score at the other end of the field. With time running out Eoghan Devlin pointed for Urney but Drumragh held on to take the silverware.

Drumragh scorers: James Fyffe 1-1, Joe Taggart 1-1, Matt Gallagher 0-3 (2F), Ryan Baxter 0-2, Niall Gormley 0-1

Urney scorers: Jack Langan 2-4 (3F), Jude Burns 0-1, Eoghan Devlin 0-1