Second half goals propel Dungannon Under-16s to win over Beragh

Dungannon 3-7  Beragh 1-6

DUNGANNON Clarkes made their move midway through the second-half with three quickfire goals to seal an absorbing Grade Two U16 Championship final against Beragh, played in O’Neill’s Healy Park on Saturday afternoon.

The tie was delicately poised with 20 minutes of action remaining with both teams sitting on five points to their name, but two Dungannon goals, one after the other, in the 42nd minute, left Beragh playing catch-up.

The Clarkes swooped for a third goal in the 47th minute, this time from a Senan McCann penalty, and that was more or less that, though Beragh never dropped the heads and plundered a late goal of their own from Eoghan Loughran.

It had been even fare up until that point, though Beragh goalkeeper Enda Lynch had to be quick off his line on a couple of occasions in the first-half to prevent the net from rattling.

Dungannon got the opening score of the game in the eighth minute from Eoin Rodgers, and Beragh responded in kind with a fine point from half-forward Cathal Farley, who had an excellent game throughout and was a candidate for player of the match.

The Clarkes got their noses back in front with a fine long-range point from Cormac McErlean, who finished his day’s work with 1-2 from play.

They were making life difficult for Beragh, bottling up the middle third, but the Red Knights stitched together a lovely point from Oisin Porter to restore parity, with Eoghan Mullan and Farley involved in the build-up.

Dungannon had most of the possession but Beragh were holding firm at the back with Martin McNamee pulling off a fine block to prevent the influential full-forward Eoin Spence from scoring the first goal of the game.

Down the other end, Dungannon full-back Eoghan Cowan was having a super afternoon and his team moved into a 0-4 to 0-2 lead with points from McErlean and Senan McCann.

Beragh had the last say of the half with Eoghan Donnelly assisting Eoghan Mullan and when they drew level right from the second-half throw-in with a point from Jack Devlin, it looked like the momentum had subtly shifted in their favour.

The intensity levels had ratcheted up a gear with championship honours on the line, and Cathal Farley was in brilliant form in the Beragh half-back line with a series of expertly timed tackles.

Dungannon had a line of players in the middle third ensuring that Beragh were going to find it hard to mount attacks, but both teams were working extremely hard and registered their fifth scores of the afternoon with 20 minutes remaining (Dungannon’s Eoin Rodgers and Beragh’s Aidan Farley).

It was anyone’s game but the dam burst in the space of 60 seconds when Dungannon’s Cormac McErlean made no mistake in front of the net after tidy build-up play, and in the very next attack Eoin Spence left it 2-5 to 0-5 after his initial effort was parried by Beragh goalie Enda Lynch.

In a game where scores were at a premium, it was a sizable lead indeed and they compounded their advantage in the 47th minute when Senan McCann tucked home a penalty.

Beragh kept on battling and pieced together a well-worked score finished off by Cathal Farley before Dungannon tagged on a McCann free.

The Red Knights perseverance was rewarded when Eoghan Loughran rose highest to fist the ball to the net three minutes from injury time, though Dungannon had the final say of an entertaining game when Spence chipped the ball soccer-style of the net to set the seal on a 3-7 to 1-6 victory.

The Scorers
Dungannon
Comac McErlean (1-2), Senan McCann (1-2, 1f), Eoin Spench (1-1), Eoin Rodgers (0-2)
Beragh
Eoghan Loughran (1-0), Cathal Farley (0-2), Jack Devlin, Aidan Farley, Oisin Porter, Eoghan Mullan (0-1 each)

The Teams
Beragh
Enda Lynch, Braden Teague, Jack McNelis, Ben McGarvey, Odhran Porter, Oisin Kelly, Martin McNamee, Jack Devlin, Eoghan Donnelly, Cathal Farley, Aidan Farley, Eoghan Loughran, Oisin Porter, Eoghan Mullan, Cathaoir Kelly. Subs: Irla Quinn for Oisin Porter, Ruairi Donnelly for McGarvey, Darragh McClean for Devlin
Dungannon
Jorge Teixeira, Tomm Mullan, Eoghan Cowan, Matthew Price, Sean Og O’Donnell, Ronan Daly, Corin Kelly, Max McKenna, Conn O’Donnell, Eoin Rodgers, Thomas Slater, Deje Gonzalez, Senan McCann, Eoin Spence, Cormac McErlean. Subs: Dara McIntosh for Price, Ciaran Loughran for Daly, Oran McIntosh for Kelly

Referee: Fergal Ward (Errigal Ciaran)