Hot-shot Donaghy dazzles in top of the table clash

ACL DIVISION ONE

Trillick 0-17 Dungannon 0-25

DUNGANNON hot-shot Paul Donaghy was scoring for fun at Donnelly Park on Friday night as he slotted over nine two pointers to ensure the Clarkes eased across the winning line in this Championship dress rehearsal.

With Trillick resting a number of their key men – including Mattie Donnelly, Seanie O’Donnell and Rory Brennan – it was evident that there was a touch of mind-games going on in this encounter between the top two in Division One. The small matter of a meeting in the first round of the Championship in a few weeks times ensured that each camp kept a few aces up their sleeve.

One player though whose silky shooting skills were on full display for all to see was Donaghy who amassed an amazing personal tally, all of those accurate efforts from outside the 40m arc coming inside the opening 38 minutes, with six of those braces from open play.

Ciaran Daly and James Garrity did their best to match him for the hosts in this high-scoring shoot out but Dungannon’s Number 15 will clearly draw a bit more attention in the much-anticipated Championship rematch in mid September.

Daly and Donaghy (free) set the tone for the evening when they traded early two pointers, though in the main the first quarter lacked much intensity or cohesion. At the end of it the visitors led 0-4 to 0-3, with Donaghy (free) and James Morgan registering for the Clarkes, and the lively Garrity responding for Trillick.

The first of Donaghy’s array of spectacular two pointers widened the gap, while Finn Spence also fisted over for Dungannon.

Two assured strikes from Daly kept the hosts very much in contention and with Lee Brennan splitting the posts with a free, they had reduced the arrears to 0-7 to 0-6 by the 25th minute.

The visitors though dominated the closing period of the first half. Midfielder Matthew Quinn created a but of wriggle room to hoist over, before Donaghy took centre stage with three sumptious two point strikes in quick succession. Sub Oisin McGoldrick did respond with a single at the other end for Trillick but they trailed at the break by double scores, 0-14 to 0-7.

A fine run and conversion by Daly narrowed the deficit still further but with Donaghy continuing his one man scoring tsunami with another hat-trick of two pointers the lead stretched to twelve, 0-22 to 0-12.

Lee Brennan (free) and Ciaran Daly got in on the orange flag spree with long range efforts to bring Trillick back to within distance, but there was no real indication that they could make a tangible dent on the scoreboard.

Patrick McKearney was on target for Dungannon as they saw the contest out relatively comfortably with that man Donaghy again (free) and Ryan Jones also getting scores down the home straight.

Garrity showed his class with a few purposeful runs and accurate efforts for the home side but Trillick emerged a distant second best on the night. One senses they might have a different script in mind in the Championship rematch.

Scorers

Trillick: Ciaran Daly (0-7,2tps), Lee Brennan (0-5,1tpf,3f), James Garrity (0-3), Liam Gray, Oisin McGoldrick (0-1 each)

Dungannon: Paul Donaghy (0-20, 6tps, 3tpfs, 2fs), Ryan Jones, Matthew Quinn, Finn Spence, Patrick McKearney, James Morgan (0-1 each)

Teams

Trillick: Joe Maguire, Damian Kelly, Ruairi Kelly, Stephen O’Donnell, Colm Garrity, Daire Gallagher, Ruairi Cuddy, Ryan Gray, Liam Gray, James Corry, Ciaran Daly, Charlie Donnelly, James Garrity, Lee Brennan, Ruairi King. Subs used: Oisin McGoldrick for R Gray (20mins), Joe Worley for R Cuddy (33), Simon Garrity for R King (43)

Dungannon: Patrick Molloy, Ben Gormley, Conall Devlin, David Walsh, Colm Corrigan, Dalaigh Jones, Ryan Jones, Sean Molloy, Matthew Quinn, Conor Kennedy, Lorcan Mallon, Patrick McKearney, Finn Spence, James Morgan, Paul Donaghy. Subs used: Leo Hughes for L Mallon (41mins), James Quinn for F Spence (45), Conor McKee for S Molloy (55)

Referee: Cathal McCrory (Urney)