Sigersons see off Castlederg to advance

JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP FIRST ROUND

Strabane 2-17 Castlederg 1-9

DESPITE the stormy conditions at the foot of the Sperrins on Saturday afternoon in Greencastle, Strabane made fairly serene progress in the end through to the Junior Championship quarter-finals at the expense of Castlederg.

This derby collision never really took off, though the blustery elements were clearly a mitigating factor.

While the strong wind favoured St Eugene’s in the first half, they were never able to fully capitalise on it, with the teams locked together coming up to the interval, and with skipper Oran McGrath imposing his class on proceedings, the Sigersons eventually pulled away.

He finished with 1-7 to his name, while attacking colleague Haydn McNamee chipped in with seven pointed frees. That was a similar tally to what young Minor star Corin McConnell mustered for the Derg, but overall they didn’t really have the firepower to trouble a tight-knit Strabane defensive unit, led by the likes of Ruairi White and Kyle Morrison.

McGrath registered the opener with a ’45’ splitting the posts, but McConnell then sent a booming effort, assisted by the wind, over the Sigersons crossbar, for a two pointer, and arrowed another over soon after to hand Castlederg the early advantage.

Strabane were slow to find much rhythm or pattern to their approach work, with turnovers plaguing their game, but in the 14th minute they awoke in style, with Kelvin Nelson fisting over keeper Patrick Porter into the Derg net after McNamee and Conal Crawford made inroads up the centre.

Shortly afterwards Oran White then rattled the inside of the Castlederg post with the keeper beaten and St Eugene’s sought to make the most of the reprieve as Darren Traynor planted a beauty and McConnell slipped over a close range free.

A brace of McNamee pointed frees leapfrogged Strabane ahead, and then McGrath cleverly found the target despite shooting under pressure.

McConnell restored parity as he landed a two point free, but it was evident that the Sigersons were now getting on top and two excellent conversions by sub Oisin McGillion and McGrath again handed them a 1-6 to 0-7 half-time cushion.

If anything the wind kicked up even more as the action resumed and McNamee made the most of it to steer over a couple of frees, one a two pointer, as they began to open significant daylight between the sides.

Castlederg huffed and puffed, the Ramseys and Harpers refusing to throw in the towel throughout, but scoring opportunities were now at a premium, while Sigersons keeper Eoin Haire was always competent under the high ball.

Two magnificent two pointers from McGrath were out of keeping with a generally scrappy second
half but despite frees from McConnell and Adam Traynor, the outcome of this one was already in the bag.

And McGrath copperfastened the Sigersons victory in the last minute when he coolly rolled home a second goal after being well picked out by Oran White. It meant that Cian Harper’s injury time fisted goal at the other end, after Blaine Lynch struck the bar, merely put a better gloss on the final scoreline for St Eugene’s whose relegation to Division 3b next season is now confirmed.

Scorers

Strabane: Oran McGrath (1-7, 1tp, 1tpf, 1 ’45’), Haydn McNamee (0-7,1tpf, 5f), Kelvin Nelson (1-0), Oran White (0-2,tpf), Oisin McGillion (0-1)

Castlederg: Corin McConnell (0-7, 1tpf,1tp,2f), Cian Harper (1-0), Darren Traynor (0-1), Adam Traynor (0-1,f)

Teams

Strabane: Eoin Haire, Ruairi White, Ryan McElroy, Jamie Hughes, Ronan McLaughlin, Kyle Morrison, Joe Bishop, Oran McGrath, Dan McHaghney, Gavin Molloy, Conal Crawford, Kelvin Nelson, Oran White, Martin Mongan, Haydn McNamee. Subs used: Oisin McGillion for G Molloy (15mins), Adam Duffy for R McElroy (56), Dylan Arnold for D McHaghney (56)

Castlederg: Patrick Porter, Jamee Doherty, Jack Ramsey, Odhran Harvey, Andrew Crean, Conor Ramsey, Ben Harper, Cian Harper, Cealef McMenamin, Blaine Lynch, Darren Traynor, Shea Leonard, Corin McConnell, Adam Traynor, Daire Corry. Subs used: Connor Harper for D Corry (37mins), Brian Coyle for A Crean (47), Emmett McLaughlin for C McMenamin (56), Michael Lynch for J Ramsey (60)

Referee: Mark Nugent (Donaghmore)