Clinical Clogher shoot down their neighbours

Augher 2-16

Clogher 4-21

By Barry O’Donnell

CLOGHER came out swinging in their quest for a quick return to the Intermediate ranks as they shot down neighbours Augher with a scintillating attacking display at a sunny Hackett Park on Friday evening.

With Ciaran Bogue hitting the back of the hosts net in the second minute, and quickly following up with a quality two pointer, it set the tone for the night, as a fluent and purposeful Eire Ogs grabbed the bull by the horns from the off.

The host Macartans reeled off a fairly impressive scoring tally themselves across the hour, with Dara Donnelly and Martin McElhatton registering goals in either half, but overall they were a distant second best on the evening.

The visitors raced into a 1-7 to 0-4 lead by the midway stage of the first half. Keeper Ronan McElroy and Raymond McElroy slotted over two pointers for Augher, the former converting a free from distance, but they toiled to quell Clogher’s scoring threat at the other end.

Cillian Barkley hoisted over a two pointer, while Ryan McCaughey, Conor Shields and Bogue (free) also put the cap on some enterprising approach work with composed finishes.

Augher then closed the gap to three as Ronan McElroy landed another two point free, and midfielder Aiden McElroy drilled one over from close range. Yet with Barry McKenna in commanding form around the centre, Clogher always had matters relatively comfortably in hand. After Shields split the posts for another point, Bogue then surged through unchecked to stick away another goal

Augher responded with a goal of their own in the 24th minute, McElhatton trickling a low shot to the net after fine work from Aiden McElroy.

However Clogher eased through the gears again in the run-up to the interval. A brace of scores from Barkley (including a sweetly struck two pointer) and Ryan McCaughey free was followed up by another goal, Finbar McCaughey on hand to sweep home the loose ball after Mark Bogue’s delivery broke into his path. (Half-time Augher 1-8 Clogher 3-12)

Mark Bogue belted over a two pointer when action resumed as the Eire Ogs widened the gap further, but to their credit Augher kept plugging away. Two quick fire scores from Aiden McElroy and a couple of Darragh Kavanagh frees gave them renewed hope.

Kavanagh then cancelled out Ryan McCaughey’s strike with a booming two pointer as the gap was cut to seven (3-16 to 1-15) with ten minutes remaining. Yet the latter stages all belonged to the visitors as they reasserted their control with a devastating scoring burst. Conor Shields rounded off a polished move with a fourth goal, and Ryan McCaughey chipped away with frees to add to his own personal scoring account. It all ensured that Dara Donnelly’s late goal at the other end was a mere consolation.

Scorers

Augher: Darragh Kavanagh (0-7,1 tpf,5f), Ronan McElroy (0-4,2tpf), Aiden McElroy (0-3), Dara Donnelly (1-0), Martin McElhatton (1-0), Raymond McElroy (0-2,tp)

Clogher: Ciaran Bogue (2-4,1tp,1f), Cillian Barkley (0-7,2tp), Conor Shields (1-2), Ryan McCaughey (0-5,3f), Finbar McCaughey (1-0), Mark Bogue (0-2,tp), Marc McConnell (0-1)

Teams

Augher: Ronan McElroy, Theo Gartland, Emmett Neeson, Liam McKenna, Finbar McElroy, Declan Connolly, Niall McCaughey, Cathal McKenna, Aiden McElroy, Martin McElhatton, Tiernan McElroy, Dara Donnelly, Darragh Kavanagh, Charlie Cawley, Raymond McElroy. Sub used: Enda Grimes for F McElroy (46mins)

Clogher: Jamie Callaghan, Ruairi McCaughey, Dominic McKernan, Gareth McKenna, Conor Shields, Matthew Callaghan, Mark Bogue, Darragh Mellon, Barry McKenna, Michael McCaughey, Cillian Barkley, Eoin Mellon, Ryan McCaughey, Ciaran Bogue, Finbar McCaughey. Subs used: Sean McCaughey for D McKernan (37mins), Marc McConnell for F McCaughey (44)

Referee: Kieran Eannetta (Omagh)