Tatts take care of the Hill men to make last eight

Tattyreagh 1-17  Derrytresk 1-9

THEY didn’t have it all their own way, but pre-match favourites Tattyreagh justified their billing with a hard-earned but deserved Junior Championship first-round victory over Derrytresk at Killyclogher on Sunday.

Tattyreagh played some superb stuff across the hour and should be pleased with their overall efforts, though our hunch that the game was as good as over at half-time turned out to be a misplaced one.

Derrytresk threw the kitchen sink at it in the second-half with Cathal O’Neill and Niall Gavin proving a real handful up front, but Tattyreagh weathered the storm in the closing stages and booked their spot in the last eight.

The Tatts started the game in barnstorming fashion, racing into a 0-5 to no score lead within the first ten minutes of play. Their attacking play was varied and direct and they would’ve added an early goal only for a stunning reaction save from Derrytresk goalkeeper, Dominic McGrath from Tattyreagh targetman, Keelan McDonagh.

Deploying a high press on the Derrytresk kickout, Tattyreagh made hay with fine scores from McDonagh, Peadar Mullan and Aidan Martin before the underdogs got a badly needed point with an Odhran Hughes free.

But Tattyreagh continued on their merry way as they opened up a 0-8 to 0-1 lead with points from Ronan Collins (who had a super game, scoring three from play), Johnny Harkin’s second free and late inclusion John McAleer.

It looked like it was going to be a complete turkey shoot, but Derrytresk dug their heels in and enjoyed a productive enough second quarter with Cathal O’Neill landing two fine points from play and another from a free.

Tattyreagh goalkeeper, Collie Mimnagh, was having a fine game in terms of his restarts, and he also scored his second ‘45 of the day, a lovely strike that arrowed over the crossbar.

His opposition counterpart, Dominic McGrath, caught the eye with his shot-stopping ability and he prevented a certain goal when Peadar Mullan’s rasper of a shot was somehow tipped wide off the target.

Whenever Derrytresk breached the congested middle sector, they caused some bother with their hard running and they had a sniff at goal at one stage, only for Tattyreagh to avert the danger before the aforementioned O’Neill tapped over a point.

Tattyreagh held a 0-12 to 0-5 lead as half-time approached, and disaster struck from a Derrytresk perspective as they more-or-less handed their opponents a goal, McGrath’s short kick-out pounced upon by John McAleer, who still had some work to do, rounding the beleaguered keeper and finding the net.

That left Tattyreagh with a virtually insurmountable 1-12 to 0-5 lead at the interval, and they reopened their account on the other side of the break with Peadar Mullan’s second of the day.

Ronan Collins was also in fine form in front of the posts and tagged on his third, a superb return from a man wearing two on his back, but Derrytresk enjoyed something of a purple patch with Cathal O’Neill landing three points in a ten-minute period.

The game had become quite open and Mullan tagged on another for the Tatts as the clock ticked into the final quarter.

However, they hadn’t yet put the game to bed and Derrytresk got their goal when Niall Gavin pounced to leave only six points between the teams, and it was no more than they deserved as they refused to drop their heads at any stage.

Tattyreagh needed to take the sting out of the game as Derrytresk’s tails were up and Johnny Harkin nailed a difficult free to do so with less than 10 minutes remaining.

Derrytresk’s Niall Gavin was causing plenty of bother and almost scored a second goal, his palmed effort smartly saved by Mimnagh, while down the other end McDonagh scored an advanced mark.
Tattyreagh were looking safe again.

Both teams had given everything in a full-blooded game plenty in a good spirit, and all that was left was for Tattyreagh to see out the final few minutes.

It hadn’t all been plain-sailing, but they’d done the business and can look forward to their quarter-final clash against the winners of this evening’s clash between Donaghmore Thirds and Strabane.

The Scorers

Tattyreagh
Johnny Harkin (0-4f), John McAleer (1-1), Peadar Mullan and Ronan Collins (0-3 each), Keelan McDonagh (0-3, 2f, 1m), Colly Mimnagh (0-2 45s), Aidan Martin (0-1)

Derrytresk
Cathal O’Neill (0-6, 0-2f), Niall Gavin (1-0), Odhran Hughes (0-3, 0-2f)