St Enda’s Minor Ladies complete the double

OMAGH 1-15 KILDRESS 3-8

OMAGH Minors sealed a dream double at blustery Greencastle on Thursday night as they edged the Grade 1 League Final, staving off a battling Kildress.

Despite the difficult windy conditions both teams served up a great game. It ebbed and flowed throughout with the lead changing a handful of times.

The Tones were much imrpved from last week’s Championship Final, hitting two early goals so setting up an evenly matched contest.

Well organised throughout Kildress did not allow Omagh the run of things. Sian Tracey and Niamh Heagney impressed at the back as their team denied St Enda’s key ball for long periods. Marianna Loughran, who finished with 2-2, was always a thorn in the Omagh side.

Roisin McGurk was outstanding in goals for Kildress, making several key stops, while Katie Rose Muldoon, Leah McCrory and Theresa Loughran were also excellent.

It wasn’t plain sailing for Omagh on this occasion. Once again though Sally McMenamin, Emma McCrossan and Emer McCanny did well, while Emer Cunningham made all the difference in attack.

It was Loughran who found the Omagh net within the first minute. She burst through and rolled the ball past Aine O’Reilly. Cunningham dropped over two frees for Omagh but on seven minutes Mia Muldoon sent Loughran in on goal to again find the net.

This was a dream start for the Tones and Therese Loughran went close for a third goal. Omagh belatedly got a grasp on the contest. McCanny and Cunningham (two) closed the gap to a point while it took a superb save from Roisin McGurk (one of several) to prevent Omagh finding the net.

At the start of the second quarter, points from Loughran and a well taken free against the breeze by Jodie McCrory stretched Kildress three, clear only for Leah Swift and Aine Strain to respond quickly.

Again McGurk did well to deny Cunningham who opened up the Kildress defence, though the Tones back line were excellent keeping Omagh attacks to the minimum.

Loughran crashed the ball off the crossbar while at the other end Cunningham levelled things with her fifth point of the game. McGurk was again on hand to collect another loose ball to clear the danger, and a McCrory free left her side a point to the good at the break.

There was a pulsating start to the second half. Strain ran through taking a tidy ball from Emma McCrossan to lash over another equaliser, while McCrory and Cunningham exchanged points.

Omagh changed the complexion of the game when Cunningham dropped over a free and Shauna McCrory teed up Cunningham who carved out a goal to give her side a four point advantage with just six minutes of the half played.

McCrory kept Kildress on their heels but points from McCanny and Cunningham had Omagh in control. Afain though momentum seemed to shift. First Loughran broke through to drop over a point and as Omagh struggled to clear the ball Leah McCrory scored a cracking goal to set up a tense closing ten minutes.

St Enda’s regrouped and worked the ball out of their own defence with a bit more confidence. Cunningham eased their nerves with a converted free, while the impressive McCrossan who showed real maturity teed up Swift for a three point lead.

Possession was key as the game swung towards the close minutes and in the space of a minute two McCrory scores left it a one point game with Omagh penned in.

Credit to St Enda’s they took control of the ball as they worked it out, McCrossan, McCrory, Strain and Cunningham showing genuine quality to see the game out as the delighted Omagh girls completed a first Grade 1 double in the club’s history.

The Scorers

Omagh

Emer Cunningham (1-9), Emer McCanny (0-2), Leah Swift (0-2), Aine Strain (0-2)

Kildress

Marianna Loughran (2-2), Jodie McCrory (0-6), Leah McCrory (1-0)