Match reports for the Tyrone Championship Quarter-Finals

Tyrone Senior Championship Quarter Final, Thursday 5th
June 2003, Clogher 7.00pm
Aodh Ruadh 2 – 8 Beragh 1 – 7

Aodh Ruadh commenced their 2003 senior championship campaign
with a comprehensive victory over a spirited Beragh side
in Clogher on Thursday night past. The 2000 senior champions
progressed to the senior semi final with a comfortable four
point margin but were tested by a determined Beragh team
right up until the final whistle. Aodh Ruadh opened the
scoring after six minutes with a pointed free from corner
forward Carol McGlinchey after some opening wides. The lead
was increased to two points with a good score from Angie
Casey which was set up by good work from Caroline McGrath
and the busy Trisha Morgan. Beragh responded with their
opening point from dangerous corner forward Colleen McMahon
after a good build up from defence by Aisling Hagan and
Josephine Rodgers.

At this stage Aodh Ruadh hit back with their first goal
of the game. A good interception by Laura Shiels started
a move which involved several players before Katrina Murphy
delivered a pint point pass to the on rushing Trisha Morgan
who had the nerve and foresight to fist the ball past the
advancing Beragh keeper. Aodh Ruadh looked more the settled
side and increased their lead with points from full forward
Frankie Park and Carol McGlinchey. Extended pressure on
the Beragh defence nearly paid off but Frankie Parks goal
bound effort was stopped on the line by Hagan and further
goal chances by Katrina Murphy and Angie Casey were spurned
by Beragh. Beragh responded to this goal pressure with a
goal of their own. A long range free into the Dungannon
defence by full forward Lisa Rodgers found its way to Julie
Conroy who smashed the ball home from five yards out.

Aodh Ruadh picked themselves up from this blow and registered
their second goal of the game. A free in the Dungannon defence
was quickly taken by Kate McIntosh who quickly played the
ball up the field to Grace Park. Marian Vincent and Mary
Cassidy exchanged passes before the ball was played in to
the full forward line. Frankie Park was quickest to react
and gave the Beragh keeper no chance with a strong left
foot shot. Again Beragh reacted positively and moved up
the field via midfielder Ciara Strain after good work from
Helen Ward and Cathy Donnelly. Julie Conroy picked the ball
up in the half forward line and exchanged passes with Orla
Donnelly and Strain before swinging over a great left footed
score to reduce the lead once again. Both sides missed further
chances to add to the scoreline and as half time was blown
the score remained Aodh Ruadh 2 – 4 Beragh 1 -2.

Beragh started the second half in determined mood and registered
a point from Lisa Rodgers from a free after a foul on the
45. They then reduced the defecit to three points with another
good score from Colleen McMahon who was causing some problems
in the Dungannon defence. Grace Park settled Dungannon nerves
and scored their first point of the half with a great individual
left foot score from thirty meters out. Beragh exerted even
more pressure on the Dungannon back line and for the next
ten minutes threw everything they could in a bid to draw
even. Good defence from the entire Aodh Ruadh rearguard
and especially from Carolie McGrath and Roisin Skeffington
meant that this pressure resulted in only two Beragh scores
from Rodgers (free) after a foul on Cathy Donnelly and from
Orla Donnelly. Dungannon hit back and scored a point from
midfielder Katrina Murphy and further extended their lead
with a score from Carol McGlinchey who was quickest to react
to a collision involving Aisling Hagan and Katrina Murphy.

Beragh pointed through Julie Conroy to reduce the lead to
three once again. Aodh Ruadh upped their game once again
and put over what was the final score of the game with seven
minutes to go from the boot of Angie Casey and for the final
few minutes they frustratingly held possession to deny Beragh
any further chance of winning the game.

Senior Championship Quarter Final, Thursday 5th June

Carrickmore 0.08 St Macartans 0.08

Tyrone Senior Ladies Football champions 2002, Carrickmore,
were within a whisper of conceding their crown at the weekend.
The Masterskreen Cup holders of the past two seasons trailed
arch-rivals, St. Macartan’s, by a point heading into injury
time and it took a very late equaliser from Eilish Gormley
to ensure that they remain in the race for that unprecedented
three-in-a-row success.

This was always billed as the tie of the round and, despite
the tough conditions, it lived up to expectations with the
late drama ensuring that the two highly fancied sides will
meet again for a crack at making the last four stage of
the 2003 series. On this evidence it would appear as though
there remains relatively little between the teams and both
will have extracted a considerable degree of optimism from
what unfolded.

Senior Championship Quarter Final, Thursday 5th June

Errigal Ciaran 0.09 Dromore 1.05

Errigal Ciaran moved a step closer to reaching a first ever
Senior Championship final in ladies football when they stunned
Dromore with a last minute winning point at Fintona in the
quarter-final clash between the sides at the weekend. Nuala
McGarvey’s winning point means that Errigal now face Sperrin
Og in the last four stage and, although that promises to
be a keenly contested affair, the Ballygawley outfit will
be a warm order to make it into their first Masterskreen
Cup decider.

Also in the intermediate championship Kildress overcame
St Endas in the first of the double header held in Augher
on Monday night. St Endas got of to a brilliant start leading
1-2 to a point within the first 20 minutes but Kildress
never gave up and battled right to the end and it was an
all round team effort to overcome a strong Omagh side. The
second game of the night was Fr Rocks and Trillick. With
both sides having county stars this game was going to be
challenging. This game was played in very bad weather conditions
with the ball slipping and sliding. There was a lot of frees
but also strong link up play from both teams. It was Fr
Rocks who got on the scoresheet first and at one stage leading
by 5points but Trillick never gave and in the end it was
a goal which separated the sides.