Carmen deliver the goods with convincing win over Coalisland

Carrickmore 4-7

Coalisland 1-8

A CARRICKMORE side brimming with youthful energy claimed a resounding victory over Coalisland in tonight’s quarter-final clash at O’Neills Healy Park.

Ryan Daly and Noel Hurson’s side have been making incremental progress over the last few years, but this had the feeling of a breakthrough performance as they smashed past last year’s beaten finalists.

Overcoming the setback of two early black cards, Carmen’s swashbuckling attacking play was rewarded with two first-quarter goals from Niall Allison and Johnny Munroe.

Coalisland, by contrast, were relatively toothless up front, which was understandable given Tiarnan Quinn, Cormac O’Hagan and Paddy McNeice missed the game through injury.

Carmen led by 2-3 to 0-4 at the break, but any hopes of a Coalisland comeback were dashed when Munroe grabbed his second goal of the night only minutes into the second-half, a fantastic finish to the roof of the net. Moments later, Daniel Fullerton made it a fourth, and the rest of the game was basically a procession.

Michael McKernan scored a late consolation goal for Na Fianna, but the only really black mark from a Carrickmore perspective was a late sending off to defender Sean Donnelly. His was dismissed with a straight red card so he’s set to miss their next championship match, a quarter-final clash against their parish rivals Loughmacroy in a fortnight’s time.