Gritty Omagh CBS hold firm to book MacRory Cup final spot

Omagh CBS 2-7 St Mary’s Magherafelt 0-12

THIS was Friday night lights at Coalisland for a meeting of the last two MacRory Cup champions with a place in the final on offer for the victors.

The game certainly lived up to its billing as Omagh CBS claimed a seismic victory with a point to spare to book their place in an all-Tyrone final in a fortnight’s time at the Athletic Grounds.

The Brothers led from start to finish but this was no straightforward expedition. St Mary’s threw the kitchen sink at it in the second-half with their MacRory hopes hanging by a knife-edge having trailed 2-4 to 0-5 at the break. They drove forward in waves spearheaded by Eamon Young, a speed machine who kicked four second-half points from play, but Omagh CBS held their ground and did enough on the night to seal their spot in the final.

It was frenetic stuff with nary a time to blink, one raid up the pitch followed by another, a bruising battle in the middle third and some last-ditch defending at both ends of the pitch.

The Brothers could’ve been tempted to shut up shop at the back but they knew that wouldn’t be suffice to hold on and they snatched a couple of late-ish points that proved absolutely pivotal in the end up, players likes captain Callum Daly and Eoin Donaghy taking the bull by the scruff of the neck with the game in the melting pot.

The defending champions led by four points heading into the final ten minutes but St Mary’s are a fine side armed with a few youngsters who played an integral role in Derry’s run to last year’s All-Ireland minor title and they hauled it back to a single point in stoppage time.

The Brothers completed the job and now the question is – will they go boldly where no CBS team has ever gone in the history of the school by claiming back-to-back MacRory Cup titles? That’s the prize on offer in a fortnight’s time and it makes for one hell of a contest against St Patrick’s Dungannon, who likewise won their respective semi-final at the weekend by a single point. Fine margins.

Omagh CBS got off to the best possible start when they found the net with the opening goal of the game when Liam Og Mossey reacted quickest after Paudi Dillon’s initial shot on goal was parried by St Mary’s goalkeeper Karl Gallagher.

They had thrown down the gauntlet to the Magherafelt-based side, but in fairness they reacted extremely well with points from Charlie Mulholland and James Sargent, the latter a point from play.

But the pattern of the game was starting to establish itself and it seemed as if St Mary’s were a smidge looser at the back and the Brothers re-opened a two point lead with a ‘mark’ from Dillon and a sky-scraper effort from stylish midfielder Charlie Donnelly.

Defenders like Brian Gallagher and Sean McCann aided by many others were in no mood to give up anything handy. St Mary’s were going to have to fight like dogs for their scores and it took a sublime piece of individual play from Eamon Young to break through before setting up Sargent for their latest score.

Goals were always going to be crucial in a game like this and the Brothers nabbed a second in the 21st minute. Midfielder Eoin Donaghy took the direct route towards goal, the ball spilled and Mark Corcoran steered it soccer-style across goal to the right-hand corner of the net.

It was opportunism in its purest form and a stunning finish to boot, and with a 2-2 to 0-3 lead to their name, it already looked a long way back for St Mary’s.

Both sides tagged on scores including a soft-ish free converted by St Mary’s before the interval while Omagh CBS sharpshooter Ruairi McCullagh was growing in influence as the game wore on. Not only up front, we might add, but showing what he could do at the back with a number of telling defensive interceptions as well. He clipped over a free while his Loughmacrory teammate Donaghy fisted over a point to leave it 2-4 to 0-5 at the break.

The first half had been entertaining fare but you ain’t seen nothing yet. St Mary’s hadn’t really come to the party but they started the second-half like an express train, rattling off three points in the blink of an eye to drag themselves back into the contest. Eamon Young was absolutely lethal to the point of being virtually unplayable and kicked two of those scores and they’d pressed up big time on Oisin Watson’s kick-outs and the comeback was well and truly on.

Indeed, they could have and should have had a goal when Patrick Birt’s effort smashed back off the woodwork – a reprieve for the CBS, who looked in a spot of bother.

But in these perilous moments character is revealed and the Brothers reacquainted themselves with the scoreboard when Paudi Dillon finished off a sweeping attacking move down the right flank of the pitch.

Manager Diarmaid McNulty called for ‘leadership’ from the sidelines and it didn’t fall on deaf ears as they held firm in the face of the St Mary’s onslaught thanks to some sterling defensive work and also moved back into a 2-6 to 0-9 lead when Eoin Donaghy, who was having a real stormer, nailed a super point from distance.

St Mary’s responded with a converted ‘45’ from Sargent but Omagh CBS had seized the initiative again and scored what turned out to be their final point of the night in the 51st minute when Callum Daly showed blistering pace when emerging from the back to lay the ball off to Niall McCarney, who popped in a nice pass to Liam Og Mossey. His effort split the posts and it looked like the Brothers quite possibly had weathered the St Mary’s storm for good.

But St Mary’s are a fine team and they kept the CBS honest with a point from Eamon Young, his third of the evening. Omagh CBS spurned a goal chance when sub Matthew Howe forced a save from the opposition net-minder when a point possibly would have done, and St Mary’s set up a nerve-racking finale with late points from Young and Michael Higgins. It wasn’t enough as the Brothers hung on to clinch victory, and you have to say on the balance of things they deserved it.

THE SCORERS
Omagh CBS

Liam Og Mossey (1-1), Matthew Corcoran (1-0), Eoin Donaghy (0-2), Paudi Dillon (0-2, 1m), Charlie Donnelly (0-1), Ruairi McCullagh (0-1f)

St Mary’s Magherafelt

Eamon Young (0-4), James Sargent (0-2, 0-1 ‘45’), Caolan Higgins (0-2f), Michael Higgins, Charlie Mulholland and Luke Grant (0-1 each) and Patrick Birt (0-1f)

THE TEAMS
Omagh CBS
Oisin Watson, Blaine Lynch, Brian Gallagher, Sean McCann, Nathan Farry, Callum Daly, Mark Corcoran, Eoin Donaghy, Charlie Donnelly, Oisin Teague, Ruairi McCullagh, Jack Law, Niall McCarney, Paudi Dillon, Liam Og Mossey. Subs: Matthew Howe for Dillon, Adrian McGurren for McCarney.

St Mary’s Magherafelt
Karl Gallagher, Charlie Curley, Daragh Casey, Ben McLarnon, Luke Grant, Rory Small, Jack Harney, Luke Grant, Rory Small, Jack Harney, James Sargent, Cathair McBride, Eamon Young, Caolan Higgins, Charlie Mulholland, Patrick Birt, Conall Higgins, Dara McGuckin. Subs: Pearse O’Neill for Birt, Michael Higgins.

Referee: Martin McNally (Monaghan)