Justice eventually prevails for Omagh CBS in McGrath Cup Final

Omagh CBS 3-10  St Patrick’s Maghera 3-8

YES, that actually was the scoreline. A phenomenal performance from Omagh CBS last Wednesday night at Kildress clinched back-to-back Oisin McGrath titles – though an awful scorekeeping blunder meant that it took a full 24 hours to actually clarify that they were champions.

Where even to start? Roughly midway through the second half, it became apparent to onlookers that something was amiss on the scoreboard. A clinical CBS side, so full of drive and energy, and so tactically astute as well, had surged into a 3-8 to 1-6 lead, or so we thought…

Anyway, we figured that it was just a mix up on the scoreboard (which read, inaccurately 3-7 to 1-7) and sure the Brothers were virtually home and hosed anyway having put the clampers on a highly rated St Pat’s Maghera side.

Both teams traded further points before the South Derry school embarked on a late scoring blitz of 2-1 without reply during injury time, after which referee Colm McDonald blew the final whistle.

The scoreboard read 3-9 apiece, and it soon became apparent that was also McDonald’s own take on proceedings.

Confusion reigned for quite some time after the game – rather than euphoric scenes of celebration from an Omagh CBS team that won by two points, the referee’s decision was final and a replay would take place on Monday night. He wasn’t for turning.

So there we had it, and the question became what exactly would happen next?

Omagh CBS had 72 hours to lodge an objection, St Pat’s Maghera could theoretically dig their heels in – and it could easily have become a sequence of appeals and counter-appeals. Thankfully, sense prevailed, though it still took 24 hours.

On Thursday evening, St Patrick’s Maghera released an honourable statement confirming that the official scoreline was indeed wrong and issued their congratulations to Omagh CBS on winning the Oisin McGrath success, drawing a line under the matter.

It’s just a pity that the scorekeeping blunder became the game’s major talking point because Omagh CBS had been utterly excellent – and comfortably the better team – on an idyllic evening in Kildress.

The Brothers had the ball over the bar in a matter of seconds from midfielder Conal Loughran though St Pat’s levelled matters shortly afterwards through Don Mulholland, who wore number 14 on his back but spent much of the game foraging around the middle in the face of a supremely well-drilled Omagh CBS defence.

Omagh CBS got their noses in front again through a Tomás McElholm free after captain Tomas Gallen, who got through a mountain of good work, had forced a turnover, though they were opened up too easily for a St Pat’s Maghera goal, finished to the net by Donnacha Collins in the sevent minute.

Cormac Darcy, another CBS lad who had an excellent game, was fouled for a free converted by Aodhan Corry, before another St Pat’s point, this time from Sionán McCormack.

The first 15 minutes had been fairly even but it soon became apparent that Omagh CBS were, in short, the better team.

Their defensive set-up was excellent and when they turned over the opposition, they went for the jugular time-and-time again, ferrying the ball quickly down the pitch for a number of highly impressive breakaway scores.

Pat McNabb and Finnian Moriarty’s side were also dominant in the middle sector with impressive midfielders Conor Fyffe and Conal Loughran working in conjunction with the likes of Tomas Gallan and Aodhan Corry, ensuring plenty of primary possession went their way throughout.

The Brothers tagged on three points on the trot (Daniel McGurren, Matthew Garrity and Gallen) before opening up a 1-6 to 1-2 lead when McGurren cleverly took advantage of a dicey kick-out from the St Pat’s goalkeeper.

St Pat’s responded with the final two points of the half, but it had no effect on the overall pattern of proceedings as the CBS went on to enjoy a dream start to the second-half, Corry jinking past two players and poking home a sublime soccer-style goal in the 32nd minute of play.

It wasn’t long before they had the ball in the back of the net for a third time, Gallen making an incredible catch in the middle and mere seconds later McGurren went for broke with his second goal of the game when he could easily have elected to take a point.

When Cormac Darcy clipped over their latest score in the 43rd minute, the CBS led by 3-8 to 1-6 against a St Patrick’s Maghera side that looked increasingly bereft of ideas, at this stage limited to the odd free here and there. It’s also when the confusion over the scoreline started, but anyway.

The CBS refused to rest on their laurels and two points in the closing stages meant that they led by nine points, though the referee, incorrectly, had it as a seven-point margin.

St Pat’s Maghera forward Don Mulholland, their best player on the day, drove home a penalty before adding a point from play in injury time. They kept on launching in high balls, yielding another penalty, and the same player stepped forward to convert his second penalty with the final kick of the game.

Confusion and controversy reigned at the end of the game – surely Omagh CBS had won? Not according to the referee… but at least we got there in the end, and the Brothers can now sit back and savour their latest Ulster Schools triumph. Congratulations to all involved.

Scorers

Omagh CBS: Daniel McGurren (2-1), Tomás McElholm (0,2, 0-2f), Aodhan Corry (1-3, 0-2f), Conal Loughran (0-1), Matthew Garrity (0-1), Tomas Gallen (0-1f), Cormac Darcy (0-1)

St Patrick’s Maghera: Dan Mulholland (2-6, 0-4f), Donnacha Collins (1-1, 0-1f), Tadgh Bradley (0-1)

Teams

Omagh CBS: Turlough O’Hagan, James McGarvey, Aidan Farley, Peter Catterson, Caolan McKinney, Tomas Gallen, Tomás McElholm, Conor Fyffe, Conal Loughran, Cormac Darcy, Aodhan Corry, Matthew Garrity, Cahir Cassidy, Shea McGinn, Daniel McGurren. Subs: Sean Donnelly for Cassidy, Dara Burns for McGinn, Dara McGarvey for Garrity, Cahir Kelly for McGurren

St Patrick’s Maghera: Seamus Óg Woulihan, Daniel Butcher, Dara McKaigue, Odhran Bradley, Dan McEldowney, Sionán McCormack, Fergal McLarnon, Donnacha Collins, Dara McKenna, Thomas Leadon, Tadgh Bradley, Cahir McDonnell, Joey Griffin, Dan Mulholland, Ronan O’Loughlin

Referee: Colm McDonald (Antrim)