Killyclogher are sunk by the Lough

TYRONE SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP FIRST ROUND

Loughmacrory 1-20 Killyclogher 2-11

DARK horses in a lot of opinions for a good rattle at this year’s Championship, Loughmacrory underlined their credentials with an emphatic six point victory over a wasteful Killyclogher side at a damp Healy Park on Friday evening.

St Mary’s sub Dara Hayes lashed home a goal from a quickly taken free with the last kick of the game to put a better gloss on the final scoreline from their perspective, but that clinical edge was missing when they really needed it earlier on.

In contrast St Teresa’s have some of the most exciting young attacking talent in the county and they again demonstrated that firepower by accumulating an impressive scoring return, even on a wet and blustery night.

Ten different players got on the scoresheet for Loughmacrory as down the spine of the side they really excelled, from keeper Oisin O’Kane, to full back and captain Nathan Kelly, the Donaghy brothers Aodhan and Cathal in midfield, and young tearaways Eoin McElholm and Ruairi McCullagh in attack.

In the Killlyclogher fold Tiernan McCann, Jordan Barton, Michael Rafferty and lively half time sub Gavin Potter all put in earnest shifts, but they were to come up a distant second.

Cathaoir Gallagher and McCullagh (two pointer) had St Teresa’s in the early ascendancy, before Mark Bradley (free) and Tiernan McCann responded with scores at the other end.

With the strong wind at their backs, St Teresa’s then shifted through the gears, O’Kane’s booming kick-outs a useful attacking platform on occasions. Pauraic Meenagh curled over a quality two point free from out near the touchline, after a lovely conversion from play moments earlier.

McElholm darted through to split the posts, as did the athletic Cathal Donaghy, following a swift exchange with his brother Gareth, and with defender Arnoldas Macidulskas finding a pocket of space to confidently split the posts, the gap had opened to 0-9 to 0-2 with twenty minutes having elapsed.

Conal McCann stopped the rot for Killyclogher when he fisted over in a congested square, but it required a superb double block from Barton to stop McElholm rippling the net at the other end.

Despite another Bradley pointed free, St Mary’s spurned a host of other opportunities, and they were made to pay when Loughmacrory defender Ronan Fox bundled home a goal, after McCullagh’s rasper was parried aside by keeper Simon O’Neill.

A fine two pointer from Tiernan McCann was an admirable response, but a late scoring spree by Loughmacrory left them in the box seat. Placed ball conversions from O’Kane (’45’) and McCullagh (two point free) added to McElholm and Gallagher scores, as they went in leading 1-14 to 0-7, Barton also picking up a black card during this spell.

Half-time sub Gavin Potter injected a bit of urgency and penetration into the Killyclogher attack from the off, and only a fine interception from Kelly prevented a near certain goal for him. A brace of Conal McCann frees and a Bradley point cut the gap, but assured attempts from Gareth Donaghy and Shane Dobbs maintained Loughmacrory’s cushion.

While Oisin McCann glided into a pocket to knock over a neat Killyclogher score, their challenge appeared to be wilting until Potter found the net with a low shot in the 50th minute, Tiernan McCann the creator.

But other promising situations were calmly dealt with by the St Teresa’s rearguard and they ended with a scoring flourish, McCullagh swinging over two super efforts, and Cathal Donaghy and Macidulskas also getting in on the act

Scorers

Loughmacrory: Ruairi McCullagh (0-6,1tp,1tpf), Ronan Fox (1-0), Pauraic Meenagh (0-3,1tpf), Arnoldas Macidulskas (0-2), Cathal Donaghy (0-2), Eoin McElholm (0-2), Cathaoir Gallagher (0-2), Shane Dobbs, Gareth Donaghy (0-1 each), Oisin O’Kane (0-1, ’45’)

Killyclogher: Mark Bradley (0-4,3f), Conal McCann (0-3,2f), Tiernan McCann (0-3,1tp), Gavin Potter (1-0), Dara Hayes (1-0), Oisin McCann (0-1)

Teams

Loughmacrory: Oisin O’Kane, Dara Curran, Nathan Kelly, Arnoldas Macidulskas, Shane Dobbs, Ronan Fox, Shea Conway, Aodhan Donaghy, Cathal Donaghy, Gareth Donaghy, Eoin McElholm, Cathaoir Gallagher, Pauraic Meenagh, Ruairi McCullagh, Oisin McCallan. Subs used: Michael McNamee for O McCallan (46mins), Enda Donaghy for C Gallagher (50), Ryan Grimley for P Meenagh (56), Colm Logue for A Macidulskas (60)

Killyclogher: Simon O’Neill, Shane McCaul, Danny Gorman, Sean Broderick, Michael Rafferty, Jordan Barton, Matty Devlin, Tiernan McCann, Oisin McCann, Paddy Corcoran, Oran Toal, Nathan O’Neill, Mark Bradley, Conal McCann, Mattie Murnaghan. Subs used: Gavin Potter for N O’Neill (h-time), Marc Flanagan for D Gorman (38mins), Mattie Howe for O Toal (46), Dara Hayes for S Broderick (50)

Referee: Stephen Campbell (Stewartstown