Naomh Eoghan U16s see off Clogher challenge in Gr 4 Final

Naomh Eoghan 3-8 Clogher 2-5

NAOMH EOGHAN are Grade 4 Under-16 Championship winners for 2024 after they proved too strong for a battling Clogher side at Drumquin on Saturday afternoon.

It was a keenly contested clash from first whistle to last with Naomh Eoghan emerging deserving winners.

In team captain Daithi McNamee they had the best player on the field, leading by example with a brilliant personal haul of 2-6 to his name. Niall McKenna was the standout performer for the Eire Ogs finishing with an impressive 1-5 over the course of the sixty odd minutes.

The game was less than sixty seconds old when McKenna opened the scoring but that proved to be the only occasion that Clogher would have their noses in front in the decider.

McNamee levelled matters in the sixth minute before McKenna was unlucky not to score again moments later when his free kick came back off the bar before being cleared to safety. In the 9th minute the opening goal of the game arrived thanks to a neat finish from McNamee before the same player tagged on a point from a placed ball.

Clogher though hit back a couple of minutes later with McKenna raising a green flag. In the next attack though the winners got their second goal of the afternoon via McNamee again and they never looked back. Niall McGettigan got his name on the scoresheet before two McNamee frees left it 1-3 without reply.

Both keepers were then called into action to make good saves, Cormac Devine for Naomh Eoghan and Caden Noble for the Eire Ogs. McKenna and McNamee traded points from frees with the former having the final say of the opening half from another placed ball to leave the scoreboard reading 2-6 to 1-3.

McNamee and McKenna exchanged points from frees again on the restart before Naomh Eoghan effectively put the game beyond their opponents when they grabbed their third goal. Midfielder Pastrick Duddy was fouled for a penalty ad Conor Doherty made no mistake from the resulting spot kick with an expert finish.

To their credit though Clogher refused to throw in the towel and in the 54th minute McKenna blasted a brilliant goal into the top corner of the net. Conor Durey responded with a point for Naomh Eoghan and while McKenna had the final say for Clogher it was only academic at that stage.

Naomh Eoghan scorers: Daithi McNamee 2-6 (4F), Conor Doherty 1-0 (Penalty), Niall McGettigan 0-1, Conor Durey 0-1

Clogher scorers: Niall McKenna 1-5 (3F), Oisin McElroy 1-0

Referee: Stephen McBride, Drumquin