Omagh Minor Ladies clinch the League title

Omagh 3-11 Kildress  2-3

OMAGH Minors claimed a fully-deserved eleven-point victory over Kildress at Loughmacrory on Tuesday to collect their third Grade One league title in as many years.

A confident Omagh defence squeezed the life out of the Tones attack while their rapid movement up the park caused Kildress considerable problems.

St Enda’s hit the crossbar twice, squandered several goal chances and hit fifteen wides but they still cruised to the title, youngster Emma Owens Duddy applying the icing on the cake with a third goal in the closing moments.

Despite creating a hatful of chances in the opening twenty minutes Omagh only managed four points with Emer Cunningham, Erin Teague, midfielder Beth Gallogy and Emma Mc Crossan on target.

McCrossan and Owens Duddy crashed their goal bound efforts off the crossbar early on, while Cunningham went close for goal on more than one occasion and the St Enda’s missed four early frees with Kildress struggling to clear their lines.

On the rare occasions the Tones did break forward, Jodie McCrory, Leah Loughran and Aideen Corey looked threatening with Omagh’s excellent goalkeeper Anna Harper preventing a goal chance from McCrory.

The second quarter produced further Omagh scores, McCrossan and Cunningham pointing as they continued to press the kick out.

Cunningham put St Enda’s six clear with a well-worked point. Cliona O’Reilly, McCrossan  and Eimear McGinn were key providers to the attack while a long ball from Cunningham was steered to Ella Rose Quinn’s goal by Cara McCrory who ghosted in at the back post.

Clodagh McCanny teed up Eimear McGinn for a point as Owens Duddy worked in a goal from the right on Mickey McCann’s half time whistle.

Cunningham went close on the restart although it took a full eight minutes of the second half for Omagh to settle again. In between times McCrory worked in a first Kildress score when she bagged a goal, the Tones showing far more of a threat than in the first half.

Aine McCullagh and Mia Muldoon pressed Omaghs rear guard albeit without success. Ciara McGinn kept McCrory out several times.

They managed to get their clearances out and looked a lot better in this good spell. A  brace of Mc Canny points nudged Omagh a dozen clear though to cancel out that good work.

As they continued to miss goal chances McCrory tagged on two points at the other end. After another Omagh point McCrory dropped in an opportune goal for Kildress with ten minutes left.

After McCanny talked herself into a yellow card McCrory dropped over a free to leave seven between the teams, but it was still proving hard to carve open that well-drilled Omagh defence.

McMullan was ably supported by Orlaith Leonard, Ava Falconer and Una McCrory who were tireless and dogged. Aany nerves swept away when Owens Duddy pointed from the right before capping an outstanding display with a second and closing goal at the end, where she ran the length of the field holding off the Kildress defence to slot the ball home.

Next up for Omagh is the possibility of a Championship and league double as they prepare to face Donaghmore next Tuesday.

Scorers

Omagh: Emma Owens Duddy 2-1, Cara McCrory 1-1, Emer Cunningham 0-3, Clodagh McCanny 0-2, Beath Gallogy, Emma Mc Crossan, Eimear McGinn and Erin Teague 0-1 each

Kildress: Jodie McCrory 2-3

Teams

Omagh: Anna Harper, Ciara McGinn, Una McCrory, Orlaith Leonard, Ava Falconer, Tori McMullan, Cliona O’Reilly, Beth Gallogy, Emma McCrossan, Cara McCrory, Clodagh McCanny, Eimear McGinn. Erin Teague, Emer Cunningham, Emma Owens Duddy. Subs: Aishling Kelly for Teague,

Kildress: Ella Rose Quinn, Alana Tracey, Carla McCullagh, Aine Heaney, Ava Tracey, Marianna Loughran, Mya McCullagh, Jodie McAlinden, Mia Muldoon, Aine McCullagh, Leah Loughran, Aideen Corey, Clara McCullagh, Jodie McCrory, Therese Loughran. Subs; Grace Baines For A Tracey, Alana McCullagh for Heaney, Aoibhean Murphy for Tracey.

Referee: Michael McCann (Beragh)